Korean-American K-pop singer AleXa has become the first-ever winner of NBC’s inaugural American Song Contest.

Today (May 9, local time), the 25-year-old singer was announced as the first-ever winner of NBC’s American Song Contest. The reality TV competition, hosted by Snoop Dogg and Kelly Clarkson, is based on the Eurovision Song Contest and first announced in 2022.

American Song Contest featured musicians from all 50 US states competing for the title of Best Original Song over eight episodes. AleXa had represented her home state of Oklahoma, and took home the title song her original song ‘Wonderland’.

The LEGENDARY first ever winner of #AmericanSongContest is……….. pic.twitter.com/5CkBrVtz14

— NBC Entertainment (@nbc) May 10, 2022

Throughout her stint on the show, AleXa performed her song ‘Wonderland’ accompanied by elaborate costumes, stage production and choreography. “Heart fillin’ up, I think I’m in trouble / Bet that you’ll let me down by double / Off with your head, stop thinking I love ya / Wonder if we had a chance, maybe back in Wonderland,” she sings in her winning finale performance.

“Country music is definitely something Oklahoma is well known for, but there bands like The All-American Rejects and Hanson as well that came from Oklahoma. It’s so more than just country music, and I’m very proud to represent that,” AleXa previously told The Oklahoman.

In the weeks leading up to her win, AleXa had shared several shoutout videos on social media from K-pop artists such as PURPLE KISS, KARD‘s BM, Moonbyul of MAMAMOO and more, all of whom voicing their support for the singer.

Earlier this year, AleXa made a comeback with her English-language single ‘Tattoo’, which had marked her first music release since her July 2021 single album ‘ReviveR’. That project was led by the single ‘Xtra’, and featured BM of KARD.

AleXa first rose to prominence after taking part in Mnet’s 2018 reality competition show Produce 48. She later debuted under ZB Label in 2019 with the single ‘Bomb’, and released her first EP ‘Do or Die’ in early 2020. She later joined former Day6 member Jae Park as a host on the podcast How Did I Get Here? in August 2020.