16-year-old Amelia Lily was a bit of a wreck when she rocked up to her audition on The X Factor. The crush of fans at the venue intimidated her and she was shaking by the time she hit the stage. But Amelia powered through her nerves and delivered a show-stopping version of Janis Joplin’s hit “Piece of My Heart,” which soon had the judges raving.
Amelia screamed like a banshee in the song’s iconic intro, then transitioned to a smooth bluesy vamp with a whole lot of swag. Rather than trying to copy Joplin’s blues rock growl, the English teen gave the number a slightly smoother R&B treatment, although she still preserved plenty of biffo for the big hook in the chorus. Once she got into the rhythm of things, Amelia also showed herself to be a natural performer and quickly won the audience over.
The crowd gave it up big time for Amelia after she finished performing, and afterwards she looked like a shy teen again. The judges saw that she had the right stuff, with Tulisa giving a rave review, saying “People work their whole lives and take forever to get to that level you’re at right now. You performed like a 30-year-old woman who’s been perfecting her craft for years. That was amazing. You blew up the stage – your energy was off the chain.”
Louis Walsh was blown away, saying, “It was big, it was bold, it was beautiful. And I think a star is born.” Kelly Rowland said she was having trouble processing that Amelia was just 16, then praised her “natural gift” and told the teen she was born to do this. Gary Barlow said, “This is the reason I wanted to sit in this chair, to discover talent like this. You absolutely lifted the top off this arena.” Later in the season, Amelia gave a fiery rendition of Katy Perry’s “E.T.”.
Naturally, after that hit audition, all four judges gave Amelia yes votes. Rowland predicted that Amelia “had only scratched the surface” of her potential, which turned out to be remarkably prescient.
Amelia did indeed go on to bigger and better things in the course of her career. She eventually finished third in the eighth series of The X Factor. She subsequently became a television star, signed with Sony Music, and has enjoyed several UK hit singles.
If you’re captivated by the unique and powerful vocals of Amelia Lily, make sure to follow her on her YouTube Channel to view incredible performances like her unforgettable rendition of Janis Joplin’s “Piece of My Heart”. Continue to support and keep up with Amelia’s musical journey on Instagram. Witness her extraordinary talent that took The X Factor by storm, leaving the judges and audience in awe of her capabilities at such a young age.