BORCHETTA IGNITES SEASON TWO OF THE LAUNCH

Having spent two years as a mentor on American Idol, Big Machine Label Group founder Scott Borchetta thought there was a better way to make television based on harnessing aspiring artists’ dreams to reality. After, um, launching The Launch on Canada’s national CTV network last year to much acclaim and no less than six bona fide radio hits, Borchetta has returned with increased focus, a permanent co-mentor in Canadian superstar Marie-Mae and a rotating panel of mentor/producer/stars including Bebe Rexha, Bryan Adams, Sarah McLachlan, Nile Rodgers, Jann Arden, OneRepublic’s Ryan Tedder and Arkells’ Max Kerman to sort through five cross-genre artists each episode.

The winner gets to record a song written to be a hit. The panel seeks to find the best contestant each week to bring the song—released at the end of each night’s broadcast—to radio, DSPs and the world. To celebrate the kick-off of the second season, which aired on 1/30, BMLG flack extraordinaire Jake Basden took over the screening room at the Belcourt Theatre and invited a select industry crowd that included Apple’s Jay Liepis, Sandbox Entertainment majordomo Jason Owen, CMA’s Damon Whiteside, Music Row publisher Sherod Robertson, CMT’s Jackie Jones, Spotify’s Mary Catherine Kinney, Tacklebox Films’ Shaun Silva, Extra correspondent Alecia Davis, Sony/ATV’s Ted Goldthorpe and BMLG SVP Creative Sandi Spika.

Moving the focus from the personal drama to the creative realities of star power, matching artist to material and a commitment to going the distance, Borchetta’s Launch strives to maintain the mystery and invest viewers in the music. #Crazy. In a world where streaming is the new model, Borchetta leans into the power of hits, but also seeks to develop his six winners into more than just this year’s karaoke star.

Going from initial audition to selection, studio to rehearsal to live performance, The Launch explores the many facets of being a successful music star. Charisma, voice, live moves, drive, look and ability all come into play, and the viewer gets an inside look at the evolving process of developing or realizing an artist’s place.

The first season-two contestant chosen by Borchetta, Mai and Tedder was Cassiøpeia from Burnaby, B.C., who recorded the new original single “Better.” The song was written and produced by Tedder and features a rap from Boi 1da. Take a listen below.

With talks underway to take The Launch to France, South America, the Philippines and BBC, the man who brought the world Taylor Swift, Florida Georgia Line, Thomas Rhett, Brett Young, Carly Pearce, recent Kennedy Center Honors honoree Reba, Brantley Gilbert and Badflower takes his acumen for picking talent and uses it for 60 minutes of family entertainment. Depending on the always-crowded American reality TV/music competition, the vodka-maker/race car driver/label visionary might just unleash The Launch here in 2020.