America’s Got Talent judge Simon Cowell has made it crystal clear he is not a fan of 12-year-old Ansley Burns’ backing tracks.
The young singer auditioned for the current season of AGT with a spunky rendition of Aretha Franklin‘s “Think.” However, it was obvious that Cowell was less than impressed.
Much to the shock of everyone watching, Cowell interrupted Burns mid-performance and made her stop singing.
“I don’t think this backing track was working for you,” he said. “I mean, it was a horrible, horrible, backing track.” He then added, “We really like you, but that was terrible.”
Burns seemed defeated, and understandably so.
But then, much to everyone’s surprise, Cowell asked Burns to sing again. Only this time, he wanted her to sing a cappella so her voice would stand out.
The little girl met Cowell’s challenge, and proved she had the voice of a star. What started off as a shaky audition ended in Burns getting four “yes” votes to move on to the next phase of the competition.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zz5bJ8EPXRw
The next time viewers got the chance to see Burns was during the Judge Cuts. In this brutal round of the competition, judges vote off select acts they don’t feel are strong enough to move on in the show.
Knowing she needed to prove her talent once again, Burns opted to sing a song by former American Idol winner and country superstar Carrie Underwood. She chose “Good Girl,” a fun and sassy song that gave her the chance to show off her powerful voice.
But as Burns sang, you could tell that Cowell wasn’t digging her performance. To the shock of his fellow judges and the viewers at home, he interrupted Burns yet again and told her to stop singing.
Once more, Cowell let Burns know he didn’t like the backing track she chose for her performance.
“The track was actually overwhelming you like before,” Cowell said. “And it was pushing your vocals so much…“
On a positive note, Cowell admitted he heard something he liked in Burns’ voice while she was singing. Just like he did during her audition, he asked if she’d be willing to sing the song again, only a cappella.
Burns did just that, and made a powerful comeback that had the audience cheering and also pleased Cowell.
.@TheAnsleyBurns is a fighter, and tonight she proved it! 💪 https://t.co/kUk35i7Qbn
— America’s Got Talent (@AGT) July 31, 2019
After she sang the a cappella rendition, Cowell said her performance was “way, way better” than it had been before. He ended his string of compliments by saying, “I really like you.“
Despite the praise she received, Burns was eventually sent home at the end of the Judge Cuts. But through her “Good Girl” performance, she proved she has what it takes to be a superstar singer in the future.
You can watch Burns’ outstanding performance in the clip below. We wish her the best as she continues to chase her dreams!