12-year-old Alabama basketballer Charlie Campbell scored his very first viral moment last year when he shocked his teammates by singing Teddy Swim’s powerhouse blues-soul hit, “Lose Control,” on the court. Six months later, the world still can’t get enough of Charlie’s unexpected musical talent, and the masses of hype have attracted the attention of the boy’s idol, Teddy Swims, himself!
In his viral vid, the singing sportsman is circled by his pre-teen boy teammates, a quiet backing track of Teddy’s summer hit playing in the background. When he traverses the insane vocal runs that are show-stopping for even grown Teddy to sing, his teammates look around surprised and snigger, “He’s so good,” like primary school kids who can’t believe what they’re hearing.
When one adult shouts, “Whaaat?!” in disbelief and another coach mutters, “You different, boy,” the kids crowd around the young star in a team hug in a 100% wholesome moment.
Despite all his obvious nerves, Charlie’s clearly a confident kid to stand in the middle of his basketball team and belt out a hit like this. So, when Charlie was invited on the Jennifer Hudson show, he absolutely slayed his interview.
After tapping into the core of Charlie’s charming personality, Jennifer Hudson asked Charlie to sing his “Lose Control” cover live for the audience. But just before he did, Jen revealed, “I’ve got one friend who might want to hear you sing as well,” calling Teddy Swims out to the stage.
Just moments after admitting “Lose Control” was one of his favorite songs, Charlie was about to sing a snippet in front of the songwriting mastermind himself. But Charlie kept so cool as he shared a hug with Teddy Swims that it was Teddy who looked overwrought with nerves, completely starstruck as he rambled and rattled off praise to Charlie, “You’re so awesome, bro. And you’re crushing TV, too!”
Cue Charlie’s a capella version of “Lose Control” straight from Jennifer Hudson’s sofa, with Teddy perched beside him and adding soft backing vocals to his chorus. While the seasoned star refuses to outshine the singing boy, we need to pay respect to Teddy’s genuine personality in this clip, beaming with smiles, humor and always reassuring Charlie, “I love you, man, I’m so proud, man, I’m so happy, I’m so excited, dude… You are a star, dawg.”
And if you thought things couldn’t get more wholesome, Teddy even gives some musical advice to the young singer, telling him, “Stay on fire, don’t let nobody take that from you, never take no for an answer. You sang, boy, keep singing.”
It’s not just Charlie’s music which puts us adults to shame – his entire personality is something to admire. At just 12 years old, he’s already conquering fitness goals such as the 10k steps a day challenge, playing basketball and running cross-country, all while nurturing his musical talent. No wonder the clip has racked up nearly a million views in a couple of weeks!
Charlie Campbell’s remarkable talent has captured hearts across the globe, proving that extraordinary voices can emerge from unexpected places. His story continues to inspire as Teddy Swims himself acknowledges the young virtuoso’s talent. To delve deeper into Charlie’s journey and watch his viral sensation for yourself, check out the links below.