School is back in session at World Academy W—a multicultural establishment in an alternate universe where war and monkeypox are problems that simply don't exist. The American students have just returned from spring break, refreshed and reluctantly ready to learn again. However, upon arriving at the academy, they're bewildered to notice something amiss among the other students.

"Am I imagining things, or has school always felt tense?" Delaware wonders aloud while taking a seat at his desk.

"You felt it, too?" Maryland frowns, seated nearby in the row behind him. "I reckon it's related to the other students studying for their upcoming spring exams, though it's pretty early to stress about that."

"I highly doubt it corresponds with academics," says Pennsylvania, sitting adjacent to them. "Whatever is going on, I can sense the source of the tension coming specifically from the European wing."

"Is that right?"

She nods. "It's rather odd and unsettling because not too long ago they had their spring break like the rest of us." Their conversation is briefly disrupted when they notice a familiar face enter the classroom with a bagel and a cup of coffee in his hands. "Yo, New York!" She puts on a smile, grabbing his attention. "Can you tell us what's going on with the European students?"

"What makes you think I know that?" New York grumbles as he takes a seat at his desk.

"You're part of the Newspaper Club, right? Surely, you heard some interesting things during your morning meeting with them. Mind spilling the beans for us?"

Knowing their nosy personalities, New York reluctantly discloses some information after a sip of coffee, "The situation is still developing, but it's related to the February incident between the Russian students and the Ukrainian students."

"Oh... That incident..." The entire class goes eerily quiet.

"Yeah, it's related to that," New York continues speaking seriously. "The principal of the academy has already issued suspensions to the Russians and Belarusians for bullying the Ukrainians, destroying their dorms, and disrupting their class. However, there have also been discussions inside the European Student Committee about issuing their own punishments to the Russians and Belarusians for their misconduct. One of which is an indefinite ban from the Eurovision Song Contest."

"The Eurovision Song Contest?" Question marks appear above some of the students' heads.

"It's essentially March Madness but gay and European," Pennsylvania quickly explains to their awe.

"Banning the Russians and Belarusians from this year's contest is apparent, but I haven't guessed they go that far to ban them indefinitely," Maryland mumbles.

"Is it that big of a deal? It's just a silly singing contest," Alabama scowls unimpressed.

"No, dipshit," New York sighs. "It isn't just a singing contest. It's one of the largest non-sports events in the entire  It's a symbol that promotes unity between different nations. It's a big fucking deal, not just for Europeans." He pauses to drink his coffee. "Whatever your opinions on Eurovision, you must understand the gravity of the ban affecting the international contest."

"Yeah, I guess that explains the uneasiness we felt earlier," Delaware mutters.

"It also doesn't help there have been rumors about the Russians planning to sabotage the contest out of spite," he adds, causing the class to groan in displeasure.

"Jeez, is there anything we can do?" Mississippi asks out of concern.

"There's no reason for us to intervene. I'm confident the European Student Committee is capable of handling the Russian threat without our involvement."

"Sure, but it feels weird to go about our business as usual when there's lingering drama in the international community."

"You're right," Connecticut agrees with her. "This is an important matter we can't ignore. After all, it's our sacred duty to uphold peace at this academy as members of the Hero Club."

"In that case, how do you suppose we go about doing that?" New York questions with a skeptical brow.

He simpers, "It's quite simple. To inspire cheer and confidence, I recommend we perform our own song contest. That way, we'll get everyone in the spirit of singing again."

"Wow. That sounds like a terrible idea."

"What in the world do you mean?!"

He sneers, "I hate to burst your bubble, but there's no way we can't put on a singing competition that matches Eurovision's creativity. Their performances are on an entirely different fucking planet compared to our shitty-ass annual talent show. It isn't anything like American Idol or The X Factor."

"T-Then, we'll just have to add a bit more pizzazz to our performances!"

"Yeah! We can do that!" Maryland expresses with enthusiasm.

"It's going to be a fucking shitshow," New York grouses.

"Nonsense, Yorkie!" Pennsylvania laughs. "We're going to have ourselves an awesome American Song Contest whether you like it or not!"

"Can I sit myself out at least?"

"I'm afraid that isn't possible," Virginia smirks. "I've messaged the other members about this idea, and they've agreed to work with this idea. Therefore, by majority opinion, I declare this matter a mandatory mission for all members of the Hero Club must participate. No exemptions."

"I fucking hate you guys."

"Your opinion is duly noted."

