Simon Cowell calls 12-year-old ‘AGT’ singer the next Taylor Swift after stunning original ukulele audition
It’s no surprise that Simon Cowell, the creator and OG judge of ‘America’s Got Talent,’ can spot potential talent instantly. He has had a hand in the success of beloved bands like One Direction and Fifth Harmony and has helped launch many careers. Cowell spotted pop star potential in a 12-year-old singer after her mesmerizing 'AGT' audition in Season 11. The contestant was Grace VanderWaal, a 12-year-old who stepped on stage with a ukulele and performed an original song. “I don’t know my name. I don’t play by the rules of the game,” she sang. By the end of her performance, the audience gave her a standing ovation. “I think you’re the next Taylor Swift,” Cowell told her.
The other judges were equally full of praise for her powerful performance. “You are a living, beautiful, walking miracle,” judge Howie Mandel complimented. “I think the world is gonna know your name,” he added before pushing the coveted Golden Buzzer. The young singer burst into tears as the judges and host rushed on stage to celebrate with her. The judges couldn’t stop gushing about her talent and personality even after she left the stage. “So, you think you’ve got a star now,” Mandel asked Cowell. “I 100% think we’ve got a star. This girl is special,” the latter replied. “And I’m now annoyed that I didn’t press the Golden Buzzer,” he quipped.
VanderWaal has released many singles since her appearance on the show. In an interview with Teen Vogue, the now 21-year-old said she had been songwriting from a very young age. “I think my sister would say I was an angel as a kid. I was always making up songs, but I never felt like they were songs,” she said. The song ‘I Don't Know My Name,’ which she performed on the 'AGT' stage, was her first original composition. “I would write little 30-second stupid things. Honestly, I only had written 'I Don't Know My Name' when I went on America's Got Talent at age 12,” she added.
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Although VanderWaal became a viral sensation, she also faced the challenges of early fame. As a child star, she didn’t have much of a private life. She recalled that her mother went everywhere with her, and her parents often learned about her life through media interviews. “People don't take into account that, yeah, you're a kid and people are around you. There is a sense of, you can't really do some things,” she explained.
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“I didn’t have this idea that my whole life was changing at the time. Not even close,” she admitted. The singer recently released an album named Child Star and released a visual for the title track. Though she didn’t say it outright, the music video appeared inspired by her 'AGT' journey. “It symbolized how the public and society in general take everything girls have and their youth, and then when they don't have anything left to give, they're dead to them,” she explained.