The 12-year-old Lauren Thalia had a big surprise for the judges when she auditioned on Britain’s Got Talent. Simon Cowell described her voice as “posh,” but the youngster decided to play Alexa Goddard’s “Turn My Swag On”. The contrast of the sweet little girl singing such a gangsta song was really a sight to see, and the judges loved every minute of it.
Lauren brought along a guitar that looked comically large on her, and while she still has some room for improvement on guitar, her voice is already 100% there. The schoolgirl sang like a little angel in an R&B style at first, then slammed down a rap verse like a boss later in the song. Hearing her sing about rolling around the hood and getting money was just too adorable.
Lauren’s audition was a big hit on YouTube, attracting 30 million views. Judge Carmen Electra said that she rocked the stage and was impressed by her choice of such a “gangsta song.” Alesha Dixon, who knows a thing or two about spitting bars, said, “You’re as cute as a button. To hear you singing about getting your swag on – you are adorable. That was very well done.”
David Walliams called her a “little angel” and compared her to a “very small Alanis Morissette.” Simon Cowell, meanwhile, was a big fan of her creative song choice. He added that he liked her having a shot at playing guitar on the song, even though she wasn’t a master yet. He concluded by saying “Because you’re posh and you’re talking about swag, it’s even better. I like that.” In the semi-final, Lauren made another creative song choice by playing Labrinth’s “Earthquake.”
After making their comments, the judges gave Lauren four yes votes and she went offstage for a jubilant hug with her mum. Lauren eventually progressed to the semi-finals, where she gained quite a bit of praise from the judges, but was nonetheless eliminated.
A year after appearing on season six of Britain’s Got Talent, Lauren released her EP Wonderland, which featured three original songs. The following year in 2014, she released a single “Your Light”. She also launched a YouTube channel, where she shared songs she performed during her time on Britain’s Got Talent, as well as a range of other covers and even a guitar tutorial for her unique version of “Turn My Swag On”.
Lauren Thalia, a 12-year-old schoolgirl, won the hearts of the judges with her unexpected performance on Britain’s Got Talent. She delivered an R&B and rap performance that contrasted her “posh” voice – described as such by Simon Cowell – with a “gangsta” song. Despite her young age, Lauren showcased her innate singing talent whilst strumming along on her comically large guitar. You can view the performance that garnered 30 million views on her YouTube channel.