In January 2020, 13-year-old singing phenom Angelina Jordan stepped onto the America‘s Got Talent: The Champions stage and delivered a jaw-dropping performance that left the judges spellbound and earned her the coveted Golden Buzzer. Her mesmerizing rendition of Queen‘s iconic song "Bohemian Rhapsody" showcased her astonishing vocal range and depth, wisdom beyond her years, and undeniable star presence.
Angelina‘s Budding Fame Before AGT
Angelina was certainly no amateur when she took the AGT stage in 2020. At just 7 years old, she stunned the judges on Norway‘s Got Talent in 2014 with her cover of Gloomy Sunday, earning the golden buzzer from judge Mia Gundersen and later the top prize of the season.
Her maturity and phrasing that conveyed the mournful lyrics far beyond her years was astonishing, earning comparisons to legendary jazz singer Billie Holiday. Simon Cowell remarked that most adults couldn‘t sing the complex tune half as well. This poetic song about loss and mourning ironically foreshadowed the fame monster coming for Angelina at a young age.
Nonetheless, Gloomy Sunday catapulted Angelina to viral fame in Norway. She went from a normal kid going to school in Oslo to suddenly being recognized on the streets by adoring fans.
Over the next few years, Angelina honed her craft with intense vocal lessons, training and hours emulating icons like Aretha Franklin. She slowly began developing her emotive, storytelling jazz-infused style on covers.
While she could belt and hold long notes with the best of them, she set herself apart by intelligently interpreting lyrics and phrasing them uniquely based on their meaning. Her YouTube covers of classics like Fly Me to the Moon, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road and California Dreamin‘ amassed hundreds of millions of views pre-AGT.
| Song | YouTube Views |
|---|---|
| Fly Me to the Moon | 145M |
| California Dreamin‘ | 50M |
| I Who Have Nothing | 33M |
After witnessing her captivating covers, many producers and musical legends were desperate to sign and work with such a prodigy, but her father insisted she take it slow to not be overwhelmed.
By 2018, Angelina performed her first full concert at age 11 headlining Oslo‘s 1800-capacity Sentrum Scene. Critics praised the powerhouse set during which she reduced proud audience members to tears. The future AGT star was clearly destined for greatness long before her audition.
Choosing the Ultimate Risky Song
After years of dreaming about competing on AGT to perform for notoriously tough critic Simon Cowell, Angelina finally got her shot in early 2020.
Choosing a song as legendary as "Bohemian Rhapsody" was a major risk, but Angelina was up for the challenge. As she explained, "I picked ‘Bohemian Rhapsody‘ because I really wanted to impress Simon because this is my dream."
Queen fans are notoriously hard to satisfy, known for chanting the rapid lyrics word-for-word during performances. Turning Freddie Mercury‘s masterpiece into a slow piano ballad could have spelled disaster.
Nonetheless, Angelina felt connected both to the grandiose musicality and profound melancholy reflected in the lyrics behind the dramatic bravado. She remembered "when I first heard it, I got goosebumps. I think I was about 6…it made me want to cry in a way."
These tearful emotions undoubtedly mirrored the isolation and heavy expectations she battles after being forced into stardom. Lines like "I sometimes wish I‘d never been born at all" and "carry on, carry on as if nothing matters" felt relevant given the sacrifices she made for her art.
Thankfully her graceful phrasing and soaring range paid off – somehow making the stadium-rock anthem feels intimate and poignant. Her rearrangementbetter suited her stripped down piano accompaniment but retained its intensity and excitement. Audiences appreciated how she reinvented parts using her jazz roots versus just mimicking Freddie. By making the epic song completely her own yet capturing its spirit, she proved why she belonged on the biggest AGT stage.
A Performance that Made ALL Our Hairs Stand Up
As the iconic piano intro began, Angelina closed her eyes, lifted the microphone to her lips, and stunned the audience into silence with the first crystalline high notes. Jaws dropped when this tiny girl unleashed her shockingly powerful vocals just as seamlessly as Freddie Mercury himself. Goosebumps erupted as she sailed through the complex melody and displayed her impressive range, belts, riffs and control.
Rather than a note-for-note copy, Angelina reinvented parts to suit her jazz-influenced style. Her phrasing and variations lent an exciting freshness to the classic while retaining its spirit. Each growth in intensity was perfectly paced, building suspense that kept viewers clinging to their seats. By nailing immense vocals like "I see a little silhouetto of a man" at just age 13, it was clear a superstar had arrived.
