19-year-old Summer Rios took to the stage on America’s Got Talent looking more than a little nervous, but the Ohio teen blew the judges away with her stirring version of Zach Bryan’s “Something in the Orange”. Rios works at Pizza Hut and hopes her run on the show can get her out of the kitchen. She got off to a roaring start by reinventing the alternative country song as an emotional R&B ode, getting four yes votes from the judges.
Judge Heidi Klum gave high praise right off the bat, saying “I loved it. To me you sounded a little bit like you swallowed Rihanna. You have a beautiful tone in your voice, it was absolutely incredible.” The comparisons are apt, as the teen showed off a full and expressive voice in her take on the song, as you can hear below, and immediately got a huge response from the crowd.
Moving from the low-key intro, Rios stepped on the gas heading into the chorus, showing she can hit the big notes with confidence. Fans loved it and have already viewed the clip 4.7 million times since it was uploaded earlier this month. Judge Howie Mandel declared it was time for a career change, saying “I think you should be doing more than just slicing pizza. I feel like we just got a peek at what you can do,” adding that moving forward the sky was the limit for her.
Rios, who hails from Brunswick, Ohio, told the judges she had been singing since she was four but “I haven’t really performed, so I’m trying to make music a thing and I’m trying to put myself out there and not have so much anxiety.” Following the performance she was ecstatic to get such praise from the judges. The young singer has previously showcased her singing skills on her YouTube channel, with one of the highlights being her R&B style cover of “Dance Monkey”, which you can hear below.
Judge Sofía Vergara saw big things in store for Rios, saying “your voice is spectacular. You belong on a stage. Don’t waste more time – live your best life and don’t be scared anymore.” The big dog Simon Cowell agreed, saying “what a great choice of song. I think every single person in this room wanted you to do well – we all like you.”
Rios was overcome with emotion from hearing this, thanking the judges before screaming with delight and running off stage while jumping for joy. She even took a little tumble in her enthusiasm, before picking herself for a word with host Terry Crews.
The big man asked Rios if she was ready for her life to change. Rios got a laugh from Crews with her reply, saying “Oh I’m so ready. I’m so done with cutting pizzas. I smell like pizza every night and I don’t want to do that.” She then shared the good news with her mother, prompting the pair to cry in the joy of the moment.
If you would like to see more from Summer Rios, you can subscribe to her YouTube channel or follow her on Instagram.