Who is Susan Boyle?
Susan Boyle is a Britain’s Got Talent contestant whose audition clip went viral and made her a YouTube sensation. At the time of her audition, Boyle was 48 years old and unemployed.
The clip shows Boyle prepping for her audition which aired on April 11, 2009. 1 Most of the crowd and the judges do not take her seriously. Many of them even laugh when she says she’d like to be like the singer Elaine Page. However once Susan begins to sing her audition song, “I Dreamed A Dream” from Les Miserables, the crowd’s attitude changes. The judges are shocked and appear in awe of Susan’s singing ability. One judge even begins to tear up. They comment on how surprised they are and how glad they are to hear her talent. 2
Susan Boyle’s YouTube video became one of the most watched videos on the site in 2009, receiving more than 120 million views. 3 This number continued to grow and the number of hits now totals over 300 million. 4
Susan came in second place and has continued to enjoy success with her music. Susan’s debut album, I Dreamed A Dream, was the most pre-ordered album worldwide of all time on Amazon before its global release on November 23rd. 5
Susan’s debut album sold 701,000 copies in the United States, making it the biggest opening week sale for any album in 2009. As of December 2009 it was the fastest-selling debut in British history, and it reached No. 1 in Australia, Canada, Ireland and New Zealand charts. 6
Concerns for Parents
- While searching on YouTube, it is highly possible your child will run into inappropriate or pornographic videos.
- Before singing, Boyle is mocked. It is obvious that the audience and judges mock her due to her appearance. Parents might not want their child watching something enforcing that idea.
