Grace Vanderwaal

Grace Vanderwaal Winner Of AGT



You probably haven't heard of Grace VanderWaal yet, but there's a good chance you will. The 12-year-old singer has been blazing a path through the current season of America's Got Talent, earning heaps of praise from the judges, who've compared her to Taylor Swift, with good reason.
On Tuesday night (Aug. 23), the preternaturally mature singer from Suffern, New York, did it again, crushing hearts with an original ukulele ballad inspired by her older sister, Olivia, entitled "Beautiful Thing." She earned a rare standing ovation from hard-to-please judge Simon Cowell.
You're my other half/ You're amazing to me," VanderWaal sang, describing how she can do nothing at all with her big sis and be totally happy.
Howie Mandel, who earlier in the season used his golden buzzer to advance VanderWaal to the live shows on the strength of another original, "I Don't Know My Name," about trying to get noticed in this big, wide world.
"You are a superstar... you're the best thing I've ever seen on this show," Mandel said of the tween whose audition videos have racked up more than 100 million YouTube views to date. He said she might have the potential to be "bigger than Taylor Swift. I predict you are the biggest star to ever come out of this show."
 Alone on stage, Grace sweetly performed an original song and accompanied herself on ukulele, while family members and host Nick Cannon held their breath in the wings.
Afterwards, amid a standing ovation from panel and audience, judge Howie Mandel described her as “a living, beautiful, walking miracle,” and the usually scowling Simon Cowell declared her “the next Taylor Swift.”





ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: 

How did it make you feel when Simon said you were like Taylor Swift?
GRACE VANDERWAAL: The only word I could I think of is “honored.” I obviously want to be my own person and be original, but I think that’s not what he meant. I think he meant the success. Everyone knows who Taylor Swift is. She’s extremely successful as a singer/songwriter and to be compared to that is just unbelievable.
Are you a fan?
I was a really hardcore fan of her when she was in her country days. I definitely do listen to her when she’s on the radio, so yeah.
Do you have a favorite artist?
As a person, Katy Perry, because she’s always stayed true to herself. She’s always been her and she’s never let anyone change that. I love that. I think that’s a really good thing to live up to and remember. At least that’s what I think.
Are there any singers or bands that have influenced the music you’ve written?
Yeah, for “I Don’t Know My Name” I learned a lot of chords from Twenty-One Pilots and their songs, because the lead singer plays ukulele. Also all over the Internet I’m being compared to him and that’s been crazy too. Especially since they’re my favorite band.
We got to see you perform with your ukulele on America’s Got Talent, but how many other instruments do you play?
Three. I play the ukulele, piano, and the saxophone.
How is the rest of the America’s Got Talent competition going to work for you?
Now I’m going to the live shows and they think that that’s going to be around mid-August but we’re not sure yet. I’m so excited.
Were you nervous performing in front of so many people?
It was really the type of nerves you’d expect. I thought it was going to be the butterfly nerves, but I got those backstage. Once I was on stage I was kind of in shock. I couldn’t really think straight.
Well we couldn’t tell because you were very confident.
Well, thank you. I practiced in the mirror the night before so many times so I’m glad it showed.
Have you performed live in front of audiences before?
I’ve really only done it in small coffee shops, nothing as big as that! [laughs]
Do you have any advice for other kids your age that are wanting to step out and share their talents?
I do. The one thing I have to say is that everyone always says “don’t care what people think,” but there’s always that voice inside your head saying, “Everyone’s looking at you and judging you.” After all of this, I am so much happier. That voice is dead in my head now. The advice I have is don’t care what people, which I know is easier said than done, but I think once you start doing something people will start to not care enough to make commentary on it. It’s changed my life doing that.






I Don't Know My Name

Grace VanderWaal


[Verse 1: Grace VanderWaal]

[Pre-Chorus]
I am lost...
Trying to get found
In an ocean of people
Please don't ask me any-

[Chorus]
But, I don't know my name
I don't play by the rules of the game
So you say I'm just trying
Just trying

[Verse 3]
I now know my name!
I don't play by the rules of the game
So you say, I'm not trying
But I'm trying
To find my way




Beautiful Thing

Grace VanderWaal

[Verse 1: Grace VanderWaal]
You think that you know my heart
And you probably do
So I'm always with you
I could stay with you for hours
In an empty room
Never get bored
Never have nothing to do

[Pre-Chorus]
You're my other half
You're what makes me, me
What makes me smile
When I fall down and can't get back, get back,get back up
On my feet
[Chorus]
You're a beautiful thing
We're a beautiful thing together
Even when the weather is low (2x)
We can find the rainbow
Up in the sky
You'd say don't you cry, it's all gonna be alright
That's a beautiful thing

[Verse 2: Grace VanderWaal]
Make hours into seconds together
The weight of the world feel like a feather
Cause we're holding it right in our hands

[Pre-Chorus]
You're my other half
What makes me, me
What makes me smile
When I fall down and need to get back up on my feet

[Chorus]
You're a beautiful thing
We're a beautiful thing together
Even when the weather is low
We can find the rainbow
Up in the sky
You'd say don't you cry, it's all gonna be alright
No, it's all gonna be alright
That's a beautiful thing