When Lana Love got an email from her old performing arts school about trying out for a new HBO singing competition, she was very excited.
Lana, a singer-songwriter from New York, had been a contestant on “The Voice” before and had an album ready to go. She thought this new show, called “Wings of Voice,” could help start her music career. The winner would perform with a famous Grammy-winning artist, but Lana believed that just being on HBO would be a huge opportunity.
Lana flew to Los Angeles three times, paying for it herself, to audition for “Wings of Voice.” She stood in line with over a thousand other singers, performed her songs, and made it to the top 50.
But just one day before her final taping, Lana learned something shocking: the show was fake. It was created as part of a social experiment by comedian Nathan Fielder, not a real competition. Lana and the other contestants were not aware of this.
Feeling upset, Lana decided to tell other contestants the truth. Many were still excited about the chance to perform, even if the show wasn’t real. In the end, Lana sang “Amazing Grace,” but she was eliminated. She felt both angry and amused by the whole experience.
Despite everything, Lana believes she stood up for the rights of artists and plans to use this experience to push forward in her music career.
Vocabulary List:
- Contestant /kənˈtɛstənt/ (noun): A person who participates in a contest.
- Opportunity /ˌɑːpərˈtuːnɪti/ (noun): A set of circumstances that makes it possible to do something.
- Eliminated /ɪˈlɪməˌneɪtɪd/ (verb): Moved out of a competition or race; excluded or removed.
- Excited /ɪkˈsaɪtɪd/ (adjective): Feeling or showing enthusiasm or eagerness.
- Competition /ˌkɒmpəˈtɪʃən/ (noun): An event in which individuals or teams compete against each other.
- Perform /pərˈfɔːrm/ (verb): To execute or carry out an action particularly in a public context such as singing or acting.
