NBC Insider Exclusive

Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive show news, updates, and more!

Sign Up For Free to View
NBC Insider AGT Franchise

Susan Boyle Sounds Like Never Before As She Questions God in a Raw, Honest ABBA Cover

The AGT alum goes outside the box in this unbelievable performance.

By Chris Phelan
Richard Goodall Sings "Don't Stop Believing" w. Neal Schon & Members of Journey | Finale | AGT 2024
Video thumbnail
Now Playing
2:51
Highlight
Richard Goodall Sings "Don't Stop Believing" w. Neal Schon & Members of Journey | Finale | AGT 2024
Video thumbnail
0:56
Highlight
AGT Winner is Gifted a New Car | In Partnership with Kia
Video thumbnail
1:42
Highlight
The Gold Over America Tour Performs on America's Got Talent! | Finale | AGT 2024 | NBC
Video thumbnail
2:35
Highlight
Steve Aoki And AIRFOOTWORKS Break The Internet With An Unforgettable Act | Finale | AGT 2024 | NBC
Video thumbnail
4:57
Highlight
Gabriel "Fluffy" Iglesias Makes Learnmore Jonasi's Dreams Come True | Finale | AGT 2024 | NBC
Video thumbnail
2:39
Highlight
AGT 2024 WINNER Announcement! | Finale | AGT 2024 | NBC
Video thumbnail
4:37
Highlight
Andra Day Collabs With Dee Dee Simon, Sebastian & Sonia, And Detroit Youth Choir | Finale | AGT 2024
Video thumbnail
2:17
Highlight
Michael Bublé Sings "L-O-V-E" by Nat King Cole | Finale | AGT 2024 | NBC
Video thumbnail
2:51
Highlight
Sky Elements And Detroit Youth Choir Surprise America With An EPIC Performance | Finale | AGT 2024
Video thumbnail
2:53
Highlight
Brent Street, Roni Sagi & Rhythm, and Hakuna Matata Perform To "Hope" by NF | Finale | AGT 2024
Video thumbnail
2:18
Highlight
Solange Kardinaly Performs Quick Change With Magic Mike Live | Finale | AGT 2024 | NBC
Video thumbnail
3:41
Highlight
Comedian Learnmore Jonasi Tells Funny Stories About American Culture | Finals | AGT 2024 | NBC
Video thumbnail
2:08
Highlight
Brent Street Brings Justin Timberlake’s "Cry Me A River" To Life | Finals | AGT 2024 | NBC
Video thumbnail
2:33
Highlight
Dee Dee Simon Adds Soul To "Take Me to Church" By Hozier | Finals | AGT 2024 | NBC
Video thumbnail
2:03
Highlight
Solange Kardinaly Performs Lightning-Fast Quick Change to "Hot To Go!" | Finals | AGT 2024 | NBC
Video thumbnail
2:13
Highlight
Roni Sagi & Rhythm Inspire With An Uplifting Dance To "Scars To Your Beautiful" | Finals | AGT 2024
Video thumbnail
5:13
Highlight
Hakuna Matata Acrobats Raises The Stakes With Blindfolded Stunts! | Finals | AGT 2024 | NBC
Video thumbnail
2:44
Highlight
Sky Elements' Dazzling Drone Show Honors The American Dream | Finals | AGT 2024 | NBC

Spirituality and music go hand-in-hand for Susan Boyle.

How to Watch

Watch the Season 20 premiere of Americaâs Got Talent on Tuesday, May 27 at 8/7c on NBC and next day on Peacock

One of the America's Got Talent alum's most significant contributions to the music industry is her third studio album, Someone to Watch Over Me, which includes a masterful cover of "You Have To Be There," originally penned by ABBA in the mid-1990s. 

One of the world's most beautiful sounds is Boyle's voice backed by an orchestra.There's a desperation in Boyle's voice as she sings, and the star showed range that takes listeners on a journey along with her. It's undeniably raw. And if you close your eyes, you could picture Boyle moving across the stage while she performs "You Have To Be There" — but she isn't. She stands stoically, letting her dynamic vocals float through the air instead.

Fans can immediately hear why Boyle included this cover on her third album. It has an almost frantic energy that isn't usually found in other songs she records. 

Every track on Someone to Watch Over Me has spiritual significance to the singer, and in a 2011 interview with RTÉ TEN, Boyle spoke to the meaning behind the album as a whole.

"There are certain songs that I liked that resonated with the letters that people had written and sent to me," she told the outlet. "I knew that's what my record needed to be about. They wrote about grief, love, happy and sad times, it was all deeply moving and the songs mirror the emotion and life experience."

As far as "You Have To Be There" is concerned, Boyle recorded her own version of the song due to its powerful introspective qualities because ultimately, even as a woman of faith, her relationship with God can be questioned occasionally.

"This song makes a demand on God's presence," Boyle explained. "It raises questions as to whether or not he can be there when needed. It's a powerful song."

Split image of Susan Boyle and ABBA

RELATED: Susan Boyle's Sky-High Falsetto Singing "Wild Horses" Is a Gift From Heaven

We don't know what's more powerful — the song's message or Boyle's unbelievable vocals! She's come such a long way from her epic 2009 Britain's Got Talent audition!

Here's what to know about "You Have To Be There"

Written by ABBA members Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus for the 1995 Swedish musical Kristina från Duvemåla, "You Have To Be There" centers around the lead character questioning her relationship with God after suffering a miscarriage.

Howie Mandel, Heidi Klum, Sofia Vergara, and Simon Cowell in America's Got Talent, Season 19 Episode 11.

Audition for AGT Season 20 Now!

If you have what it takes to appear on America's Got Talent, sign up for Season 20 auditions today at agtauditions.com. For details on how the process works — with guidance from AGT winners — check out NBC Insider's ultimate audition guide.

While the song wasn't popular stateside, it became a minor hit in Sweden the following year.

However, longtime AGT fans surely remember Boyle performing the song live during Season 6 in one of 2011's best musical moments!

Sponsored Stories
Recommended by Zergnet