Fourth Chosen Artist and Song Revealed During Tonight's Episode of CTV's THE LAUNCH

"Soldier of Love" Now Available Everywhere

Original Songs from THE LAUNCH Have Now Surpassed 1.5 Million On-Demand Streams Worldwide

– THE LAUNCH: DIRECTOR'S CUT featuring extended auditions available on digital platforms CTV.ca, CTV GO, and CraveTV™ –  
– First three singles from THE LAUNCH chosen artists soar to #1 at iTunes Canada –
– Next week's episode features Grammy^®-nominated Best New Artist of the Year and in-demand songwriter Julia Michaels and Grammy^®-nominated record producer Ian Kirkpatrick –

To tweet this release: http://bmpr.ca/2E4Z7Cs

"POESY can perform better than a lot of the artists in the Top 10 today." – Fergie

"You can't take your eyes off an artist like [POESY]…you're mesmerized." – Stephan Moccio

TORONTO, Jan. 31, 2018 /CNW/ - Viewers are standing at attention alongside Ancaster, Ont.-born, Toronto-based alt rock artist POESY, who was chosen from among the episode's featured artists on tonight's episode of CTV's THE LAUNCH to record the new original single "Soldier of Love." The series' fourth single was released to radio stations across the country immediately following tonight's broadcast, and is also now available to buy and stream everywhere, including iHeartRadio, Apple Music, iTunes, Spotify, and Google Play.

With her soaring, powerful vocals – equal parts haunting and hypnotic, POESY captivated mentors on this week's episode, including Grammy^® Award-winning, multi-platinum solo artist and recording star Fergie, Canada's own Stephan Moccio (the Grammy^® and Oscar-nominated music mastermind behind massive inescapable hits like the quintuple-platinum "Wrecking Ball"), and record mogul Scott Borchetta, who ultimately chose to launch POESY's music career with her gripping version of "Soldier of Love."

Last week, THE LAUNCH charted its third consecutive #1 single at iTunes Canada with Episode 3's chosen artist The Static Shift's "Wide Awake". This follows on the success of the series' chosen artists and songs to date – Logan Staats "The Lucky Ones", Elijah Woods x Jamie Fine's "Ain't Easy", both hitting #1 on iTunes Canada.

"After this unforgettable opportunity and my incredible experience on THE LAUNCH, I realized that this is exactly where I need to be," said POESY. "I am excited to share my unconventional sound with the world, and I can't wait to see where 'Soldier of Love' takes me. It was an honour to be mentored by industry legends like Fergie, Stephan Moccio, and Scott Borchetta."   

"POESY is exactly the type of artist we were hoping to find through THE LAUNCH…a raw and extraordinary talent on the edge of the mainstream with an identity and edge all her own," said Scott Borchetta. "We have unleashed the lion known as POESY to Canada and the world." 

Additionally, original songs featured on THE LAUNCH have now surpassed 1.5 million streams internationally, with the songs launched to date collectively gaining traction in Canada, the U.S., and beyond North America – reaching listeners and fans in Germany, the U.K., Mexico, Brazil, Australia, Philippines, and more.

"This streaming milestone validates the crux of the program's mission: to launch new artists and new music to the world – and the world is listening," said Randy Lennox, President, Bell Media.

Streaming now on various platforms including CTV.ca, CTV GO, and CraveTV™, THE LAUNCH: DIRECTOR'S CUT features extended auditions of Ezra Jordan, Faiza, and the newly launched POESY, as well as Jaryd Stanley and Sariyah Hines, who are featured exclusively in the On Demand version of the episode. The special edition also features comprehensive mentor reactions, feedback, and never-before-seen moments from THE LAUNCH that take the viewer deeper into the once in a lifetime opportunity for each of the artists.

Following a moving audition process before the celebrity mentors, aspiring artists POESY and Ezra Jordan emerged as the two breakthrough artists chosen to perform and make the original song "Soldier of Love" their own.