☆☆☆☆☆

News about the Americans performing their (inferior) version of Eurovision has traveled around the academy, drawing some people to check out the silly contest taking place at the auditorium.

"Yo! Welcome to the American Song Contest!" America appears atop a brightly lit stage, wearing a glowing smile and an orange gaudy suit. "We're gonna have over fifty participants perform their original song over an entire week. Singers that get the most votes from the jury and the public move on to the semifinals on Saturday and so on to the finals on Sunday. Ultimately, there can only be one winner given the prestige of having the Best Original Song. How does that sound? Cool and exciting, yeah?" He nods happily to cheers and applause—both real and fake. "Awesome! Without further ado, performing first is the nicest girl you'll ever know whose favorite foods include hotdish and toxic fish. Ladies and dudes, please give a warm welcome to—"

"Arkansas!" The Natural State moseys on over to the center of the spotlight with an acoustic guitar in his hands. "It's Ar-ken-saw! Not Ar-kan-sas! Y'all got that?"

"Uh, dude, what the heck is going on here?" America leans over to hiss in his ear while straining to keep a smile on his face. "Where's Minnie? She's supposed to go first, yeah?"

"Sorry, man," Arkansas whispers. "Minnie got cold feet, so she ain't ready to go just yet. Anyway..." He turns his attention back to the audience, addressing them with a grin, "Here are some things you should know about me before I start us off with a country song." He starts strumming his guitar. "First, I do in fact own and wear a pair of shoes. Second, I believe Velveeta makes the best cheese dip, and it's better than any queso made by Texas. I swear to God these things are true—"

"Over my dead body!" Texas rushes onto the stage in a fiery rage. "No way I'm lettin' that blasphemy slide, hillbilly boy! My queso is better than your cheese dip on any day of the week!"

"I-I still stand by what I said! Aaaah!" Arkansas flees the stage with the angry Texan on his trail, leaving America alone to face a dumbfounded audience.

"Um, okay..." America chuckles, shaking off his embarrassment and a bit of concern for his students. "I guess performing next is... Um..."

"LOKO!" Arriving with a pair of backup singers to the playful tune of Latin pop and reggaetón, Puerto Rico hops onto the stage turned neon, sporting a dazzling hot pink blazer over a simple black outfit. "¡Oye (Hey)! Remember me? I'm Puerto Rico! I made "Despacito"—the second most-viewed video on YouTube! Tonight, I'll drive you crazy like loco!" He smiles and waves and dances in excitement while singing with a mic in his hand.

Watching the audience get hyped for the Isle of Enchantment, America quietly moves aside, letting the territory go crazy and giving him a smile of support afterward. From there, one by one, the other American students take to the stage to sing their original songs. Despite their nerves and their lack of preparation, they still give everything they have into putting on a beautiful performance.

"We're gonna love like we never been hurt~ Rise like we've never been burned~" Connecticut sings softly and steadily, standing alone on a pitch black stage with only a lone violin and a piano playing a few notes for a solemn melody. But quickly, everything brightens back up by the surrounding radiance of a hundred white lightbulbs. The orchestra picks back up as he gradually raises his voice to the mic-stand, radiating a strong soul-moving voice to the world. "And after all of the lessons we've learned / We're gonna make it, gonna make this... A beautiful world!" He goes into the final chorus with a twinkling smile. "Gonna make this a beautiful world, oh, oh / Make this a beautiful world (oh, oh) / When we come together / We're gonna make this a beautiful world!"

"Simply stunning. Such a beautiful song to hear," says Quebec in her seat, applauding after his captivating performance.

"Meh." Ontario shrugs with his head resting in the palm of his hand. "It's simple and stunning, but it doesn't hold a candle to Eurovision."

"True." She gives a half-hearted sigh. "As much as I dislike your face and your terrible taste in pizza, I can't bring myself to disagree with that statement. Nothing I've seen so far is memorable. But hopefully, there's something worth the price of my ticket."

While 50 Stars Productions finishes prepping the stage for the next performance, America comes on the speakers to announce the next participant. "Up next is the cowboy from the middle of nowhere who likes to drink that respect-women-juice, Wyoming!" The lights around the stage gradually come back on, showcasing a skimpy group of cowgirls casually going around a Western set straight out of a campy Boot Barn.

As Wyoming strides to the stage in cowboy clothes, a prerecorded voice echoes out of the speakers, speaking with an exaggerated rustic twang, "My, oh, my! Them gotta be the nicest pair of boots I done ever seen in my life! I mean, those are mighty fancy!"

