The thrill of talent shows like American Idol or X Factor is that the world can discover new talent at the same time.
Many people dream that if they work hard, follow their dreams and become their best selves that they can achieve whatever they set out to do. Reality shows have provided a new window of opportunity into that world by allowing contestants a platform to express themselves and seize their dreams.
And that’s exactly what happened on a recent episode of The X Factor UK.
The contestant in question was 22-year-old Alisah Bonaobra from the Philippines.
Bonaobra was clearly very excited to be on the show—so excited, in fact, that she brought along her entire entourage! Nearby on some monitors, her family and some of her closest friends were gathered to watch her perform. After her basic introduction, judge Simon Cowell asks her to say a little bit about herself.
“I believe my talent is world-class and I’m here to represent all the Filipino communities here in the UK.”
With that, she sets into her rendition of “Listen,” a Beyonce song which originally appeared in the movie Dreamgirls.
For anyone who has heard it, Beyonce’s version is commanding and powerful.
As Bonaobra starts, her voice wavers here and there as she gets into her rhythm and finds her tone. After a moment, she finds herself—and her voice soars. The judges are clearly impressed. Still, just when they think her voice has hit it’s highest point, she blows past it.
By the end, the judges are on their feed applauding her.
Beyonce’s song is all about finding your voice—and Bonaobra’s journey reflects that as well.
As it turns out, Bonaobra is the daughter of a family of street vendors who lead a relatively humble life back in the Philippines. As she explains in the video, even getting the chance to perform on the X Factor UK was a huge blessing.
“I am only here because of my mother’s friend, she contributed enough money for a plane ticket.”
After some deliberation from the judges, her final answers roll in.
After several yeses (and some tears), the judges tell her that she’s continuing on to compete in the show! For anyone who loves the Beyonce song she performs, this clip[ is definitely worth a watch. For those who haven’t, it will likely still ring true to anyone who knows how hard it is to follow your dreams.
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