Songland: Iro’s ‘Shadow,’ Casey Cook’s ‘Judgments’, & Macklemore

On tonight’s new episode of Songland on NBC, Macklemore was the musical guest in the room and the song choices were fascinating, to say the least. Creating a song for him was a challenge, largely because he’s such a creative guy and he’s going to insert some of his own style into whatever he chooses.

What we did love about all of the songs tonight was that they were ALL so different, and they each brought a very different vibe to the table.

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Pop Culture – We love in a way that their song “City Kids” is so simple. There’s a joy that comes from that. They didn’t even audition with any lyrics but they didn’t need them! Music alone could be inspiration. The song was eventually changed to “Unforgettable” when the lyrics were added and Ryan Tedder stepped up to provide some of the vocals. The final version felt SO strong.

Iro – He’s got cool hair, and he also has a really interesting song with “Shadow.” The problem is that he needed to find a way to condense it — Macklemore is a rapper and, because of that, there needed to be a way to get some room in there for him. His track had a really cool traditional vibe combined with something really modern and pop-focused.

Casey Cook – Casey’s song was personal — talk of hometowns was mentioned in it, after all! — but there was still something more about it. There was a spirit and a genuine pop vibe. The final version of the song was entitled “Judgments” and she toned down some of the backing track. It ended up being so much more anthemic once Ester worked with her.

Macklemore’s choice

This one was hard to call just because all three of the songs offered something so different. Pop Culture’s was the most similar to his previous tracks, while Iro’s was the most innovative musically.

In the end, Macklemore chose “Shadow” as the song — and he even brought him to perform it in concert! Iro gets to be the featured artist, which makes this even more special for him.

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What did you think about tonight’s new episode of Songland, and also some of the performances that were featured? (Photo: NBC.)