Ep 18. A Star is Torn

In The Simpsons season 16 episode 18, titled "A Star is Torn," Springfield holds a singing competition, and Bart wants to enter. While he initially struggles to find a good song, he eventually discovers that he has a talent for country music, and decides to perform "The Ballad of Jebediah Springfield."

Meanwhile, Lisa also enters the competition, but is determined to use her voice for social justice by performing an original song called "Daddy's Back," which deals with issues like police brutality and political corruption. However, her message goes over the heads of the judges and the audience, who only seem to care about catchy tunes and cheesy pop lyrics.

As the competition heats up, Bart makes it to the finals and becomes a local celebrity. However, his fame comes at a cost, as he begins to lose sight of who he is and what matters to him. Lisa, on the other hand, becomes increasingly frustrated with the superficiality of the competition, and decides to take matters into her own hands by staging a protest.

Throughout the episode, we see The Simpsons family grappling with questions of authenticity, artistic integrity, and the corrupting influence of fame. While the plot is centered on the singing competition, the larger themes at play make for a thought-provoking and entertaining episode.

Overall, "A Star is Torn" offers a witty commentary on the state of the music industry and society at large, while also delivering some hilarious musical numbers and memorable moments from the iconic cast of characters. It's a classic episode of The Simpsons that will leave viewers humming along and pondering the deeper messages long after the credits roll.