After a nerve-wracking 48 hours in studio rehearsals, recordings, and working closely with the episode's celebrity mentors, the final artists took the stage in front of a live studio audience to perform their unique interpretations of "Soldier of Love".

Both aspiring artists dazzled the mentors with their spectacular and unique performances, but following intense deliberations, POESY was ultimately chosen for the opportunity of a lifetime – to have her alt-rock version of the song "Soldier of Love" launched across Canada and to the world via THE LAUNCH's expansive slate of top music partners.

Following tonight's song launch, Bell Media is poised to throw the full weight of its marketing, promotional, and publicity support behind POESY's "Soldier of Love" across its national footprint of broadcast and digital entertainment properties.

"Soldier of Love" is written by Stephan Moccio and Lindy Robbins. Stephan Moccio is producer. Label: Big Machine Canada and Universal Music Canada. Executive Producers are Scott Borchetta and Randy Lennox.

After writing her first song at age nine, POESY is now fully immersed in the alternative indie world of music. Her name is derived from an archaic word for poetry, and is a callback to her time as an English and Creative Writing major at Western University. POESY finds inspiration in literature, 1970s rock, thrift stores, and bus rides to create the narratives present in her song writing. POESY's infatuation with all types of art is behind the short story she wrote to accompany each track on her debut EP, "The Spotless Mind". Her influences include Freddie Mercury, Katy Perry, Florence Welch, Kurt Cobain, and Stevie Nicks. To learn more about POESY, visit CTV.ca/TheLaunch. 

**MEDIA NOTE** – To download additional images of POESY and THE LAUNCH, please visit BellMedia.ca/PR.

Tonight's episode is also available on CTV.ca, CraveTV, CTV GO, and On Demand. Encore presentations of THE LAUNCH air Saturdays at 5 p.m. ET/MT on CTV; Fridays at 7 p.m. ET and Saturdays at 1 p.m. ET on Much; Sundays at 5 p.m. ET and 11 p.m. ET on MTV; Mondays at 10 p.m. ET on E!.

Viewers can catch live interviews featuring POESY tomorrow (Feb.1) on CP24 BREAKFAST (weekdays 5:30 a.m. ET), YOUR MORNING (weekdays at 6 a.m. ET), THE MARILYN DENIS SHOW (weekdays at 10 a.m. ET), THE SOCIAL (weekdays at 1 p.m. ET), ETALK (weekdays at 7 p.m. ET), and CTV News Channel. As well, live interviews with POESY will be featured on Bell Media Radio stations across the country.

On the next episode of THE LAUNCH, "Codes" (Wednesday, Feb. 7 at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. MT on CTV and CTV GO, and super simulcast on CTV Two and Much, and in French on VRAK and Canal Vie), emerging artists Noelle Maracle, Jayd Ink, Nicky MacKenzie, James Marshall and Zack Lane audition in front of celebrity mentors: Grammy^®-nominated Best New Artist of the Year Julia Michaels, Grammy^®-nominated record producer Ian Kirkpatrick, and record mogul Scott Borchetta, for the once in a lifetime opportunity to record a new original song that will be released next week.

THE LAUNCH airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. MT on CTV and CTV GO, and in super simulcast on CTV Two and Much, and in French on VRAK and Canal Vie.

Fans are also invited to visit CTV.ca/TheLaunch throughout the season for exclusive, expansive digital content featuring THE LAUNCH celebrity mentors and the 30 artists selected to participate in the series' inaugural season. Digital content includes comprehensive Q&As with all artists taking part in THE LAUNCH, now available on the site's video portal. Refreshed Q&A materials featuring each episode's respective artists will be released weekly leading up to each subsequent episode. In addition, CTV.ca is the destination for blogs highlighting Season 1 mentors' greatest achievements, with new blog entries to surface throughout the season and beyond. Following each episode, CTV.ca will release videos featuring extended musical performances, in-studio demos and "first-listens", unique moments between artists and their mentors, and a variety of other exclusive digital content.  

