Kristen Cruz's Gritty, Explosive "I See Red" Cover Almost Surpasses the Original
It was an all-time goosebumps moment on AGT.
Nothing is more beautiful than when unbelievable — and unknown — voices take the stage on America's Got Talent.
One Audition performance in particular lives permanently in our heads: Kristen Cruz's jaw-dropping rendition of "I See Red" by Everybody Loves An Outlaw from AGT Season 17. The then-19-year-old singer blew the roof off the set with vocals that nobody — and we mean nobody — saw coming.
Relive the Audition that made Heidi Klum and Sofia Vergara confess, "I want your voice, I want it," below.
It's rare when a performance is so powerful that it causes the performer to break down in tears afterward, but that's exactly what happened with Cruz's unforgettable version of "I See Red." It comes so close to surpassing the original recording.
Cruz's Audition — which unsurprisingly sent her to the next round of competition — was everything AGT Judges wanted to see on that stage. Her vocals were explosive, raw, and gritty, yet they still showed off Cruz’s unreal sense of tone and pitch.
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There aren't many other Acts in the show's history that took viewers on such an emotional journey. We don't know if Cruz used a previous relationship to fuel her out-of-this-world power when hitting some of those high notes or what, but she perfectly encapsulated the original song's fury.
And really, Howie Mandel put it best.
"You opened your mouth and you just… you're on fire," the Judge said in almost disbelief.
Like everybody watching at home, nobody would've thought Cruz could belt like that when she first walked on stage!
What is Kristen Cruz doing now?
Fans of Cruz's unreal vocal talents will be happy to know that not only is she still working toward becoming a star in the music world, but the Los Angeles-based artist has some new tunes coming out soon — and it's clear Cruz is just as excited as we all are.
"'Fall Apart' out March 21st. It's about being afraid to love—because what if I actually fall in love … and it all falls apart? Can't wait for you to hear this one," she captioned in a March 10 Instagram post.
With over 1.3 million Instagram followers, it's clear Cruz has made a big impact in the music industry already. With so many fans supporting her at this stage in her career, who knows how much of a star she will become!
