Looks Matters. But It Does Not Equal To Talent…

Not that I am surfacing old news, but please click and read on. I bet everyone would have already seen British Got Talent - Susan Boyle’s footage. For the benefit of those who did not, Susan Boyle is a 47 year-old unemployed Scottish woman. She took part in the British Got Talent competition and surprised the judges including notoriously critical Simon Cowell.

The first impression of Susan was not pleasant. She is not beautiful. In fact, she looked haggard and also behaved eccentrically. Before she stood on stage, she told camera that she wanted to make the audience rock. Simon Cowell asked her what the dream which she answered that she is trying to be a professional singer. When asked why it has not worked out, she said she have not been given a chance before and hoping that this competition would all change. Audiences rolled their eyes, sniggered and laughed at her when she replied that she wants to be as successful as Paige.

Then the most amazing things happened… She opened her mouth and sang the first verse, the crowds went mad and they were rocking to her singing. The judges all looked shocked as she had a good voice and had sung really really well.

Pierce commented that her performance was the biggest surprise he ever got. He remarked that Susan had irritated everyone at first with the cheeky grin saying that she wanted to be Paige. Everyone was laughing at her then, but no one was laughing at her after she sang. The lady judge said that everyone was being cynical and her appearance was the biggest wake-up call ever.

I agreed with her especially the line “Biggest wake-up call” indeed. It is human instinct to want to see beautiful version of things. We are so used to seeing beautiful people performing. They may or may not sing well, but most importantly we tolerated them. Whoever thought that a person looking like Susan Boyle would have such an amazing voice? The fact that the camera shot so much of audiences’ disbelief footages was to actually prepare to showcase Susan for laughs that she had not sing well… She had thrown everyone off guard.

Looking at her, I saw some of my reflection. I thought I could sing pretty well (that is to be humble), but I have never won any Karaoke competition. My friends knew that I could sing. I have participated in Singing competition twice. Once was during Secondary School times, the other one was during Polytechnic last year. I never make it on stage.

I was partly at fault for the secondary school competition. I have chosen Kit Chan’s 喜欢你。 I forgot some of the lyrics nervously, but I completed the chorus well. The panel had three teachers, one of which is my choir mistress. Not only did not I make it on stage, the other friend who sang quite well never did too. I was quite surprise when the finalists were revealed. Most of them were NPCC cadets. I guessed the HOD who managed the NPCC had a bigger say among the panel of judges.

My friend and I later complained jokingly to a teacher about it that those people can’t sing as well as we did. The teacher thought that we were sore losers. One day, our class was rehearsing for a teachers’ day performance at the assembly area. My friend and I were lead singers. After we finished on the way up to class, the teacher walked up to us and said “You know, I think you are right. You sing better than they did.” He was having P.E class nearby and had happened to hear us sing.

The polytechnic one was more hilarious. I think I chosen a wrong song and had entered the wrong category. I entered myself into the English category and chosen to sing “Top of the World”. English is not my forte. You can laugh, but it did not appear to me that Top of the World was a kiddy song. I thought it has a nice melody.

Anyway, the judges were three lecturers. There were some students helpers in the room. My poly best friends were very supportive and had waited for me outside the room. Nervously, I only managed to sing “Such a feeling… “and then it went mute. There was no sound from the microphone. The student helpers took the microphone and test it out and ran outside. My friends all looked surprised that it was over so soon. One of them asked what happened and the helper replied “No batteries” I remembered hearing her scream “What?! No Batteries?! "

Soon, the batteries were replaced and I have another start. I sang and I think I did quite well, though nervous. I guessed I impressed all of them in the room and there were students helpers coming up to me saying that I sing really well.

On both competitions, I thought I could get in the Secondary School’s one because the competitors were not strong. However, I anticipated that I would not get it for the polytechnic one. I believed that there are better contestants. I took part in the competition as a confident booster. I just had changed my image then and was still suffering from low self esteem. I want to impress people with what I do best, which is to sing as I believed that I can sing quite well. I did achieve that, thus I wasn’t feeling sad.

Honestly, there were times when I looked back and think that if I wasn’t big and looked better, will I get a chance to sing on stage? I have impressed many people, but I want to have a taste of winning an award for it. I just hoped that someone would organize a purely Singing competition for people like me to take part.

Looks matters, I am not going to argue about that, but it does not necessarily meant talent!

Susan Boyle at British Got Talent