[Warning: This includes spoilers for Episode 4 of Season 19 of America’s Got Talent.]
With the most recent round of auditions at NBC, Irish singer Stephanie Rainey was introduced as part of America’s Got Talent’s Season 19 quest for a winning act.
All of the judges (Simon Cowell, Howie Mandel, Sofia Vergara, and Heidi Klum) gave the performance a standing ovation for her audition and guaranteed her a place in the next round. Vergara’s musical performance brought her to tears, and she wasn’t the only judge. Cowell went onstage to tell the hopeful, “That was what I call a moment,” after hearing Rainey’s song. Thank you so much for coming over; that song is really lovely.
“Of all the new songs I’ve heard this year, this is the best by a mile and even though it’s about something really sad, it’s real and your voice is beautiful,” Cowell had said to Rainey from his chair just before he took the stage. That music and you will strike a chord with a lot of people. I adore this. The song in question was called “Please Don’t Go,” and she disclosed that it had received a lot of views when it was first released years prior, but her career hadn’t exactly gone as expected. Everything you need to know about this season’s standout America’s Got Talent contestant is broken down here.
- Where Is Stephanie Rainey From?
- How Long Has Stephanie Rainey Been Performing?
- How Popular Is Stephanie Rainey?
- What Is the Story Behind “Please Don’t Go”?
Where Is Stephanie Rainey From?
Identifying herself as an Irish singer, Rainey hails from Cork, located on the country’s southern coast. After Belfast and Dublin, Cork is the third-biggest city in Ireland.
How Long Has Stephanie Rainey Been Performing?
Rainey, who is currently 36, stated during her audition introduction that she started performing professionally at the age of 18, but that she had never before competed in a competition series such as America’s Got Talent. During her introduction to the judges, Rainey said, “I would say that my career has been quite the rollercoaster.” She revealed, “I signed a deal after the song came out,” following the popularity of her original song “Please Don’t Go” in Ireland. When I signed the contract, I doubt I knew who I was completely. It’s been a difficult ride since then. You know, it’s a tough industry. You must have resilience, and I believe that you must occasionally be willing to get back up after a setback. So here I am.
How Popular Is Stephanie Rainey?
Rainey isn’t precisely unknown in Ireland or online, even if she’s a new talent to American audiences. She presently has over 14,000 YouTube subscribers and over 85,000 Instagram followers. Even so, she could advance on America’s Got Talent since she has already released hits like “Please Don’t Go,” which has had over two million views on the internet.
When Rainey introduced herself to the judges, she said, “I have this one song that I really, really want to get to as many people as possible, but it’s hard in Ireland to kind of break out and to be able to take risks.” Rainey won over the judges and fans with ease, despite her nervousness.
What Is the Story Behind “Please Don’t Go”?
Rainey clarified that the song was influenced by her young nephew’s passing. “When I was a teenager, I composed it about losing my nephew. Rainey informed the judges, “He was about to turn one, and he died the day before his first birthday. Writing about it takes a lot of time. To be honest, I was on the verge of quitting music when I thought, “I want to create something that I believe in for myself.” I can’t even begin to express how much this song means to me.
With the America’s Got Talent performance, Rainey intends to further boost the song’s popularity, which has increased since she started sharing it on TikTok and other social media platforms in recent years.