"Why, thank you," Wyoming responds with the tip of his cowboy hat and the tap of his heel.

"Oh, gosh," Ontario groans. "Not another country—"

"New boot goofin' in the diamondback snake skins! (New boot goofin', new boot goofin')!" Wyoming suddenly spits down some bars to the beat of a boombox, shaking up everyone's expectations with this funky hip-hop song about his brand new cowboy boots."So damn fresh that the rattle still shakin'! (New boot goofin', new boot goofin')! I worked all week just so I could get them! (New boot goofin', new boot goofin')! Goddamn, I look sweet in them new snake skins! (Look at them boots)!" He continues into the first verse of his redneck rap, all while getting two different kinds of reactions from the audience.

"What the fuck am I hearing, eh?" People like Ontario can't find the words to describe how they feel about it. "Are my ears bleeding? This has to be the worst song I've ever heard. I hate it."

"Shut your dumb mouth, eh! This is the best fucking thing to come out of this contest!" People like Quebec, on the other hand, embrace the absurdity with a stupid grin. "Woooo! New boot goofin', new boot goofin'!"

Wyoming smiles in response to the supporting cheers of the crowd, but deep inside he's dying of cringe. 'How the heck is this type of music popular nowadays? Country rap? Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus? I can't believe Tennesse put me up to this!'

~ New Boot Goofin'! New Boot Goofin'! ~

"(Na, na-na, na-na, na-na)~ Living bad and boujee, million dollar smoothies~ (Na, na-na, na-na, na-na)~ When my money blows up, hope it fill the hole up~" Oregon plays the keyboard alongside a row of dancers dressed as kale green smoothie cups printed with giant dollar signs. She sings a chill bop about materialism that attracts depressed hipsters trying to cope with their self-image and student debt. However, her song also has the effect of confusing the heck out of conservative boomers unable to relate to millennial hippies.

"Man, this is getting weird," North Dakota mutters while watching Oregon finish up her song from backstage.

"In that case," Montana picks up a guitar, "I'm gonna set things boring and straight with some good ol' country music."

"That's the American spirit!"

Against the campy essence of Eurovision, the next round of Americans sing country songs that don't appeal to an international mainstream audience.

British Columbia groans and complains under her breath, "You know, I thought I could get some useful insight in preparation for our song contest and our participation at next year's Eurovision. But at this point, I rather listen to a boring ballad than another song about rednecks."

"Oh, come on. Her song ain't so bad," Alberta murmurs while bobbing his head to the verse.

Despite an overabundance of average country songs, there have been a few gems that aren't always upbeat about trucks and the outdoors. One of which is sung by Nebraska. The stage isn't set up to appear anything special for her performance, but it does put more focus on her. Still, her plain appearance—a simple white sundress, a sun hat, and a pair of brown cowboy boots—leaves much to be desired. Everyone assumes it's going to be no different from Arkansas's song until the music comes on to convey a wistful dream of the countryside in the early hours of daybreak. When Nebraska starts singing, it sounds like she's speaking to another girl like her who's struggling with loneliness and insecurities. It's sad and upsetting, at first. But when she goes into the chorus, her voice shifts into an uplifting and comforting tone, gently emphasizing the empathy of each lyric.

"I'll be your roof when it's hard to go home~ Wrap you in love when your heart's feelin' cold, and / When you lose hope, I just want you to know~ Lonely is never alone... Lonely is nevеr alone... You're never alone~"

Her song has certainly touched Kansas's heart who can't help but get emotional at how beautiful it sounds. "Oh, Nebby. I'm so happy for you." She wipes a tear from her eye.

While a touching song, most members of the audience are getting sick of listening to country songs. So much so that they get annoyed seeing Kentucky appear on stage, assuming he'll sing one, too. However, he doesn't have with him a guitar, a banjo, or even an Appalachian dulcimer. He only snaps his fingers while a piano plays calmly in the background. "Ooh~ Who clipped your wings and put you down? Whoever thought one word could tie you to the ground? To those who told you what you are, and good enough~ Let 'em know that you will rise above... Let 'em know that you will rise above..." He stops snapping and takes in a deep breath.

"Sparrow!" He raises his angelic voice as pure white feathers float around him via special effects, taking everyone's breath away. "Up and fly away~ There's a brighter day~ We don't have to stay here anymore~ Little sparrow~ We can own the sky~ There's a better world inside~ We don't have to stay here anymore~"

"Whoa! I didn't know he could sing like that," Ohio speaks in awe of their performance.

