Grace VanderWaal: 5 things we learned about the 'America's Got Talent' phenom
You know you've had a good America's Got Talent audition when Simon Cowell calls you "the next Taylor Swift," and then, your performance is watched more than 100 million times. On Facebook, alone.
That's the case for 12-year-old singer Grace VanderWaal, whose endearingly croaky singing and ukulele playing have earned her a successful run on the NBC talent show so far, to say the least. Since getting a golden buzzer in June and being sent straight through to the semifinals of the reality competition, she's continued to receive encouraging comments from judges: "I predict that you're the biggest star to ever come out of this show," said Howie Mandel, and "I would not be surprised if you're one of the last two people in this competition," added Heidi Klum.
Though four fellow musical acts, a contortionist, a juggler, a magician, a comedian and clairvoyants have all wowed the AGT crowd and are fighting for the Season 11 crown, VanderWaal's a clear judge and fan favorite to win the summer's top-rated show, which airs its two-part live finale Tuesday and Wednesday (8 ET/PT).
So what should you know about the phenom, who's ready to share a "surprise" song this week? Here are five things we learned from a chat with the preteen star.
1. She really wanted to be on American Idol.
With Idol ending its 15-season run this year, VanderWaal never had the opportunity to audition for the singing show she truly had her eye on.
"It’s always been a dream to go on American Idol, but you have to be 15 or older," she says. "I’m not even gonna lie: I wasn’t really a die-hard (AGT) fan before I auditioned. Of course, I've watched all the seasons. I've power-watched everything. I, of course, knew who (former Idol judge and new AGT judge) Simon Cowell was."
2. She bought her first ukulele for her 11th birthday, with her own money.
"We had a family friend from Brazil stay with us and she brought a ukulele, and I like the way it sounded," says VanderWaal. So, the young songwriter asked for a "cute" uke for her birthday. She didn't get one. "With my birthday money, I bought one of my own," she says. Since making that first purchase — a brown instrument, because her mom said she'd grow out of the baby blue one she was eyeing — she's accumulated quite the colorful collection, including a blue one and three more she brings from her home in Suffern, N.Y., to L.A. for AGT.
3. She describes singing and songwriting as "me trying to hold someone's hand."
VanderWaal has performed originals on the show, including the autobiographical I Don't Know My Name and a song written for her older sister, Beautiful Thing. Did she feel nervous or vulnerable about putting her own music in front of millions? Not so much.
"I was pretty comfortable sharing my own song, because I try to make my songs to help people and make people relate to them. I don't think of them as my personal diary reading out loud on a stage, (but as) me trying to hold someone’s hand," she says. "My songs flow out of me. It was like something that was inside of me and I didn’t even know, and it just came out in the way of a song."
4. Speaking of that song Beautiful Thing... she never performed it for her sister before AGT.
She did, however, post a performance of the song about her "other half," Olivia, on her YouTube page. But Olivia didn't see it right away. "When I posted it to YouTube, (Olivia) told me she went to school, (and) everyone said, 'Did you see that song that your sister made for you?' She listened and started crying." There's a good chance that the tears returned a few weeks ago, when VanderWaal played the song for her sister... and a live Dolby Theatre audience.
5. She'd love to collaborate with Jason Mraz.
Though VanderWaal's sound is raw and folksy, and often compared to Taylor Swift's (when she was country), her favorite songs are pop hits. "Meghan Trainor or Twenty One Pilots are the type of artists I could listen to on repeat and not get old." On days when she's preparing to perform, "I try to listen to motivational music (like) Katy Perry." The artist at the top of her "dream collaboration" list, however, has a sound more similar to hers. "Jason Mraz, I would love to meet and just sing a song with. I really like his music and singing his songs."