‘America’s Got Talent’ Season 12 Filipino-American Contestant Angelica Hale Shocks With ‘Rise Up’ Rendition

“America’s Got Talent” Season 12 introduced a 9-year-old contestant named Angelica Hale on Tuesday night’s episode.

According to ABS-CBN News, the extremely talented singer is of Filipino-American descent. At a young age, Hale struggled with double pneumonia. She also underwent a kidney transplant. In episode 2 of the hit NBC reality TV competition, she shocked the judges and audiences with her own rendition of Andra Day’s hit song, “Rise Up.”

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But what most people don’t know is that Hale is not a stranger to performing in front of large crowds. In 2015, she was invited to perform at the US Open and just this year, she also sung at The Miss America pageant.

On the show, Hale’s dad, James, shared that his daughter wants to use her talent in singing to inspire other people, especially children. “It’s her dream to become a singer. Her being here today is a miracle… Five years ago, we never imagined that she would be here today. When Angelica was 4 years old, she started coughing and having fever. We brought her to the emergency room and that’s when we found out that she had double pneumonia and her kidney stopped working,” he said.

Meanwhile, Hale will advance to the next round of competition alongside several other contestants who made it through the first round. However, Hale’s spot in the live shows isn’t guaranteed yet. But even if it’s difficult to make it until the end and bring home the $1 million grand prize, Hale revealed that she’s been practicing and training hard to make her dreams come true. “Everything has to be better,” she told 11Alive.

When asked what it was like performing in front of Simon Cowell, Heidi Klum, Mel B and Howie Mandel, Hale admitted that she was nervous when she got up on stage. Interviewer Melissa Long noted that Hale looked calm when she went on stage and just gave her a smile.

Towards the end of the interview, Hale shared what it’s like juggling her hospital visits with her vocal practices. The young singer said that it’s quite difficult since she goes to the hospital every three months, but she’s able to manage everything well.

“America’s Got Talent” Season 12 airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. EST on NBC.