"I've seen him sing on American Idol a few times, so I'm not too surprised," Virginia smirks.

~ Sparrow! ~

Dancing to the beat of the drum in the red-and-white strobe lights around the stage while dressed in black slacks and a soft armor vest like an edgy TikToker, Texas captivates the audience with her dark yet catchy pop song that somewhat fits the theme of an anti-hero. "Cause I'm Mrs. Independent~ No, I can't stop myself from listening to no one~ I am on my own now, I'm all I got~  Guess I'm the only one~ Mrs. Independent~ No, I can't leave my door wide open for no one~ Big man in the black suit can't tell me now~ Guess I'm the only one~"

"This song is so Tejas," Coahuila smirks in amusement alongside the rest of El Norte (The North) of Mexico.

"I didn't imagine Tejas singing anything but a country song," Chihuahua giggles, "yet color me shocked!"

"I don't know why, but her song sounds ... personal," Tamaulipas mumbles.

"Yeah, I can't tell if she's vibin' or ventin'," Nuevo León chuckles.

Following the Texan's performance, Louisiana takes to the stage in a giant silver dress, adorning a tall glowing crown on her head befitting for a powerful queen singing to her own tempo. "I've got a light, and it breaks up the darkness~ I've got a sound, and it splits through the noise~ Yeah, I'm a live wire if you wanna walk it~ It's gonna burn, no, you ain't got a choice~ Ooh~ See it in the way that I / Move~ If you didn't know, now you / Now you do!" The dazzling lights come on in a flash as pillars of smoke erupt from the floor around her to give a spooky vibe that works with the dynamic country rock song.

Cheering her on in the crowd, France shouts in adoration, "Oui! You go, girl! Slay them!"

Alongside the French teacher, Spain attends the contest to show his support, especially for Florida when it's her time to put on a Latin pop performance. "Woo! You go, chica (girl)! Show them what you got!" He watches her and the backup dancers, dressed in clothes that came out of the PINK catalog of Victoria's Secret, emerge on the sparkling magenta stage after leaving a set that resembles Barbie's dressing room.

"Baby, ven aquí, baila conmigo (come here, dance with me)~ If you want someone strokin' your ego~ Boy, use your body, no words~ Come play with me, papi~ You already got me~ No quiero que seas mi amigo (I don't want you to be my friend)~ This girl got a selfish motivo~ Tonight, we go straight to dessert~ Ain't foolin' nobody~ You know what you want, you a flirt~" Florida throws up her hand and winks at the audience. "Boy, you a flirt~"

~ Boy, you a flirt ~

Starting strong with big beats and an electric guitar riff, Nevada steps up to the stage with the devil-may-care attitude of an arrogant punk ready to square up against a tough opponent. "I'm a fit-in~ You can't break my soul~ I fight through broken bones~ I'm gonna go for the throat~ I'm not playing~ This ain't no joke~ You got your head in the sand~ I got my eyes on the throne~" The drummer goes hard for a brief moment before the music shifts into a low tune for him to slowly echo in a creepy yet alluring manner. "(Ah-ah-ah-ah) I got my eyes on the throne~ (Ah-ah-ah) so, watch me now~"

His voice grows bolder with the volume of the music as he repeats the last three words over and over again to reach the first climax of the electronic rock song, turning the auditorium into a rave.

"Holy shit, dude! This shit is so hardcore! It almost feels like I'm taking crystal meth!" America exclaims to England while jumping up and down from his seat, hoping to impress him with his students' performances.

Alas, the English teacher channels his inner Simon Cowell, commenting in an impassive tone, "I disagree with your statement, much less approve of the language you used. Because in my subjective opinion, this is all just bright lights and smoke effects. It's not too shocking to have a long-lasting impact on my psyche. Especially considering the fact I've seen flashier stunts done by a Finnish heavy metal band of demons. This is quite tame."

"Oh, come on. You can't say it's all bad. This is sorta your favorite type of music. You gotta have one good thing to say about his song and performance."

"Then, I guess it's far better than a strange bloke standing on stage, strumming an acoustic guitar, and singing a substandard country song."

"Bruh!"

