Sometimes it takes a few swings to really knock it out of the park.
On the latest “America’s Got Talent”, 12-year-old Ashley Marina took the stage to perform the song “Anyway”.
The young singer’s vocals impressed the audience but Simon Cowell wasn’t quite feeling it, suggesting she take a second shot by singing another song a cappella.
Simon and Ashley bonded over their love of guinea pigs before the Pittsburgh native launched into her audition song, “Anyway,” an inspirational ballad by Martina McBride. Halfway through the song Simon halted the audition and stated, “That backing track was very overbearing. Can we hear the second song a cappella so we get to hear your voice a little more clearly?”
Ashley wasn’t derailed by the request and launched into a second song only to be stopped by Simon once again. “Do you want my honest opinion?” he asked. “I think you brought the wrong songs with you today. It’s very difficult for me to actually judge you on that.” As the audience began loudly booing, Sofia piped in, “Can’t we give her another chance?” After thinking about it, Simon instructed Ashley to go pick another song by a male artist and make it her own rather than what she was doing, which was “a bit karaoke.”
Marina began singing her next song, “Opportunity”, but once again, Cowell couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off and interrupted her performance. “I think you brought the wrong songs with you today,” he said.
As the audience loudly booed the judge, Sofia Vergara suggested that maybe Marina be allowed to go and come up with a more suitable song and come back for a third try.
Cowell agreed, encouraging Marina to pick a song by a male singer. After having trouble finding an appropriate song, the young talent finally came back to the stage with an original song, which she wrote about her father called “You’ll Always Be My Hero”.
The song had the audience in tears and the judges on their feet applauding, Cowell included.
“Well, I think we finally met Ashley. I can’t tell you how important that is,” he told her.