Angelina Greene, 13, took the stage to share her personal tale of how music had become her haven. She revealed that her commitment to singing, which she had taken seriously since her parents’ divorce, greatly lessened the hardship of the circumstance. Angelina, who described her mother as her best friend and closest confidante, walked nervously inside the enormous auditorium. She was ready to open her heart and use music as a sort of emotional therapy despite her young age and obvious trepidation, which set the stage for a really touching audition.
Angelina decided to sing The Pretenders’ “I’ll Stand By You” during her performance. She performed the stirring ballad with a depth and maturity that totally defied her age. Her flawless vocals and the song’s emotional impact made for an enthralling performance in the theater. The judges were clearly moved when the concert came to an end, realizing that she had accomplished the ultimate purpose of music: emotionally stirring her audience. Judge Mel B subsequently acknowledged the unexpected depth of the child singer’s musicianship when she said that she felt the presence of a “old soul inside of that little 13-year-old body.”
Angelina’s artistry and vulnerability were praised by all of the judges. She made his “goosebumps have goosebumps,” as the notoriously severe Simon Cowell famously remarked, and he called it one of his favorite auditions. But Mel B was the one who reached forward and slammed the coveted Golden Buzzer, mesmerized by the intense emotional connection and the overwhelming brilliance on display. The panel felt that Angelina was a very unique find because of her ability to transform her personal suffering into a beautiful, evocative performance, and this dramatic move pushed her right through to the live concerts.
