One of my favorite things about seeing a new movie is the music. For me, it’s always been interesting to hear what song the director ties to some of the biggest moments, with the intention of making that moment’s impact even larger. I was pleasantly surprised by nearly every song placement in The Fault In Our Stars and have this movie to thank for introducing me to 18-year-old Jasmine van den Bogaerde, aka Birdy. It’s funny, I’m now in a place where every strong voice I fall in love with comes from someone younger than me. No, really. I realized I was rooting for people I could be babysitting on American Idol and it felt like a slap in the face. But I digress.

Watching The Fault In Our Stars is bound to elicit numerous emotions, ranging from laughter to tears. I wasn’t, however, expecting goosebumps. They didn’t sneak up on me during a particular scene or line from one of the characters. Goosebumps started to cover my arms during one of Birdy’s songs – about 5 words in, actually. Thanks to technology, I was able to snatch up my phone and put my trusty Shazam app to use. (Seriously, to a music nerd like me, that app is a godsend.  If you don’t have it, download it now.) Turns out I was goosebumping over “Not About Angels,” by an 18-year-old musical mastermind from the UK.

Finding an artist with a voice as beautiful as Birdy’s is truly rare. So, when I do stumble across one, I want to tell everyone with a functioning set of ears. The experience behind her voice matures her beyond measure, and certainly beyond that of what a typical 18-year-old’s experiences may be. Donned in braces, she took on “The A Team” by Ed Sheeran when she was 15, singing the words “and they say, she’s in the class A team, stuck in her daydream, been this way since 18…”. To know she was shy of 18 makes it even more notable.

Check out a few of her songs here, and try not to be impressed. Yes, that’s a dare.

Not About Angels

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The A Team, by Ed Sheeran