Things calm down when Hawaii takes to the stage turned into a tropical paradise. "Come along with me, it'll be alright~" She plays the ukulele while hula dancing around an island prop to the relaxing rhythm of Jawaiian music (a mixture of Hawaiian and reggae music). "This song inside my heart is worth the fight~ Been ready for this moment all my life~ So let me sing this song for you tonight~" She sways her hips and strums her ukulele. "Sing a la la long, la la la long~ Sing a la la long, la la la long~ Sing a la la long, la la la long~ Go ahead and shout it~"

"Oh my god! Look at Hawaii singing and dancing! So cute and precious!" America gushes in his seat. "Come on, dude. There's no way you can dislike her. If you do, I'll fucking end your life." 

England shrugs. "It's nice and pleasant to the ears, but it doesn't scream potential."

"What the heck do you mean by that?!"

"Calm down, you sensitive twat. I'm just saying the song isn't gonna win her the contest."

"Well, sure, but..." America groans. "Whose song can you vouch is a winner?"

"Hm... I suppose that lad up there." He stares at the next singer on stage.

Plucking the string of his black electric guitar to contemporary R&B, Washington sings the pre-chorus in a chill and reflective manner, "Have you ever loved somebody? It felt so good it hurt~ But then they went running, huh~ When you dug up all the dirt~ Was it only lust, or is love also a curse? Maybe they're a little bit of both in reverse..." He breathes before putting more emotion in his voice for the chorus. "How come some days you're livin' / And other days, it's death? How come everything that's given / Somehow always leaves a debt? How come joy needs sorrow and reasons don't rhyme? Until you're horizontal, life ain't a straight line, yeah~ Maybe we're all a little bit of," the melody cuts out as he delivers the punchline, "everything combined~"

"... Seriously?" America gives the Englishman a bewildered look. "This sounds like it came out of an underground café."

"Though not my favorite genre, the lyrics are quite clever and poetic," England admits.

~ Limey bastard... ~

"I'll give you the keys to the Kingdom~" California opens her Latin pop song with a seductive smirk. "Open up the gates, rum-pum-pum-pum-pum~ Put you in a whole new position~" Her sisters Baja California and Baja California Sur join her as co-singers. "Can you get it done, do-do-done, done, done? Love me like, love me like / Like it's the last night of your life~ Love me like, love me like / Like it's the last night, night, night~" The California angels proceed to put on a fabulous show that wows the audience.

In contrast to California's synchronized hip-hop choreography, New Mexico throws down an amateur hip-hop routine that doesn't exactly hit all the notes. "Beep-beep~ Who got the keys to the jeep?" He wanders around the dimly lit stage like a lost child, wearing baggy clothes and a neon green alien mask that's inhibiting his ability to perform well. "All my ladies put your hands up, yeah, yeah~ Now drop it down real low (drop it down real low)~ All my fellows put your hands up, it's time to act like you know— Whoa! Ow!" He doesn't see where he's going and falls off the stage by accident, causing the audience to gasp out of concern for his well-being.

"Dude, are you okay?" California goes over to check on him, making sure nothing else is hurt other than his dignity. "What were you fucking thinking? Like, why didn't you play some Latino or indigenous music? Aren't they, like, your specialty?"

"I wasn't sure anyone would understand me..." New Mexico cries inside his alien mask.

Near the end of the contest, American Samoa and his sister, (Western) Samoa, perform a song in the style of Hawaiian reggae that gives off healing vibes, sending a positive message to unite the students of the school in spite of recent events. "Life is so beautiful, give thanks every day, ay~ Time's not the usual, our struggles are not the same because / Fighting for who I love and can't let anyone try to take~ My blood and my tears that stained / The path I've paved with pain because / Respect is earned, we can't expect return / If we can't correct and learn~" They raise a hand to the audience, smiling, "Let's bring about change and show 'em their worth~" The music picks up in an upbeat tone.

"Pray for the ones that we got~ And blessed by the ones that we've lost, yeah-yeah~ Pray for the ones that we got~ And blessed by the ones that we've lost, yeah-yeah~ Though we may not come today, we're gonna be okay~ Pray for the ones that we've got~ And blessed by the ones that we've lost, yeah-yeah~" They spin around on a flowery circle projected on the floor. "Full circle, full circles~ Come around, and 'round, yeah-yeah~"

~ The Winner is... ~

After a long week of singing, America comes to the stage in front of a packed auditorium to announce the singer with the best original song based on the votes. "The winner of the American Song Contest is ... Oklahoma!" He and the audience give a wild round of applause to the Oklahoman for performing a song genre no one expected to see in the contest—K-pop.

