Grace VanderWaal appeared on America’s Got Talent when she was just 12 years old, when she auditioned for season 11, and it's time to share information about what's she up to this year. As soon as she stepped onstage, she captured viewers’ hearts with her personality and stage presence. Her distinctively strong vocals, paired with her ability to write her own music and play the ukulele, grabbed the attention of the audience and judges.
Grace performed an original song, “I Don’t Know My Name,” which earned her a standing ovation, as well as the Golden Buzzer from Howie Mandel. The judges were sure that she would find herself in the finals, exclaiming that she could be the next Taylor Swift. She went on to perform three more original songs, accompanied by her ukulele, which secured her the win. It made her the second female (and second-youngest contestant) to win America’s Got Talent.
A lot has changed for the Suffern, New York native, as she has grown up in the spotlight, and finds herself under pressure to meet the public's expectations. Grace is now 18 years old and is still releasing music, and using it as a form of self-expression. Her personal style has evolved, and so has the music that she creates. Her new song “Lion’s Den” was just released on July 15, and features the AGT alum's strong lyrical delivery and unique voice. Although her latest tune doesn’t feature her ukulele, it demonstrates her storytelling talent. She write songs that resonate with honesty. Her new song (via Grace VanderWaal at YouTube) is below:
The weight of other people’s opinions can be difficult to carry, but she is self-aware and confident in what she creates, and how she chooses to present herself to the world. Becoming a star at such a young age has cemented a particular version of her in the minds of some people, and those are the preconceived notions that she is trying to break through. In a Seventeen interview, Grace played 17 Questions, and gave advice to people that would like to sing or act. She said, “Focus and live in the art and just keep your priorities straight and everything else will make sense after that.”
This is advice that Grace has taken to heart, as the AGT winner has remained true to herself throughout her trajectory to stardom, and is now navigating life as an adult. She not only has a passion and talent for music, but for acting as well. Her film debut was the starring role in Stargirl, released in 2020 on the streaming platform, Disney+. The film got a great reception, and the follow-up sequel, Hollywood Stargirl, for which Grace reprised her role, was just released on May 23. It is now available to stream on Disney+.
Grace has come a long way since her debut on America’s Got Talent, and she hasn’t taken her career or success for granted. She is continually working on projects and writing music that means something to her. She has proven that she has more to offer, and at such a young age, it is clear that her talent has only scratched the surface.
Sources: Grace VanderWaal/YouTube, Seventeen/YouTube