A 9-year-old belted out ‘Rise Up’ on ‘AGT’ — and the judges literally got goosebumps (you’ll see why)
Over the years, 'America's Got Talent' judges have heard many talented singers with big voices, but sometimes these voices come in small packages. In 2012, the esteemed judges Simon Cowell, Mel B, Howie Mandel, and Heidi Klum were taken aback when a 9-year-old contestant named Angelica Hale performed a power-packed rendition of Andra Day's 'Rise Up' on the NBC talent competition. When Hale reached the final chorus of the song, the audience was wildly cheering for her. Following her performance, Hale received a standing ovation from the judges.
As per NBC, when Cowell was asked to share his feedback on Hale's performance, he said, "Well, this shouldn't actually happen. You're tiny. Your voice is huge. I have a feeling we may be looking at a star in the future." Shortly afterward, Klum gushed over Hale and exclaimed, "Wow, I had goosebumps everywhere. You are a clever little girl. And you said you want to be a superstar, I think that might happen for you, let me tell you."
Mel also praised Hale, saying, "You are so special, and your voice is so amazing. Thank you so much for sharing this with us today." Soon after, Hale told Mel, "By the way, Mel B! You're my favorite Judge!" Then, Mel jumped out of her seat and screamed, "Yes!" Meanwhile, her fellow judge, Cowell, playfully hit the buzzer. Mel couldn't control herself, and she rushed to the stage to shower Hale with kisses and give her a big hug.
Finally, by the end, Mandel told the young girl, "Angelica, you said you have been watching this on YouTube, but felt like now you're in it. Not only are you're in it, I predict that all your dreams are going to come true, young lady." After getting four yeses from the judging panel, Hale advanced to the next round of the show. Eventually, Hale had an incredible run on 'AGT.' After the Judges Cuts round, Hale bagged a Golden Buzzer from the guest judge Chris Hardwick when she sang a jaw-dropping rendition of 'Girl on Fire' by Alicia Keys.
Throughout her time on the show 'America's Got Talent', Hale continued to impress the judges with her spectacular performances. Hale made it to the finale, but she failed to clinch the coveted title, finishing in second place. Since her time on 'AGT', Hale has made numerous television appearances on TODAY, Access Hollywood, and the Hallmark Channel. Keeping aside her singing career, Hale has also tried her hand at acting. In the last few years, Hale has starred in TV shows like 'Chuggington' and 'T.O.T.S.' On the other hand, Hale made her film debut in 2020's 'American Reject.'
During an interview with The List, Hale was asked whether she would like to take up more acting projects in the future, to which she replied, "Yes. I've been definitely — More this year, I've been pursuing my acting career a lot more, and I'm hoping to excel in that craft, and I want to become, like, a triple threat. [Laughs] I'm doing well on my acting and my singing, but oh gosh, my dancing. I need to work on my dancing, man, but for sure, my acting, you can definitely look out for a lot more stuff."