At just twelve-years-old, with mustard-colored pants, short blonde hair, and a smile that stretched across the America’s Got Talent stage, Grace VanderWaal took the Internet by storm. Grace’s fantastic voice and brilliant personality not only gave her an instantly massive fan base and the chance to win the season from Hollywood, but also the impressive title as “the next Taylor Swift” by Simon Cowell himself.
“I Don’t Know My Name,” an original by Grace, won the judges hearts and fans’ love back in March. Her vocals are remarkable for a twelve-year-old; her vocals are extraordinary for all musicians alike. And don’t forget her hugely impressive ukulele skills that accompanied her original hit. But what is it about Grace that had America falling in love with her from her first appearance?
Before the sixth-grader from Suffon, New York got ready to sing from the America’s Got Talent stage, she was prompted with a few questions:
Simon Cowell: “Are the people at school behind you supporting you?”
Grace: “Most of my friends don’t really know I sing.”
Simon: “You believe that you can win?”
Grace: “I mean miracles can happen, so possibly!”
Grace displayed such modesty and honest humility even before singing in front of thousands, showing that even around her friends she is the modest girl America saw on stage.
She displayed the same, absolute sense of humility after the golden buzzer went off, sending her next steps straight to Hollywood. When prompted, “How’s it feel?” Grace, amidst tears and smiles said, “I feel like I’m kind of just daydreaming and I’m getting ready to wake up.”
Grace’s stellar musical abilities sent her to Hollywood, but it’s Grace’s authentic, real personality that has her loved by so many. Grace’s authenticity can be modeled after in many regards, from creating a transparent PR message for consumers to creating honest products.
Watch for Grace again from the live stage next month!
[author] [author_image timthumb=’on’]https://media.licdn.com/mpr/mpr/shrinknp_400_400/AAEAAQAAAAAAAAUBAAAAJGMwNmMxMTBmLTgwODItNGY2NS05MDViLTY3YWY2ZDkxNTc1NQ.jpg[/author_image] [author_info]Elizabeth is a Junior Executive Intern at SJG. She earned her BA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison this past May. Outside the office, she enjoys bike riding, listening to music, and hanging with friends and family.[/author_info] [/author]