Who Is Sophie Saylor? Get to Know the ‘Star Search’ Singer
What To Know
- Sophie Saylor was an 18-year-old visually impaired singer from Muskegon, Michigan.
- She delivered a powerful performance of Billie Eilish’s “What I Was Made For” on Star Search, impressing judges and the audience.
On the fourth episode of Star Search, singer Sophie Saylor stormed the stage with powerful vocals and a commanding voice that pierced the theater, silencing the room and leaving both judges and audience locked on every note.
Her performance stood out as one of the night’s most memorable moments, showcasing her range, control, and confidence under pressure. As a result, Sophie knocked out an early favorite, taking his place among the finalists.
Scroll down to get to know Sophie and find out what happened on her Star Search episode.
What happened during Sophie Saylor’s Star Search performance?
In the first battle, Sophie went head-to-head with returning favorite Bear Bailey in the soloist competition. Bailey, who built a reputation as a country crooner through viral videos of himself singing at gas stations, performed “Lose Control” by Teddy Swims.
A heartfelt cover, his performance brought on compliments from his biggest fan, Jelly Roll: “You picked a hard song there. Teddy Swims is unbelievable,” said the judge. “God made you to be more than a gas station singer.”
Sophie Saylor performed “What I Was Made For” by Billie Eilish, and immediately the mood shifted. A beautiful rendition of the Oscar-winning song, the judges appeared visibly moved by her vocals.
“You picked a song that clearly meant a lot to you. It meant a lot to me. I felt the song was you,” said judge Sarah Michelle Gellar. “All you can ask of a singer is to make you feel something, and you gave all tonight.”
“Every single note you sang, I believe you sang it from your soul,” said Jelly Roll.
Bear received four stars from all the judges, but Sophie received two fours and scored a five from Gellar. With the audience vote, Sophie beat Bear with a combined score of 4.17.
Who went through on Star Search Night 4?
The finalists were aerialists Duo Vespertilio, magician Harry Merlin Piper, comedian JR De Guzman, and Sophie.
What was Sophie’s journey before appearing on Star Search?
A childcare worker from Muskegon, Michigan, 18-year-old Sophia grew up visually impaired, so she learned to sing entirely by ear.
In her introduction video, Sophie explained, “When I was six months old, they found out I did have an extremely rare condition called septo-optic dysplasia, which means I’m visually impaired and I don’t have peripheral vision. Growing up, music was always my happy place when things got hard.”
As I got into middle school, I realized, though, [that] having a disability is very difficult, but there’s a lot of things that I can do that other people cannot do, and that’s my singing talent.”
Sophie also explained that with her disability, it could be difficult for her to move around the stage, but for her, emotion is key. “It’s my secret weapon against Bear.”
Before Star Search, what was Sophie Saylor known for?
Over the years, Sophie competed in local showcases and performed at nearby venues while she steadily grew her presence on TikTok under the handle @sophie_sings731, building an audience of more than 400 followers.
When she was selected to perform on the Star Search stage, she took to social media where she announced her big news. “I have an amazing announcement for you guys. That’s right, ya’ll. I will be appearing on Netflix’s Star Search,” said the alto. “I would just like to say that I’m so grateful, and thankful, every possible way to say the word grateful!”
@sophie_sings731
What are her influences?
Sophie explained that her mother was a “teen mom” who was a massive fan of Britney Spears, and her love for the “Toxic” artist inspired Sophie to learn all of the Femme Fatale album.
Star Search, Season 1, Tuesdays & Wednesdays, 9/8c, Netflix
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