Pop duo including local grad performs in American Song Contest semifinals

Voting has closed and the waiting has started after a pop duo including Kettering Fairmont High School grad gave a live performance Monday night in the semifinals of the “American Song Contest” on NBC.

Partners Colton Jones and Dani Brillhart are competing as Ni/Co, a name derived from the first two letters of his first name and the last two of hers.

The pair is competing with their original song “The Difference.”

There's nothing we love more than an emotional duet, and "The Difference" by Alabama's @ni_co_official delivers. 💯 pic.twitter.com/uEWyilVOiU
— NBC Entertainment (@nbc) April 26, 2022

The “American Song Contest” is based on the “Eurovision Song Contest,” where artists representing all 50 states, five U.S. territories and the District of Columbia perform live original music performances to win the vote for best original song.

ExploreWatch their first performance: WATCH: Ni/Co performs 'The Difference' | NBC's 'American Song Contest'

Voting for this round of semifinals was open until 8 a.m. on Tuesday, either through the NBC App, on TikTok, and at NBC.com/ASCVote.

🚨 VOTING IS OPEN 🚨

How to vote:
✅ @TikTok_US: https://t.co/5ySOaE8aBi
✅ https://t.co/FRyQW6QXIm
✅ https://t.co/OWcmXXRCeZ

Voting is now open and closes 8am ET TUES. More info at https://t.co/bjnvPpSn3e. pic.twitter.com/Pz8OZSPbqn
— NBC Entertainment (@nbc) April 26, 2022

Ni/Co is representing Alabama, where Jones once lived and went to school.

The pair gained popularity in 2019 through their YouTube videos, which have since accumulated more than 40 million views.

Jones graduated from Fairmont in 2012, and is the son of Mary Irby-Jones, a former editor of the Dayton Daily News and current Midwest regional editor for USA Today’s regional newspaper network, overseeing Kentucky, Indiana and Illinois.

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About the Author

Daniel Susco

Daniel Susco is a Dayton-area native and staff writer covering breaking news throughout the greater Dayton area. He holds a journalism degree from Ohio University and began writing for the Dayton Daily News, Hamilton Journal-News, Springfield News-Sun, and Dayton.com in 2019.