Bio pages showcasing all of the artists are available on CTV.ca's dedicated artist pages at CTV.ca/TheLaunch.

Debuting a new and unique format documenting an authentic, behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to break a new artist and bring a song to life, in each close-ended, hour-long episode of THE LAUNCH, unsigned emerging artists audition for the opportunity to record and perform a new original song written by a world famous songwriter/producer and mentored by a panel of internationally renowned music industry legends. The mentors then decide which version of the song will be released across the country immediately following the broadcast of the episode each week.

Hand-picked from more than 10,000 emerging performers, the artists were selected to be on THE LAUNCH following an international casting call and completion of an extensive A&R and review process. Contending for the opportunity of a lifetime – to record and perform a new original song written by a world famous songwriter/ producer and mentored by a panel of internationally renowned music industry legends – the selected artists face the life-altering prospect of being catapulted from discovery to stardom in just 48 hours.

THE LAUNCH was put into development in January 2016. The series was co-developed by and is produced by Bell Media in association with Scott Borchetta of Big Machine Label Group, Paul Franklin of Eureka (MASTERCHEF, THE BIGGEST LOSER), in partnership with John Brunton and Lindsay Cox of Insight Productions (THE AMAZING RACE CANADA, CANADIAN IDOL, THE JUNO AWARDS).

THE LAUNCH is executive produced by Scott Borchetta, Randy Lennox and John Brunton; Paul Franklin and Lindsay Cox are Showrunners and Executive Producers; Executive Producers for Bell Media are Robin Johnston and Corrie Coe, who is also Senior Vice-President, Original Programming, Bell Media. Pat DiVittorio is Vice-President, CTV and Specialty Programming, Mike Cosentino is President, Content and Programming, Bell Media. Randy Lennox is President, Bell Media.

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS

Twitter:
@poesyofficial 
@TheStaticShift 
@ewxjfmusic
@LoganStaats 
@alessiacara 
@BoyGeorge 
@Fergie 
@iek
@JenniferNettles 
@imjmichaels
@NikkiSixx
@RyanTedder 
@scottborchetta 
@ShaniaTwain 
@stephanmoccio 
@BellMediaPR 
@umusic
@bigmachine
@CTV_PR
@CTV_Television
@insightprod
@TheLaunchCTV 
@iHeartRadioCA

Facebook:
alessiacara 
boygeorgeofficial
fergie
JenniferNettlesMusic
juliamichaelsofficial
nikkisixxofficial
RyanTedder1R
scottborchetta
ShaniaTwain
StephanMoccio
CTV
TheLaunchCTV 
iHeartRadio Canada

Instagram:
@poesyofficial
@thestaticshift 
@ewxjf 
@logan_staats 
@alessiasmusic 
@boygeorgeofficial 
@busbee 
@cloudology
@fergie
@jennifernettles
@imjmichaels
@nikkisixxpixx
@ryantedder
@scott.borchetta
@shaniatwain
@stephanmoccio 
@TheLaunchCTV
@umusic 
@CTV_PR 
@CTV_Television 
@iHeartRadioCA

Website:
www.CTV.ca/TheLaunch

About CTV
CTV is Canada's #1 private broadcaster. Featuring a wide range of quality news, sports, information, and entertainment programming, CTV has been Canada's most-watched television network for the past 16 years in a row. CTV is a division of Bell Media, Canada's premier multimedia company with leading assets in television, radio, digital, and Out-of-Home. Bell Media is owned by BCE Inc. (TSX, NYSE: BCE), Canada's largest communications company. More information about CTV can be found on the network's website at CTV.ca.

SOURCE CTV

Natalie Cole, THE LAUNCH Publicist, [email protected] or 416.580.7741; Matthew Almeida, CTV Networks, [email protected] or 416.384.2629; Patricia Garcia, CTV Networks, [email protected] or 416.384.2645