Throughout it all, Angelina remained fully immersed in conveying the message and emotions behind the lyrics. Her eyes often closed as she seemed transported into her own world of the music. Arms outstretched, she looked the part of an opera diva in control of her masterpiece. As veteran singer Howie Mandel put it, "you were born with one of the greatest gifts in the world – this beautiful, pure, authentic voice."
Simon Cowell has judged talent competitions around the world for over 30 years now, from fledgling artists to the biggest superstars on Earth. Very few performances have left the notoriously harsh critic utterly stunned and lost for words. Right after Angelina‘s last note, he sat frozen in sheer awe before pouring immense praise on this composed 13-year-old girl who just schooled long-time professionals twice her age.
Fellow judge Howie Mandel remarked, "the sky is just starting to open up to swallow you, my dear…We‘ll all remember where we were the first time we heard you sing." High words of praise for one‘s debut on American television!
Overwhelming Praise from Veteran Industry Experts
The audience roared in deafening applause followed by a standing ovation as Angelina finished the last crystalline high note. As excitement exploded, judge Heidi Klum hit the Golden Buzzer, unleashing a blizzard of glittering confetti falling upon a stunned yet grateful Angelina.
Alesha Dixon gushed, "I feel like I‘ve been blessed…a ridiculously talented young lady." Simon Cowell, who has judged decades of talent shows remarked, "I‘ve never heard anyone sing Bohemian Rhapsody that well at your age…it makes me so happy when I see talent like you." Despite typically reserved praise, his admiration for her extraordinary natural gift was evident.
Howie Mandel summed it up: "We are witnessing the birth of something extraordinary. We are going to be the first people to witness your meteoric rise…This is amazing!" Indeed, Angelina‘s flawless delivery of one of music‘s most vocally-challenging songs will go down as one of AGT‘s all-time stunning moments.
Global Sensation and Success Post-AGT
Almost immediately, Angelina‘s Champions performance and Golden Buzzer moment went viral globally. Queen‘s original video for "Bohemian Rhapsody" even tweeted it out to their millions of followers, recognizing how she made it her own while respecting its integrity.
- Her Wikipedia page views jumped from a couple hundred daily to over 31,000 the day after the Judges Cuts aired
- Google searches for her name quintupled from 500k in 2019 to 2.5 million in January 2020
- She gained over 600k Instagram followers within weeks after her audition aired on TV
Since her star-making showcase, Angelina‘s fanbase has ballooned to over 940,000 on the platform. Given her fame originating on Youtube, she likely has multiple millions of worldwide subscribers. Fans old and new have fallen in love with her heavenly high notes and lyrical storytelling.
Buzz around the then 13-year-old phenomenon led her to take 5th place on AGT Champions later in 2020, beating out adult pros with decades more experience. Interest in her blossoming career continues to rise exponentially.
Now counted among music‘s fastest rising breakout stars, the talented singer has gotten used to being recognized on Oslo‘s streets and having crowds materialize around her. Simon Cowell delivered on his promise even further by paying for her first professional music video shortly after.
As part of his Syco record label, she has gained access to world-class producers and songwriters to support her budding music career. The immense momentum from her star-making AGT appearance provided the perfect launching pad.
Angelina herself summed it up: “It’s amazing to get all these opportunities now after AGT… it’s hard to understand it when you’re inside of it, but I’m so grateful and try to enjoy it as much as I can.”
Her future has never looked brighter since being validated as an extraordinary vocal talent on the world‘s biggest stage in 2020.
Outlook: An Emerging Young Icon in the Making
Thanks to her breathtaking raw ability validated by industry heavyweights, flawless technical skills and rapid development at such a young age, there is little doubt Angelina is on the path to evolving into a world-class vocal icon over the next decade.
While still quite young in 2023, she possesses the startling maturity, discipline and stage presence of seasoned professionals more than twice her age. With hit singles and tours launching her towards mainstream fame orbited by millions, she has handled the intense pressures and responsibilities of stardom with remarkable grace.
Nonetheless, as her star continues to exponentially rise on the global stage, it is critical that she retains the pure authentic joy for her art. This wholesomeness resonates in her very soul that initially captured our hearts back as a tiny 7-year old singing about loss beyond her years.
The entertainment machine threatens to exploit young talents, chewing them up callously once profits dip. However something tells me this wise-beyond-her-years songbird will continue spreading her musical wings for decades to come.
After all, icons like Judy Garland first lit up screens over 80 years ago at a similar precocious age. With Angelina boasting once-a-generation vocal talent and professionalism, the timeless classics she soon pens herself could be gracing the ears of audiences the in 2100s!