Hopping onto the stage in pigtails and a crimson red romper with matching knee-high boots, Oklahoma is handed a trophy—that promptly breaks in his hands, much to America's shock and embarrassment. "Uh, thanks, I guess?" He awkwardly takes the microphone to give a short congratulatory speech. "Anyway, I would like to thank all the K-Pop fans who voted for me. Because without you, the tasteless jurors would've made Washington the winner instead."

"Was it necessary to publicly throw shade at me?" Washington gripes with crossed arms while watching from the sidelines alongside his fellow Americans.

"Dude, the jurors were sucking your dick," Oregon grumbles.

"This ain't fair, man," Tennessee groans, having performed right after Oklahoma in the finals.

"Quit whining like a fucking bitch. It's a miracle your country song made the finals," New York derides.

"While we're all not winners," Connecticut interjects with a smile, "we did amazing putting on an awesome song contest for the world."

"Eh." New York makes a face that says otherwise. "I'm just glad this is fucking over."

Indeed, now that the American Song Contest is over, the world can finally look forward to the Europeans putting on a better song contest.

"Why watch this year's Eurovision? We obviously know who's gonna be the winner of that contest," says one student to their friend as they're exiting the auditorium.

"Yeah, but it'll still be more entertaining than the Americans' song contest."

"Fair point."

~ Amerivision! ~

Siyo, papa, get me a slushie!
Siyo, mama, siyo, mama!
I cannot forget the taste of that
Chicken fried steak I ate long ago!

Draw a circle, that's the Earth!
Draw a circle, that's the Earth!
Draw a circle, that's the Earth!
I'm Oklahoma!

Draw a circle, that's the Earth!
Looking closely, that's the Earth!
Or maybe, that's the Earth?
I'm the Sooner State!

Ah, with just a brushstroke,
A wonderful world can be seen!
Serving hot meals on a skillet!
Oklahoma!

☆☆☆☆☆

+ American Song Contest is a music reality competition television series featuring a total of 56 participants representing the fifty U.S. states, five U.S. territories, and Washington D.C. competing for the title of Best Original Song. It's essentially the U.S. version of the Eurovision Song Contest—a popular international songwriting competition famous for its diversity and eccentric artistry. Although after its debut, the American Song Contest has primarily turned out to be a far cry from the outlandish performances expected in Eurovision. It isn't surprising considering the cultural differences between Europe and the United States. Not to say there aren't any gems, but the show in its entirety is nowhere near exciting enough to make it stand out from other singing competitions. As of September 2022, there has yet to be an announcement regarding the continuation or cancellation of the American Song Contest. Regardless of the show's fate, I'm grateful for its existence inspiring this episode.

- Originally, I planned to only include states that made the semifinals and finals. However, after watching a video that summarized most of the qualifying rounds, I felt it would be a waste not to mention some of the other performances. In wanting to do so, I had to scrap the tournament side of the show. Still, I think it was worth the sacrifice. I only regret being unable to mention a few more songs, specifically Colorado since I had planned for him to sing altered lyrics that I thought were hilarious.

+ Concerning the song lyrics in this story, I understand there are copyright laws that can potentially lead to the removal of this episode. This isn't the first time I incorporated song lyrics into my stories, although this episode will certainly be my first time incorporating several lines (with minor changes to fit more with the OCs) from multiple songs of recent notoriety. I can make up songs instead, possibly getting the same effect without the legal repercussions considering how difficult it can be for readers to get immersed in a song just from reading the lyrics. Still, I'm gonna take a chance to include samples of these official original songs. For anyone wanting to check any of them out, below are the songs I've shown in the story:

- Puerto Rico: "Loko" by Christian Pagán
- Connecticut: "Beautiful World" by Michael Bolton
- Wyoming: "New Boot Goofin'" by Ryan Charles
- Oregon: "Million Dollar Smoothies" by courtship.
- Nebraska: "Never Alone" by Jocelyn
- Kentucky: "Sparrow" by Jordan Smith
- Texas: "Mr. Independent" by Grant Knoche
- Louisiana: "Now You Do" by Brittany Pfantz
- Florida: "Flirt" by Ale Zabala
- Nevada: "Watch Me Now" by The Crystal Method
- Hawaii: "4 You" by Bronson Varde
- Washington: "A Bit of Both" by Allen Stone
- California: "Keys to the Kingdom" by Sweet Taboo
- New Mexico: "Drop" by Khalisol
- American Samoa: "Full Circle" by Tenelle

~

Feel free to vote, request, and/or comment.