12 talented global artists competed under guidance from trailblazing scouts Jimmie Allen, Mickey Guyton and Orville Peck in this critically acclaimed music competition that searches the globe for artists who don’t fit the traditional country mold.
Apple TV+ has unveiled Micaela Kleinsmith as the winner of “My Kind of Country,” the new music competition series from Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine and executive producer/multi-Grammy Award-winning star, Kacey Musgraves. As the winner, Micaela Kleinsmith will receive a life-changing experience from Apple, including global exposure across the Apple TV+ and Apple Music platforms.
Micaela Kleinsmith, originally championed by Orville Peck, won over the scouts hearts with her incredible vocals and visible growth as an Artist throughout the journey on “My Kind of Country.” In the final episodes, premiering today on Apple TV+, Kleinsmith sings both an original song “Stupid Love,” as well as a unique cover of The Band Perry’s “If I Die Young.”
Micaela’s EP “Butterfly” will be released through Platoon on Apple Music today, and includes her three original songs, “Butterfly,” “Eternity,” and “Raise A Cup,” that she had the opportunity to record with renowned music producer Tommy Sims. She is also releasing a rendition of her cover of The Band Perry’s “If I Die Young,” and all are streaming now on Apple Music.
“I was so honored and excited to have been selected as the winner of ‘My Kind of Country.’ This competition has been such a blessing and I’m just so grateful to have been able to learn from so many other talented artists on a global platform like Apple TV+. ‘My Kind of Country’ gave me an opportunity that wouldn’t normally have been available to me in the industry, and highlights the need for country music to open its doors to new talent and new ideas,” said series winner, Micaela Kleinsmith. “Thank you to Orville Peck, Mickey Guyton, Jimmie Allen, Reese Witherspoon and Kacey Musgraves for giving me this chance. I can’t wait for fans to check out my new EP ‘Butterfly’ on Apple Music.”
A fresh take on a music competition series, “My Kind of Country” breaks down barriers in country music by providing an extraordinary opportunity to diverse artists from around the world to be given a platform to be heard. Scouts Jimmie Allen, Mickey Guyton and Orville Peck each hand-picked a roster of talented and diverse artists and invited them to the home of country music in Nashville, Tennessee, to showcase their unique sound and compete for the winning prize.
“We were all moved by Micaela’s final performances and to be able to witness her growth throughout the competition has made me so proud of my fellow South-African! Jimmie Allen, Mickey Guyton and I all believe she is ready to be our next country music star,” said Scout, Orville Peck. “We are so thrilled to announce her as the winner of ‘My Kind of Country’ and have the world listen to her new EP ‘Butterfly’ on Apple Music.”
All of the artists worked under the guidance of Emmy Award-winning and Grammy-nominated Music Director Adam Blackstone. Blackstone is musical director to Justin Timberlake, Alicia Keys, Faith Hill, Rihanna and most recently the Super Bowl Halftime Show, the Academy Awards, the Grammy Awards and The Masked Singer.
“I am so excited that Micaela is the winner of “My Kind of Country,” said mentor and award-winning music director/producer Adam Blackstone. “She really grew into her own artistry and found her voice throughout the competition. It was a dream to work with her and I can’t wait to see what we will do next to take the country music world by Storm.”
About Micaela Kleinsmith
Sensitive South African songbird Micaela Kleinsmith grew up watching singing competition shows and dreaming of being on stage; by watching these shows and immersing herself in the sounds of the performers, she taught herself about vocal attack and range. Bullied heavily as a child, music became Micaela’s escape and her coping mechanism. When she discovered that she could sing and that people were taking notice, Micaela began using her newfound talent as a way to make friends. She started writing songs at the age of fourteen and continued to rise as an artist, eventually landing a spot on South Africa’s Idols in 2016. When Micaela is singing, the emotion, passion and raw talent is immediately apparent to anyone who listens.
