In a three-minute performance, “X Factor UK contestant Gamu Nhengu catches the eye of Simon Cowell and breathes new life into a song composed before he was born.”
Nhengu, who is 18, replies that she wants to be someone and do something that people will remember when asked why she became a singer. She appears irritated in front of the four judges and speaks with conviction and assurance. The song “Walking on Sunshine” was chosen by Nhengu. It’s by 1980s new wave band Katrina and the Waves. While not a one-hit wonder, Katrina and the Waves is best known for a 1985 single. “Walking on Sunshine” is a staple of 1980s sentimental movies and films.
In her introduction, Nhengu informs the judges that she has changed several aspects of her song. Audiences and judges alike are understandably curious because she doesn’t identify what she’s changed, whether it’s a lyrical change or a new arrangement. After the introductions are over and Nhengu starts singing, she doesn’t let her audience down. The other three judges smile, but Simon Cowell looks like he skipped breakfast and has a stomach ache. Simon responds to Nhengu’s allegation that she changed her music by saying, “I’m interested to see what you did with this song.
As Simon maintains a crestfallen expression throughout the song, the listener instantly recognizes Nhengu’s liveliness and snark. Although his changes were minor, they changed the overall meaning of the song. Nhengu’s rendition of the chorus instead begins with “you’re my sunshine but you gotta go”, as opposed to the first line of the original song, “you’re my sunshine and it doesn’t feel pretty “. Obviously, the song is about a breakup based on that. Nhengu tells her that she doesn’t want to live her life waiting for a potential love partner.
Nhengu’s commanding performance, from his body language to his sarcastic delivery to his outfit, matches his temperament perfectly. Nhengu wears a long dress and she has a beautiful pink bow in her hair. The other judges had only positive things to say about Nhengu. Louis Walsh practically gushes, praising the young musician’s attitude, song selection and drive and saying she has “something incredibly delicious” about her. Nhengu is “moving,” according to Walsh, and anyone watching would agree.
