Watch a Painfully Shy 13-Year-Old Seriously Shock the America’s Got Talent Judges

You never know what to expect on America's Got Talent, but 13-year-old singer Courtney Hadwin wowed everyone with an especially shocking performance during Tuesday's episode.

The teen admitted she was nervous when she took the stage, but as soon as it came time to sing, she looked like she was born in the spotlight.

Hadwin performed "Hard to Handle," a song originally recorded by Otis Redding and later covered by The Black Crowes. Her rendition got the place rocking—in under 30 seconds of singing, she had the crowd on its feet.

Judge Howie Mandel also reacted enthusiastically, saying, "Wow!" out loud and beginning to clap. The rest of the judging panel looked just as impressed, not to mention a little shell-shocked.

Judge Simon Cowell put it best to Hadwin afterward when he commented on her onstage transformation. "You were like this shy, little thing when you first came out, and then you sing and you're like a lion," he said. "I mean, genuinely incredible."

Not only did everyone in the venue seem to agree, Hadwin even inspired Mandel to hit the golden buzzer, which gave her a well-deserved trip straight to the live shows.

America's Got Talent airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on NBC, so you'll get to see more of Hadwin soon.

 

If you want to see more from past AGT contestants, click HERE to see what Season 11 winner Grace VanderWaal has been up too lately.