Sometimes a person opens their mouth to sing, and what comes out is not at all what one would expect. We’ve seen it countless times on various “Got Talent” shows, but one unexpected young singer not only surprised the judges and audience of Britain’s Got Talent with his voice but even brought many of them to tears.
Malakai Bayoh is a 14-year-old from London. For his BGT audition earlier in 2023, when he was 13, he sang “Pie Jesu,” the Andrew Lloyd Webber classic in Latin that helped launch Charlotte Church’s career. “Pie Jesu” is a beautiful hymn that requires a soprano voice and includes some challenging vocal high jumps. When it’s done well, it has a mesmerizing, otherworldly quality to it.
Malakai did it well.
With the voice of an angel, he stunned everyone in the BGT studios as well as the folks watching at home. People in the live audience wiped away tears. The famously hard-to-impress Simon Cowell couldn’t stop smiling as Malakai sang, and at one point, it looked as if judge Bruno Tonioli (who is delightfully prone to dramatics, to be fair) might actually faint.
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People on YouTube haven’t been able to stop raving about Malakai’s performance.
“I would say this performance automatically entered into the top ten golden buzzers of all time,” wrote one commenter.
“As a trained singer, watching AGT and BGT usually distresses me, but my husband loves it. I was in the bedroom when I heard Malachi’s voice pouring out of the living room like an angel. I”ve heard Pie Jesu performed many times, but this was not a performance; this was sound straight from the Creator to touch our souls. A message of love,” shared another.”
“I’m a trained singer and a music teacher by profession, and I sang this song as a young performer myself. I can say with absolute certainty that this is the most beautifully sung song I’ve ever heard. Not only is he a truly gifted singer, he also sings with poise. With proper technique, proper breathing, and proper everything,. His vowels are perfect, and the smoothness with which he sings is truly impeccable. The amount of control it takes to sing slowly is that high. This boy is truly a gift from God. Thank you for gracing our ears with your voice, little one,” shared another.
“I have seen it 10 times in a row and I have cried all 10 times… definitely a voice that comes from heaven,” shared another.
As Simon Cowell said, “It was like being in heaven.” It seems that everyone is in agreement.
Since his initial BGT audition, Boyah has continued to wow BGT judges and fans with his classical singing. You can watch his performance of “Caruso” here and enjoy his tuxedoed performance of “O Mio Babbino Caro” here. This kid is definitely going places.
In fact, Malakai has recorded his debut album, appropriately called “Golden.” Watch out, world; here comes Malakai.