When a singer has true soul, you just can’t look away. You also begin to wonder what their life has been like up to this point because all of that emotion has to come from somewhere. There is far too much passion and soul that comes out when they perform that you know there has to be a deep story in there.
Shanaya Atkinson-Jones is one of those soulful singers. And when you watch this performance – you’ll know why.
At just the tender age of 19, she’s already lived quite the life.
As a very young girl, she was adopted by the most loving parents. But the life she lived before still constantly lingers in her memory and causes her pain. She’s incredibly grateful for her parents and the love and support that they give her, but there are some things that will stay with a person forever, no matter how much love they get. But, thankfully – lots of love was at least something her adoptive mom had always given her.
Besides her parent’s support, the one thing in Shanaya’s life that brings her joy is music. When she sings, she feels true happiness, she feels fulfilled. Her neighbors may not appreciate it all the time, but they should be so lucky to hear the voice of an angel on a regular basis! But, let’s get real – who wouldn’t want to listen to this voice throughout all hours of the day?
A ball of nerves before stepping in front of the judges on The X Factor UK, Shanaya gets one last boost of confidence from her mom and dad who love her so very much. That’s exactly what she needed to go forth and knock the darn socks off of all four of the judges.
While she sings “Say Something” by A Great Big World, no one in the room can believe what they’re hearing.
She starts the song off subtly, not holding back necessarily, but showing off the softer side of her voice. Still very powerful despite the lower strength and volume.
As the song progresses, though, she shows off every little thing she’s made of, pouring her heart and soul into every last note. You can just feel the emotion cascading from her soul.
The response from the judges is one that you don’t often see, especially from Simon! I don’t think I’ve ever seen him have such a truly honest and positive reaction to a singer on any of the shows he sits on the panel for. I honestly don’t think I’ve seen such a genuine smile from him.
Shanaya leaves the judges in tears with her emotional performance, but they’re not the only ones who are crying.
Her mother is a mess of happy tears as she watches from backstage, so proud of her daughter and the strides she’s made so far in her life. You can see that this family has so much love to give, along with all of the support in the world. The look in her mother’s eyes is just priceless.
Shanaya’s shy and delicate response to the panel’s resounding approval is a testament to her humble personality. It seems as if she’s in shock, that she can’t believe that this moment is actually true. Although, of course, she deserved every last word of praise she received.
Can you imagine what it’s like to get this kind of reaction and love after having such a rough start to life? Such an incredible moment for her.
I can honestly say that I could listen to her sing day in and day out. She’s got the talent that matches so many of the pop stars that top the charts these days, no doubt about it.
What did you think of the soulful performance? Did it deserve the massive response it got? Watch the touching moment in the video below.
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