Putri Ariani wowed the “America’s Got Talent” judges — one in particular — as her audition was shown on Tuesday’s show.
The blind 17-year-old singer from Indonesia told judges Simon Cowell, Heidi Klum, Howie Mandel and Sofia Vergara that her dream was to become a famous singer like Whitney Houston, win a Grammy Award and hopefully attend Juilliard in New York City.
“I hope that I can win ‘America’s Got Talent’ so I can reach my dream,” Ariani told the judges.
Cowell loved the original song performance so much, he asked her to sing a second song at the piano.
After Ariani obliged and sang a stunning version of “Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word” without any hesitation, Mandel told her: “A lot of people don’t believe in angels and I think one just landed on our stage,” calling her a “superstar,” as Klum praised her for sounding “so beautiful.”
Cowell commented on Ariani’s “glow” about her, saying of her dreams of attending Juilliard: “I don’t know whether this is gonna make a difference or not, however…,” before pressing the Golden Buzzer.
Cowell gushed, “You are, I think, one of the best singers we’ve ever had on our show,” as the teen thanked him for making her dreams come true.
Putri Ariani auditioned for “America’s Got Talent” and earned a golden buzzer from Simon Cowell. – Trae Patton, NBC
“A lot of people don’t believe in angels, and I think one just landed on our stage,” Howie Mandel added. “You’re a superstar.”
When Ariani revealed that the first song she performed for the audition was actually an original, she received another massive standing ovation.
Before pressing his golden buzzer for Ariani, Cowell, who was visibly stunned, praised the teenager’s “amazing, distinctive voice.” At one point backstage, he told the teen she is “one of the best singers” they’ve ever had on the show.
“I am blown away,” he said.
So far this season, Ariani is one of four acts to earn the coveted golden buzzer, which sends acts straight through to the live portion of the show, the Deseret News reported. Six acts in total will receive a golden buzzer this season.
The other golden buzzer acts include Chioma and the Atlanta Drum Academy, the dance group Murmuration and the Mzansi Youth Choir.