About The Next

Posted 8/14/2012 at 12:37 AM | By Cricket Community

Cricket Communications and The CW Television Network have partnered to bring you the musical competition series, The Next, which airs on Thursdays 9:00 p.m. ET/8:00 p.m. CT, only on The CW. The Next takes viewers along on a nationwide search for undiscovered artists on the verge of stardom. In this exciting new take on the music competition genre, superstar mentors, including pop legend Gloria Estefan, country star John Rich, pop superstar Joe Jonas and hip-hop superstar Nelly, seek out talented performers in cities across the country, move in for 72 hours and immerse themselves in the lives of these local stars, while at the same time preparing them for the chance to represent their home city on stage, live, in front of America!

Each week, The Next’s contestants will be shown interacting with Cricket phones featuring Muve Music and searching through Muve’s vast catalog of songs. Muve Music is a digital music subscription service that offers millions of songs with unlimited downloads to your Cricket mobile phone, all included as part of Cricket’s wireless plans.

To stay up to date with the latest news and updates for The Next, Cricket and musical updates from Gloria Estefan, Joe Jonas, John Rich and Nelly, follow Cricket on Facebook and Twitter. You can also participate in conversations online about the show and your favorite contestants via Twitter at #thenext @cricketnation. And be sure to check back here for performance recaps and updates on new episodes, as your favorite contestants work towards earning a spot in the live finale!

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The Mentors

John Rich

Country Superstar

Rich first found mainstream success in the country band Lonestar as its bassist and occasional lead singer. After recording two albums with the band, they parted ways in 1998. When Rich teamed with Big Kenny to form Big & Rich, they caught everybody by surprise with a double-platinum debut, driven by the hit “Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy).” Rich also co-wrote and produced Wilson’s award-winning anthem, “Redneck Woman,” as well as “Here for the Party” and “When I Think About Cheatin’.” Rich released his Warner Bros. Records solo debut in March of 2009, Son Of A Preacher Man, which spawned “Shuttin’ Detroit Down,” his first solo Top 15 single and the fastest-rising single of his career. Rich has garnered multiple Grammy, ACM, CMA and CMT Music Award nominations. He was also awarded the ASCAP “Songwriter Of The Year Award” in 2005, 2006 and 2007, has written 14 Top 10 singles and is the only artist in country music history to have a Top 15 release as a group, duo and solo artist. With plenty of awards under his belt, Rich now joins the team of mentors on The Next .

Joe Jonas

Pop Icon

Joe Jonas, the second oldest of the Jonas Brothers, started working on solo material in early 2010 with the intention of combining the sounds and atmospheres of music he loves the most – Pop/Dance, Hip-Hop, Techno and House Music. You can hear it in the first electric moments of “See No More” – Joe Jonas has discovered his new voice. His debut single as a solo artist is as infectious as it is heartbreaking, danceable as it is soulful, and comes at you with a sound that is not what anyone expected. Co-written with Chris Brown and producer Brian Kennedy, “See No More” has already earned solid reviews from both fans and music critics with Entertainment Weekly saying “The JoBro lead heartthrob sheds teen-pop tremors for sensitive-guy cool on this sultry midtempo torch song.” Jonas says he knew he needed to push himself when it came to writing lyrics. It was time to step out and truly say what was on his mind. Having discovered his own new voice in his latest album, watch Jonas on The Next to see how he helps inspire the contestants to find their own.

Gloria Estefan

Latin Pop Superstar

Billions have heard her unmistakable voice, millions have flocked to her electrifying performances and an astonishing 90 million of her albums have sold worldwide. Though Gloria Estefan exploded onto the pop scene in 1985 as the dynamic front woman of the groundbreaking Miami Sound Machine, it was the seven-time Grammy winner’s soar to solo-act superstardom that earned her the title “Queen of Latin Pop.” As one of the most revered Hispanic female role models, Estefan has received numerous recognitions and honors. In 1992, she was invited by President George Bush to serve as a public member of the United States Delegation to the 47th General Assembly to the United Nations. In addition, she was the first-ever female Latin singer to receive the BMI “Songwriter of the Year” award. Dynamic and transcendent as a musician, artist and woman, Gloria remains a beacon of inspiration to her fans worldwide.

Nelly

Hip-Hop Superstar

Much to the delight of the legions of fans that now rank him among hip-hop’s premier artists, Nelly charged onto the hip-hop scene in the summer of 2000 with his groundbreaking debut album, Country Grammar. Since his debut, Nelly has released 6 albums packed with infectious club jams and Billboard topping singles. Ranked No. 3 on Billboard’s definitive list of the best-selling artists of the 2000s, Nelly has not only sold more than 30 million albums/singles in less than 10 years, but he also tied with Elton John for the most consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart by a male solo artist. Beyond music, Nelly landed a supporting actor role in the 2005 film The Longest Yard, as well as a recurring role on the hit CBS series CSI: NY from 2008 - 2009. And when Nelly wasn’t in the studio recording, he launched women’s clothing company Apple Bottoms, men’s clothing line Vokal, energy drink Pimp Juice, his own label Derrty Ent, and two non-profit organizations, 4Sho4Kids and Jes Us 4 Jackie. With experience collaborating with some of today’s hottest artists including Trey Songz, Akon, T.I. and 2 Chainz, Nelly is ready to mentor the aspiring contestants on The Next.