Imagine being insanely shy. Like, so shy that you can’t even perform in front of people. Now imagine that on top of that, the thing you love to do the most involves, well… Performing in front of people.
This was very much the case for Amelia Lily, the nervous 16-year-old girl who took to The X Factor UK all the way back in 2011 with a cover of Janis Joplin’s “Piece Of My Heart.”
When watching her performance, you would never ever know that she suffered from stage fright, though. The bleached blonde singer took the stage with pure confidence as she belted out each word in classic Joplin fashion. She brought a killer edge to the performance, singing each phrase with a growl that could hit you right in the heart.
The audience loved her so much, they rooted her on mid-performance — pretty much every time she opened her mouth!
At the end of the performance, naturally, all of the judges were in awe. And they were so happy that Amelia was on the show. “Amelia!” They exclaimed, before asking her what her age was again, since it was simply impossible to believe that a voice that strong and mature came from someone so young!
“Let me tell you something,” one of the judges said to Amelia once she finished singing. “People work their whole lives and take forever to get to that level that you’re at right now. You come on that stage and you are so much older than your years. You performed like a 30 year old woman who had been perfecting her craft for years and years. That was amazing.”
Amelia’s family also watched from backstage, nonstop grinning from ear-to-ear and cheering on her talent, of course.
“It was big, it was bold, it was beautiful,” another judge said. “And you know, I think a star is born.”
“I am still having a hard time understanding that you’re 16 years old,” another judge chimed in. “Such a natural gift… You were born to do this,” she encouraged the young singer, still clearly in awe.
“Amelia, this is the reason I wanted to sit in this chair: to discover talent like this,” another judge exclaimed, also in shock because of her age. “That absolutely lifted the top of this arena. That was incredible.”
When the time came to vote, it seemed like all four judges were in agreement. “Amelia, you have only scratched the surface,” one said. “Amelia, you got four big yes’s,” the final judge confirmed in a beautiful and empowering moment.
“That is what I want for the rest of my life,” Amelia said backstage, after getting approval from all four judges. “This is unbelievable,” she added, in complete amazement.
It’s as if Amelia did not even know just how talented she is! Of course, with an over the top voice like that, she is bound to blow the roof off of any venue she performs in — big or small.
Watch the full performance below.
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
