Pop musician Skylar Grey will host Iowa State University’s annual singing competition, Cyclone Voice, on Thursday, April 12. The event will feature 13 ISU students vying to become the next Cyclone Voice. Doors will open by 7:30 p.m. for the 8:00 p.m. show in the Great Hall of the Memorial Union. Admission is free and open to the public.

Skylar Grey is a Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter and pop artist who first rose to prominence writing the 2010 Eminem/Rihanna hit “Love the Way You Lie.” She is currently best known as a guest vocalist on numerous other hits including Diddy’s “Coming Home,” Dr. Dre’s “I Need a Doctor,” Nicki Minaj’s “Bed of Lies,” and most recently, Macklemore’s “Glorious.” Her 2018 cover of Ben E. King’s popular song “Stand By Me” currently has over 19-million views and was featured in Budweiser’s 2018 Super Bowl LII commercial.

Grey has additionally added her songwriting talents and vocals to tracks from numerous other artists including Cee Lo Green, Moby, Kid Cudi, David Guetta, deadmau5, Zedd and X Ambassadors, to name a few. She also contributed a pair of tracks to the 2016 Billboard-topping soundtrack for the film Suicide Squad, including her song “Wreak Havoc” and a songwriting credit for Kehlani’s “Gangsta.” Grey is currently working on her third studio album and plans to include her own version of the Eminem/Beyonce hit “Walk on Water,” which she co-wrote and produced.

Skylar will host the annual singing competition, introducing the show and each of the student performers. She will also perform a short music set during the judge’s deliberations, before the 2018 Cyclone Voice winner is announced.

38 ISU students participated in the April 2 Cyclone Voice preliminary competition and the judges selected 13 finalists to move on to the final competition. Those finalists include:

• Carissa Buseman | freshman, psychology | Ankeny, IA
• Lauran Chambers | senior, biochemistry | Corwith, IA
• Sharla Charlton | junior, performing arts | Jamaica
• Andersen Coates | freshman, architecture | Cedar Rapids, IA
• Dylan Ehlen | senior, finance | Belle Plaine, IA
• Joemari Felarca | sophomore, performing arts | Philippines
• Mahalalel Hill | freshman, open-option | Des Moines, IA
• Collin Hillinger | freshman, mechanical engineering | Sioux City, IA
• Benito Kayenge | senior, economics | Minneapolis, MN
• Samantha Kragel | sophomore, interior design | Marion, IA
• Lauren Roberts | sophomore, industrial design | Olathe, KS
• Linda Tong | sophomore, event management | West Des Moines, IA
• Brooke Whitney | sophomore, bio/premedical illustration | Maquoketa, IA

The free event is sponsored by the Iowa State University Student Union Board (SUB), a student-run programming board that organizes cultural, recreational, educational, social, and entertainment activities and events throughout the academic year.

For more information, visit SUB online at www.sub.iastate.edu or call the ISU Student Activities Center at (515) 294-8081.