Last week, a Filipina got through the first round of auditions for The X Factor UK. Next week, another Filipina will be moving on to the semifinals in yet another international singing competition.
Angelica Hale, a 9-year-old Filipino-American singer from Atlanta, Georgia, announced Tuesday that she will perform in America’s Got Talent‘s second round of semifinals next week.
She shared the news through a video on her Facebook page. “I’m gonnna be performing next week on AGT. Yes, yes I am. I’m just so excited,” she said.
Angelica also thanked her supporters and teased them that her performance will be “really powerful.”
She sang Andra Day’s Rise Up during her audition, an appearance in which judge Simon Cowell called her a star in the making.
“Well this shouldn’t actually happen. You’re tiny, you’re voice is huge,” he said. “I have a feeling we may be look at a star in the future.”
She sang Girl on Fire by Alica Keys in the next round, a performance that earned her a golden buzzer from guest judge Chris Hardwick. This allowed her to skip one round in the competition and go straight to the live shows.
If she makes it to the next round, we won’t be surprised. Angelica is a battler. At just 4 years old, she was diagnosed with double pneumonia and sepsis. Her kidney was affected, and she underwent a transplant using a kidney donated by her mother. Five years later, she stands on the edge of winning one of the most popular reality TV competitions in the world.
