Simon Rolls Eyes As Contestant Says She'll Perform Aretha Cover, Only To Have Audience On Their Feet In Minutes

Feb 24, 2021 by apost team

Very few people can pull off an Aretha Franklin song — well, besides the late Franklin herself. And even the best singers might have trouble hitting some of the notes on tracks like “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman.” Beyond her technical prowess, however, Franklin’s voice is so memorable thanks to its vulnerability and emotion, it makes it hard for anyone to match regardless of their skill as a vocalist.

This is likely why Simon Cowell didn’t seem too thrilled when Destiny Chukunyere, a teen from Malta, chose to sing Franklin’s "Think" for her audition on “Britain’s Got Talent” back in 2017.

When Destiny reveals her plans to cover the track in the audition clip, Cowell’s eyes go wide. “Big song,” he remarks. At just 14 years old, this is going to be a very challenging task for her to pull off, and Cowell seems to know this from the start. In fact, Cowell even asks whether Destiny is “confident.” The teen, who seems a bit unsure of herself in front of such a large audience, gives an honest answer. “For now, no, (I’m not confident),” she admits, “but when I start singing I’m a different person.”

Franklin’s song is so complex due to the rhythm, lyrics and range of notes. The Franklin hit is arguably one of the most difficult tracks to sing in recent music history. But Destiny doesn’t shy away, as you’ll see in the video below. She is ready to take on the challenge and to show everyone just how serious she is about her singing career.

Once the music starts to play, Destiny’s demeanor almost instantly shifts. She belts out Franklin’s lyrics and moves across the stage with ease. She even busts a move or two while singing, which receives cheers from the audience. But what about Cowell, the notoriously hard-to-please curmudgeon on the show? As the camera pans to his face, it’s clear that he’s enjoying Destiny’s performance, as he can’t help but bob his head to the music.

And as Destiny closes out the song, the audience — along with all of the judges — get to their feet and give the 14-year-old star a standing ovation. And somewhat surprisingly, Simon doesn’t have any criticisms or harsh words for Destiny in spite of his initial skepticism. In fact, he only has praise for Destiny. He even goes as far to give her the ultimate compliment: that while stars are hard to find, Destiny might just be one. It's, then, no surprise that all four of the judges say "yes" to her audition.

Despite Cowell and the audience’s glowing review, Destiny didn’t manage to win “Britain’s Got Talent” that year, as she faced tough competition from finalists like Daliso Chaponda, a stand-up comedian, and magicians Issy Simpson and DNA. In the end, Destiny finished in sixth place, getting eliminated during the show’s second semi-final round. With that said, Destiny has made waves throughout the music industry for a singer her age. And “Britain’s Got Talent” isn’t even her first time on television. 

Destiny, who was born on Aug. 29, 2002, began her singing career at just 12 years old, competing in singing competitions like Malta’s Festival Kanzunetta Indipendenza (“Independence Song Contest”). 

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It was there that Destiny would get her first taste of success, coming in third place with the Maltese song “Festa t'Ilwien.”

But Destiny’s first high-profile televised competition came in 2015 when the teen competed at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest. Although most Americans aren’t familiar with Eurovision, the competition remains extremely well-known in Europe. Each year, countries from around the EU hold competitions in order to select a national representative who they send to the Eurovision stage. Back in 2015, Destiny competed against 19 other participants for the chance to represent Malta on the show. And just as she did on “Britain’s Got Talent,” the young performer wowed the judges with her rendition of “Think,” securing a place on the Junior Eurovision stage, which Sofia, Bulgaria, hosted that year.

“I find that Aretha is a powerful artist and she fills me with so much joy and energy,” Destiny said of the song choice in a 2015 interview with Eurovoix. “Aretha is always full of life on stage. I wanted to bring out a positive performance so that people will remember the Destiny that I am and how joyful I was on stage. I think ‘Think’ was an excellent choice.”

But Destiny had something unique for the Eurovision stage in Sofia. Teaming up with musicians Elton Zarb and Muxu, Destiny came prepared with her own song called “Not My Soul,” which propelled the teen to first place. When the final scores were tallied, Destiny had won with 185 points, breaking a previous Junior Eurovision record. 

“It took us just over one week to draft the first version of my song and to come up with the lyrics,” Destiny told Eurovoix back in 2015. “The song ‘Not My Soul’ is really about me. It carries a strong message. It talks about the inner strength that everyone has. Something so unique and personal that no one can take away. They can take away the rhythm, they can take away the gold, but they can never take away my soul. That unique factor that gives us personality and character.”

Following Destiny’s massive Eurovision win, the up-and-coming singer made it to the point you’ll see here — in front of a panel of famous judges like Cowell and millions of viewers. And since the performance featured below and her “BGT” defeat, Destiny has shown no signs of slowing down despite the obstacles she’s faced.

Not only did Destiny again compete on the Eurovision stage in 2019, but she also appeared on the second season of Malta’s version of the "X Factor." What makes Destiny’s career even more impressive is that she’s accomplished all of this in just a few years. As for what lies in the future?

Destiny is slated to represent Malta yet again at the 2021 Eurovision contest in Rotterdam with her new song, “All Of My Love.”

Only time will tell what Destiny’s next move will be after her 2021 contest appearance. But given this young singer’s success so far and Cowell’s enthusiastic endorsement, we imagine that her future is bright.

What did you think of this incredible video? Where do you think Destiny is heading next? Let us know! And don't forget to send this on to a friend.