The single mother and vocalist wowed all four judges during her audition. Heidi Klum was so moved by Rae’s performance that she went up and gave her the Golden Buzzer.

Only the best candidates who audition for AGT receive Golden Buzzers. The judges can only push the Golden Buzzer once, so they must be selective.

Klum saw something in Rae, and she awarded her the only Golden Buzzer she had available.
Rae received the Golden Buzzer, which allowed her to progress to the competition’s next level. AGT viewers got to see her sing again in the quarterfinals when she sang Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah.”

Cohen wrote “Hallelujah” alone and recorded it first. His debut album, issued in 1984, was a commercial failure.

Years later, versions by John Cale and Jeff Buckley were tremendously famous. The 2001 animated movie Shrek also featured the song, exposing it to a wide audience.

Today, there are approximately 300 recognized renditions of “Hallelujah.” Competitive shows like AGT frequently perform it, so Rae had to go above and beyond to set her performance apart.

She began to sing gently, almost whispering at times. However, as the song went on, her voice became more forceful. By the end, she was hitting the highest notes with precision and enthusiasm.

Rae blew the judges away, and they all rose to their feet to offer her a standing ovation. Judge Howie Mandel summed up her performance best, calling it “flawless.”

Check out the video below to see Rae sing “Hallelujah.” Then you will understand why Mandel praised her performance so much.