When Shaheen Jafarguli was auditioning for the British Talent Competition in 2009, she was interrupted by Simon Cowell in the first round. When Simon chastised his upbeat song choice, the shy 12-year-old became nervous and rambunctious for a brief moment.
“You were completely incorrect,” Simon told him. “Do you have any other songs?”
On the one hand, Simon was attempting to motivate Shaheen to do his best, but on the other hand, hurting the child’s feelings on such a public platform was a risky move.
From behind the scenes, Shaheen’s mother watched in horror, hoping that her beloved son would pull himself together and continue working.
Rather than becoming frustrated and allowing an unexpected challenge to derail the audition, Shaheen rose to the occasion and delivered an outstanding performance. He chose a completely different song this time, “Who Loves You.” The singer has a difficult time performing the famously powerful Jackson 5 song.
See what Shaheen did with her second chance in the video below.
“That’s how a song can change your life,” Simon said, pleased with his decision to drop the boy and switch to a slower, punchier song.