Listen to “My Kind of Country” winner Micaela Kleinsmith’s EP ‘Butterfly’ on Apple Music HERE and listen to music from all of the artists from the show in Spatial Audio on the “My Kind of Country” companion playlist, available on Apple Music. Tune in and listen to oday’s Country Radio with Kelleigh Bannen this Friday, April 7 at 7am PT 10am ET or anytime on-demand at apple.co/_TodaysCountry.
This week, “My Kind Of Country” winner and South Africa native Micaela Kleinsmith joins Kelleigh to talk about her victory — interview highlights attached. The softly-spoken singer songwriter with powerhouse vocals is taking it all in as she celebrates being crowned the Apple TV+ singing competition’s winner. Check out “My Kind of Country” in its dedicated space on Apple Music HERE.
“My Kind of Country” premiered March 24 with the first three episodes introducing the 12 talented artists from around the world. Three additional episodes debuted March 31 as the artists displayed their musical versatility via a series of Scout-led workshops focusing on authenticity, collaboration and visual storytelling in their bid to secure a spot in the finale. This week, the stakes have never been higher for the extraordinarily talented finalists who have made it to the highly anticipated two-part finale on Friday, April 7.
Witherspoon and Musgraves executive produce alongside Hello Sunshine’s Sara Rea and Lauren Neustadter; Sandbox Entertainment’s Jason Owen; the illustrious Emmy nominated showrunner Izzie Pick Ibarra (“The Masked Singer,” “Savage x Fenty Vol 3,” “Dancing With the Stars,” “Ladies of London”); and Done + Dusted’s Katy Mullan (“Beauty & The Beast: A 30th Celebration,” “The Voice UK,” “Dancing With The Stars,” London Olympics Opening Ceremony). Emmy Award-winning Adam Blackstone serves as music director (musical director to Justin Timberlake, Alicia Keys, Faith Hill, Rihanna and for Super Bowl Halftime Show, the Academy Awards, the Grammy Awards, “The Masked Singer”).
About Apple TV+
Apple TV+ offers premium, compelling drama and comedy series, feature films, groundbreaking documentaries, and kids and family entertainment, and is available to watch across all your favorite screens. After its launch on November 1, 2019, Apple TV+ became the first all-original streaming service to launch around the world, and has premiered more original hits and received more award recognitions faster than any other streaming service in its debut. To date, Apple Original films, documentaries, and series have been honored with 348 wins and 1,440 award nominations and counting, including multi-Emmy Award-winning comedy “Ted Lasso” and historic Oscar Best Picture winner “CODA.”
Apple TV+ is available on the Apple TV app in over 100 countries and regions, on over 1 billion screens, including iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac, popular smart TVs from Samsung, LG, Sony, VIZIO, TCL and others, Roku and Amazon Fire TV devices, Chromecast with Google TV, PlayStation and Xbox gaming consoles, and at tv.apple.com, for R124.99 per month with a seven-day free trial. For a limited time, customers who purchase and activate a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac or iPod touch can enjoy three months of Apple TV+ for free. For more information, visit apple.com/tvpr and see the full list of supported devices.
About Apple Music
Apple loves music. Apple revolutionized the music experience with iPod and iTunes. Today, the award-winning Apple Music celebrates musicians, songwriters, producers, and fans with a catalog of over 100 million songs, expertly curated playlists, and the best artist interviews, conversations, and global premieres with Apple Music Radio. With original content from the most respected and beloved people in music, autoplay, time-synced lyrics, lossless audio, and immersive sound powered by spatial audio with Dolby Atmos, Apple Music offers the world’s best listening experience, helping listeners discover new music and enjoy their favorites while empowering the global artist community. Apple Music is available in over 165 countries and regions on iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV, HomePod mini, CarPlay, and online at music.apple.com (https://music.apple.com/), plus popular smart speakers, smart TVs, and Android and Windows devices. Apple Music is ad-free and never shares consumer data with third parties. More information is available at apple.com/apple-music.