The best songwriters manage to capture so much emotion in just a few words.
Videos by InspireMore
Six years ago, singer Lily Meola of Maui, Hawaii was on top of the world. She had a record deal in hand, and her career was poised to take off. She was so overjoyed that she penned a song called “Daydream” about what it felt like to live her dream.
Sadly, not all dreams are meant to last. Before she could realize her vision of a music career, Lily’s mother was diagnosed with cancer and needed her help. She became her mom’s primary caregiver and lost her record deal. Her mother passed away in 2020.
Two years later, Lily is back to pursuing her dream as a contestant on “America’s Got Talent.” The 27-year-old singer shared the story behind her original song with judges Simon Cowell, Heidi Klum, Sofia Vergara, and Howie Mandel before she got started. According to Lily, the song has “kind of evolved over the past couple of years,” but now it serves as a reminder of her mother’s undying love.
“I wrote it at a time when things were really beautiful and I was essentially living my daydream,” said Lily. “I had a major-label record deal. I had a publishing deal. I had butterflies I was hatching. It was magical. And so, that’s where it originated.”
She went on to say that losing the record deal was “a bit of a blessing” because she was able to spend more time with her mother before her passing. She admitted it would be difficult to sing the song without crying, but was determined to give it a shot for her mom, who was her “biggest cheerleader.”
As soon as she started to sing, Simon’s eyes widened in surprise. Her voice is sweet and pure, and the song’s lyrics pack an emotional punch. Heidi wiped away tears as the other judges heaped praise on the young singer. Then, when it was her turn to vote, she handed Lily the ultimate AGT compliment: The Golden Buzzer!
“I’m speechless,” Heidi told her. “Just everything about you, you just light up. I see a light around you. Immediately, I fell in love with you…I really really like you, so I’m gonna push this Golden Buzzer for you. It’s you!”
Simon’s opinion was that there’s something special about Lily, and we could not agree more! She advanced to the final round of competition.
Lily is already a star in our books! We’d listen to her song any day, but knowing the sweet meaning behind her words makes it all the more powerful.
Watch her audition below, and don’t forget to share.
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