In 2009, Shaheen Jafargholi was seconds into his first-round audition for Britain’s Got Talent when Simon Cowell cut him off. The shy 12-year-old boy looked nervous and flustered for a second as Simon criticized his upbeat song choice.

“You got this really wrong,” Simon told him. “What do you sing apart from that?”

On the one hand, Simon was trying to encourage Shaheen to perform his very best, but on the other hand, it was a risky move to potentially hurt the kid’s feelings on such a public platform.

Shaheen’s mother watched in horror backstage, hoping her beloved son could pull it together and press on.

Instead of getting discouraged and letting the unexpected challenge ruin his audition, Shaheen picked it right back up and gave an incredible performance. This time, he opted for a completely different-sounding song, “Who’s Loving You.” The famous power ballad by the Jackson 5 is difficult for any vocalist to pull off.

Watch the video below to see what Shaheen did with his second chance.

“This is how one song can change you life,” Simon said, pleased with his decision to interrupt the boy and change his song to something slower and more soulful.

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