Go get that dream, Susan Boyle!!

I finally got a chance to look up videos of Susan Boyle's performances on YouTube tonight. I'd heard so much about her audition, they talk about her constantly on the radio, and I've seen a couple of pictures of her in the newspapers. But it wasn't until I saw a snippet of news on her on the telly last night that I actually started to get an inkling about why there was so much media hype about her. And boy, can she sing! I watched the footage of her signing "I Dreamed a Dream" from Les Miserables for her Britain's Got Talent audition; it gave me shivers!

Then Memories, from Cats, her perfomance in the semi-final that won her a spot in the final. While she was shaky at the very start, she settled into the song quickly and it was breathtaking. I think the best part was when they had a close-up of her about 2/3 of the way into the song, during a musical interlude, and she broke into a huge smile. It was so touching, and it really portrayed that she was at ease and enjoying herself tremedously.

I didn't think though, although it may have been the truth, that Piers should have been so brutally honest by saying after her audition that everyone was laughing at her. It seemed kind of cruel. After her semi-final performance he kept harping on the fact that the whole world was watching her. I'd like for her to go through the show enjoying herself without worrying about things like that. Because the whole popularity thing might just hit her one day, and she'll realise how much people are expecting of her, and she could crumble. Could, I'm not saying she would. But for someone who seems quite untainted by the negativity in the world, she might not know how to deal with it.

There was also an interview where Amanda, another of the judges claims that Susan will “be an instant international superstar — but I don’t think she’ll have longevity.” Ouch. This from someone who looked like she was going to cry when she first heard Susan sing the opening lines of "I dreamed a dream in time gone by..." And especially since, thanks to Susan, Amanda has finally landed a gig in the US, something she's apparently been trying to get for years. The best part: "We move on very fast. But who cares? She won’t. This is more than she ever dreamed of anyway." 'Anyway'???? What's that supposed to mean? That it's acceptable if Susan had her 5 minutes of fame and that's all we expect her to get? For an actress, Amanda was pretty horrible at suppressing her emotions during Susan's audition. Perhaps that's why she needed Susan's fame to help her land a job in the US.

Regardless, I'm proud to say that I am on the Susan Boyle bandwagon, and hope with all my heart that she wins and goes on to have a long successful career. Oh, and I hope she fulfills her dream to perform in front of the Queen!!! =)

P.s. I do love that Simon cupped his chin in the hands towards the end of "I Dreamed a Dream" and had this dreamy smile on his face. Like a little boy with a crush on his teacher! :) Seems like the man is human after all.