TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Putri Ariani advances to ‘America’s Got Talent’ final
Change Size
Indonesian vocalist Putri Ariani sings while playing the piano at the America's Got Talent semifinal round on Sep. 5, 2023. (America's Got Talent/Instagram)
S
inging sensation Putri Ariani will head to the final round of America’s Got Talent (AGT) after captivating the talent show’s judges on Tuesday with a cover of U2’s “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For”.
Putri, a 17-year-old vocalist hailing from Yogyakarta, was catapulted to international fame in June after her audition on the famed United States talent show swept the judges and audience off their feet.
Putri ended up getting the coveted Golden Buzzer from AGT judge and creator Simon Cowell, which automatically advanced her to the semifinal round.
Accompanied by nothing but her own piano playing, Putri’s powerful rendition of the Irish rock band’s song in the semifinal prompted a standing ovation from the judges and live audience. Simon, the record executive, said later it was “one of [his] favorite live show performances” on his Instagram page.
Putri shared her gratitude and happiness on Instagram after securing her spot in the finale. AGT contestants’ advancement to the final round depends on online votes that can only be cast by US citizens.
The final round will be held on Sept. 26.
Born in Riau, Putri was diagnosed as blind three months after her premature birth. Refusing to let the condition get in her way, Putri has been striving to become a prominent singer-songwriter since she was little.
Before AGT, Putri competed in The Voice Kids Indonesia, where she was eliminated, and in Indonesia’s Got Talent in 2014, which she won at only 8 years old.
Putri has written over 10 original songs, including “Loneliness”, which she performed during the AGT audition to the judges' surprise for its professional quality. Followed by a cover of Elton John’s “Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word”, Putri’s performance went viral on social media in June.
Praise for the vocalist has been flooding in from Indonesian public figures, and President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo had invited Putri and her parents to meet him at the Presidential Palace following the AGT performance.
