Who will perform at iHeart’s Jingle Ball Village, get mentored by Grammy Winners and Win $10,000? You decide!
Ashley Ann
Must be in the top 20 in their group to advance to the next round.
Voting for this round ends on October 26, 2026 at 10:00 PM EDT
About Ashley Ann
I am Ashley Ann, an LA singer-songwriter and a champion of the underdog. I should be the Next Music Star because I want to bring feeling back to pop with jazz-inflected melodies and Latin percussion, and help people find their own tools of survival.
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Performances & Content from Ashley Ann
Lemons
Lemons
Learn More About Ashley Ann
What makes you the Next Music Star?
I'm a champion of the underdog, because I've been one. Growing up, I was the kid with a target on her back for never being able to fit in. Music gave me my voice. I sang my heart out in my mom's car before school, and those songs gave me the courage to finally stand up for myself. Today I'm a Los Angeles singer-songwriter on a mission to bring feeling back into pop. Too much of it runs on generic formulas. I blend jazz-inflected melodies and Latin percussion with modern pop, carrying the warmth and storytelling of Old Hollywood into right now. My single "Lemons" is built on my mantra: you can't make lemonade if you don't have any lemons first. It shows that you can always learn and choose to find something good in a bad situation. It's my first-ever release and part of my debut EP, Tools of Survival, all about identifying the tools you need in life. The Next Music Star should be someone with something to say, and I want my music to help people find their own tools of survival.
What do you love about music and performing?
What I love about music is its honesty. A great song can say what we can't find the words for. Writing is how I reflect on my own life, and I believe if we can better ourselves, we can better this world. For me, music is where that starts. My favorite part of performing is getting to make people who are normally overlooked feel seen, heard, and acknowledged. The bond over a song is a powerful thing, and it can make a difference in someone's day-to-day life. My job is to bring that song to life. When I do it well, I get to make that difference and help someone, and that's what I love most. I also love the craft and putting in the work that sharpens it, from vocal upkeep to keeping a balanced life, so I can be the best version of myself and inspire others. I want my performances to welcome everyone with open arms and leave people taking the first steps of reflecting on what they need to be their best selves. What do their tools of survival look like? What's in their toolkit?
Who are your biggest music inspirations and dream collaborators?
My sound starts with Old Hollywood. My late grandmother passed her love for Old Hollywood down to me. In her final weeks, we watched classic films side by side, and one of the last we shared was Pillow Talk with Doris Day and Rock Hudson. The warmth, elegance and sincerity of that movie music is what I felt was missing from modern pop, and it shaped everything I make. Through my grandma, I discovered the eras of jazz popular at the time. I'm inspired by Sarah Vaughan, Doris Day, Mel Tormé, Peggy Lee and so many others from before and after that jazz age. P!nk is one of them, and she's my dream collaborator. Singing along to her I'm Not Dead album in my mom's car gave me the courage to get out of bed every day and face the hardships waiting at school. It was inspiring to see someone have fun being unapologetically herself, no matter what people said. I still love listening to her. Her voice, her music: when she sings, you know it's P!nk. That's the powerful impact she has.
What would you do with the $10,000 Grand Prize?
I'd put every dollar back into the music. I'm an independent artist, so the prize would go straight into getting my debut EP, Tools of Survival, to as many people as possible. First, I'd fund a music video for my single "Lemons," so the song's story of turning struggle into strength has visuals to match. Next, I'd press a limited run of a lemon-shaped "Lemons" picture-disc vinyl, a collectible for fans who love physical music as much as I do. The rest would go into live performances: rehearsals with a band, Latin percussionists, and booking shows so people can feel these songs in the room. To me, this prize is fuel for the mission, not a finish line. The more people this music reaches, the more people it can help find their own tools of survival. Every dollar would go into making that reach bigger.
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