It was 2016. A skinny 12-year-old girl walked onto the Britain's Got Talent stage, looking genuinely terrified. She had these nervous eyes, the kind that make you want to reach through the screen and give her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. Then, the music started. Not just any music—the soaring, intimidating opening chords of Defying Gravity Beau Dermott had chosen to sing.
People usually mess this song up. It’s the "Mount Everest" of musical theater numbers. If you aren't Idina Menzel or Kristin Chenoweth, you’re basically playing with fire. But within thirty seconds, the entire room shifted. You could feel it through the television.
Beau didn't just sing the notes. She inhabited the character of Elphaba with a vocal maturity that felt... well, it felt impossible for a kid who hadn't even started high school yet. When she hit that final, glass-shattering riff, Amanda Holden didn't even wait for the song to end before slamming the Golden Buzzer. It wasn’t just a "good" audition. It was a cultural moment that defined that season of BGT and launched a career that's still evolving today.
The Technical Brilliance Behind the Golden Buzzer
Let’s get nerdy for a second. Why was this specific cover so much better than the thousands of other theater kids on YouTube? Honestly, it’s about the "mix." Most young singers try to belt Defying Gravity from their throat, which leads to that thin, shouty sound that makes your ears bleed.
Beau Dermott had this incredible resonance. Her father, Ian, later mentioned in interviews that she had been taking singing lessons since she was quite young, but you can’t really teach that kind of natural placement. She stayed "on the breath." If you watch the clip back—which millions of people still do every year—look at her posture. She’s grounded. When the modulation hits and the song climbs into the stratosphere, she doesn't strain. She opens up.
It’s the difference between someone performing a song and someone mastering a piece of music. Even Simon Cowell, who usually looks like he'd rather be anywhere else during musical theater auditions, was visibly stunned. He called it "incredible." He isn't wrong.
Breaking the "Child Star" Curse
Usually, these kids vanish. They get their fifteen minutes, maybe a holiday album, and then they're back to normal life by the time they’re sixteen. Beau was different. After the show, she signed a major deal with Decca Records.
Think about that. Decca is the home of legends. They don't just sign anyone who wins a talent show. They saw a recording artist, not a novelty act. Her debut album, Brave, showcased that her version of Defying Gravity wasn't a fluke. She tackled I Dreamed a Dream and When You Wish Upon a Star with the same eerie precision.
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But here’s the thing: she stayed grounded. Her family famously kept her in school in Cheshire. They didn't move to London or Hollywood immediately. That normalcy is probably why her voice stayed healthy while other child stars burn out their vocal cords by eighteen.
Why Defying Gravity Beau Dermott is a Masterclass in Phrasing
If you listen to the original Broadway cast recording, Idina Menzel brings a certain jagged, rebellious energy to the role. It’s sharp. It’s angry.
Beau brought something else: vulnerability.
Because she was actually a child, the lyrics about "trusting my instincts" and "leaping into the unknown" carried a different weight. It felt less like a witch defying a wizard and more like a young girl claiming her place in the world. That’s why it resonates.
- The Breath Control: Notice the long phrases in the second verse. She doesn't gasp for air.
- The Dynamics: She starts at a whisper and ends at a roar. Most amateurs just roar the whole time.
- The Diction: You can hear every single "t" and "d" at the end of the words. That’s pure training.
Stephen Schwartz, the actual composer of Wicked, even reached out. Can you imagine? The guy who wrote the song—the guy who has heard every Diva on Earth sing those notes—told her she was fantastic. He even invited her to sing at a 15th-anniversary celebration for the musical. That’s the ultimate "seal of approval." It moves the performance from "viral video" to "legitimate artistic contribution."
Life After the Viral Moment
What happened once the glitter settled? Beau didn't just stop at the Golden Buzzer. She’s performed at the London Palladium. She’s done massive charity concerts. She even performed for the Queen (the late Queen Elizabeth II) at the Festival of Remembrance.
It’s a lot of pressure for a teenager.
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There was a bit of a health scare early on—nothing scandalous, just the reality of being a performer. She had to learn how to manage her voice as it changed. Every singer goes through it, but when your "signature" is a high-E belting note, a changing voice is terrifying.
She handled it with a lot of grace. She didn't try to be a pop star. She didn't try to pivot to dance music or start wearing edgy clothes to "prove" she was grown up. She stayed in her lane: the world of classical crossover and musical theater.
The Legacy of a Single Audition
We live in an era of "disposable content." You watch a TikTok, you laugh, you forget it ten seconds later. But Defying Gravity Beau Dermott belongs to that rare category of performances that people return to.
It’s often compared to Susan Boyle’s I Dreamed a Dream. It has that same "underdog" energy. Nobody expected this quiet girl from a village in England to have a voice that could fill an arena.
It also served as a huge boost for the musical Wicked itself. While the show was already a global juggernaut, Beau’s audition introduced the music to a whole new generation of kids who hadn't seen a Broadway show. Suddenly, every singing teacher in the UK was being asked to teach "the Beau Dermott song."
What We Can Learn from Beau’s Journey
Honestly, the biggest takeaway isn't about singing. It’s about preparation.
Beau didn't just show up and wing it. She had worked for years before she ever stepped onto that X-mark on the floor. She knew the song inside out. She knew the story. She knew the technique.
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Success looks like an accident when you see it on TV, but it’s usually the result of a thousand boring practice sessions in a living room.
How to Approach This Song (If You're a Singer)
If you're reading this because you're a singer wanting to emulate Beau, be careful.
- Don't mimic her. Her voice is hers. Your voice is yours. If you try to copy her exact tone, you’ll likely strain.
- Focus on the storytelling. Beau won because we believed she wanted to fly. The high notes were just the "icing on the cake."
- Warm up. Seriously. This song is a vocal cord killer.
- Watch the posture. Notice how she stands. It's tall, but not stiff. Your lungs need room to expand.
Moving Forward
Beau Dermott is no longer that 12-year-old in the floral dress. She’s a young woman now, navigating the professional music industry with a solid foundation.
Her story is a reminder that talent is great, but temperament is better. She stayed kind, she stayed focused, and she didn't let the "Golden Buzzer" fame go to her head. Whether she ends up playing Elphaba on the West End (which, let's be real, feels inevitable at this point) or continues recording solo albums, she’s already secured her spot in the history of talent competitions.
To really appreciate the technical difficulty of what she did, you have to look at the "failed" auditions for the same song. There are hundreds of them. Most people go flat on the "me" in "It's meeeee." Beau hit it right in the center of the note. Every single time.
If you haven't seen the clip in a few years, go watch it again. Specifically, look at her mom’s face in the wings. That mix of terror and pride is the most "human" part of the whole thing. It’s a reminder that behind every "overnight success" is a family that’s been driving them to lessons and listening to them practice the same three bars for five hours straight.
Actionable Insights for Aspiring Performers
- Study the "Mix": Learn how to blend your chest voice and head voice. Beau’s "Defying Gravity" is the gold standard for a healthy musical theater mix.
- Find Your "Moment": You don't need a Golden Buzzer. You need one song that perfectly matches your vocal range and emotional "type." For Beau, that was Elphaba.
- Invest in Longevity: Get a vocal coach who cares about your health, not just your range. Beau’s career survived the transition from childhood to adulthood because she didn't blow her voice out early.
- Master the "Quiet": The power of her performance came from the quiet moments in the beginning. If you start at 100%, you have nowhere to go. Start at a 30% and build the house.
Beau Dermott's version of the Wicked classic remains a benchmark for what is possible when preparation meets a massive platform. It wasn't just a cover; it was an arrival.