Zoe Erianna is six-years-old. She’s cute. She’s talented, and she’s recently appeared on the audition round of America’s Got Talent 2023. A smiling Zoe strode onto the stage in pink sneakers, a pink frilly-netting skirt, and a T-shirt decorated with a kitten’s face. She fielded the judges questions well enough and appeared confident.
When asked if she was going to win, Zoe answered with an emphatic yes. When asked about the prize money, Zoe had it all mapped out: “I would buy a big golden convertible and a big pink Barbie Dream Camper.” With child contestants, I tend to feel a combination of curiosity and unease. How good can she be? What if she messes up? Let’s see how Zoe did:
Once Zoe starts to sing, one can sense the tension dissolve with every line. With child performers, there is so much more at stake than with older acts. An embarrassment on a forum such as this can have major developmental repercussions for a kid. By the time Zoe gets to the chorus, the audience is behind her and Zoe is in full charge. Personally, I was first struck by her impeccable timing and by her phrasing. When she hit the high notes in the 1st chorus, I realised just how well she sings.
Zoe begins to own the stage. She lays it down as she sings Lady Gaga’s Born This Way, complete with the demonstrative gestures and the necessary confidence when she asserts that she’s “on the right track, baby”. Zoe got 4 yeses, so we’ll see more of her on AGT 2023. Sombrafy commented on YouTube: “I don’t know why I got so emotional watching her. She’s so cute and talented and her confidence shines. Still crying five minutes later.” Surprisingly, there are more strings to young Zoe’s bow:
Zoë Erianna Cui (to give her full name – she tends to drop the Cui when she performs) is from Drexel Hill in the Philadelphia area of Pennsylvania. When she was two, her parents noticed that she had perfect pitch.
The pandemic lockdown hit before Zoe turned three. Stuck at home, with the help of her parents Zoe started making singing videos for online services held by the family’s church. The videos were very well received.
When she turned four, Zoe started piano lessons with Akira Ikegami. According to her website biography, she went through four years of piano books in her first year. By the time she turned six, she was composing her own music. In January 2023, Zoe started posting on social media, where she is quickly growing her audience. She is frequently referred to as “a modern-day Shirley Temple.”
Zoe has copyrighted 11 songs including the instrumental Butterfly in a Beautiful Garden and the song All We Need Is Love, which is her debut single (released 9 June 2023).
The Music Man wishes Zoe Erianna well on AGT 2023 and her parents the wisdom to protect her from the pitfalls that can beset child prodigies exposed to the spotlight. Good luck Zoe. If you would like to see more from Zoe Erianna, you can subscribe to their YouTube channel or follow them on Facebook. You can also visit their official website for more information.