- Hi. - Hello.
- Hi. How are you?
- I'm awesome. I'm so happy to be here.
- Well, we're happy you are. What's your name?
- My name is Jane. When I sing, I go by Nightbirde.
- Aw, that's nice. - Nightbirde?
- That's right. - Do you sing for a living?
- Not recently, but-- - Where are you from?
- I'm from Zanesville, Ohio.
- Okay. How old are you?
- I'm 30. - 30 years old,
and the dream is to be a singer?
What are you going to be singing for us tonight?
- I'm singing an original song
called "It's OK." - "It's OK."
- Yeah. - It is.
- Yeah. - It's okay.
- It's okay. - What is "It's OK" about?
- "It's OK" is the story of the last year of my life.
- All right. And who you here with?
- I'm here by myself.
- It's okay. [laughter]
And what do you do for a living?
- I have not been working for quite a few years.
I've been dealing with cancer.
- Oh, sorry. - [laughs]
No, it's okay. - Okay.
- Yeah. I'm okay. - All right.
[applause]
- Can I ask you a question?
How are you now?
- Last time I checked, I had some cancer in my lungs
and my spine and my liver.
- Wow. - So you're not okay?
- Well, not in every way, no.
- You've got a beautiful smile and a beautiful glow.
- Mm-hmm. You do.
- And nobody would know. - I appreciate it. Thank you.
It's important that everyone knows I'm so much more
than the bad things that happen to me.
- Yes. - Yes.
- All right. Sing for us.
- Good luck, Nightbirde.
[applause]
♪
- ♪ I moved to California in the summertime ♪
♪
♪ I changed my name thinking that it would change my mind ♪
♪
♪ I thought that all my problems ♪
♪ They would stay behind
♪ I was a stick of dynamite and it just was ♪
♪ A matter of time, yeah ♪
♪ Oh, dang, oh, my, now I can't hide ♪
♪ Said I knew myself but I guess I lied ♪
♪ It's okay, it's okay it's okay, it's okay ♪
♪ If you're lost
♪ We're all a little lost, and it's all right ♪
♪ It's okay, it's okay it's okay, it's okay ♪
♪ If you're lost
♪ We're all a little lost, and it's all right ♪
♪
♪ It's all right, it's all right ♪
♪ It's all right
♪
♪ I wrote a hundred pages, but I burned them all ♪
♪ Yeah, I burned them all
♪ I blow through yellow lights and don't look back at all ♪
♪ I don't look back at all
♪ Oh, dang, oh, my, now I can't hide ♪
♪ Said I knew what I wanted but I guess I lied ♪
♪ It's okay, it's okay it's okay, it's okay ♪
♪ If you're lost
♪ We're all a little lost, and it's all right ♪
♪ It's okay, it's okay it's okay, it's okay ♪
♪ If you're lost
♪ We're all a little lost, and it's all right ♪
♪ Oh-oh-oh-oh, it's all right ♪
♪ To be lost sometimes
♪
- Wow.
[cheers and applause]
[uplifting music]
- You know, it's funny, because singers come on,
and I think about authenticity, you know, when you feel it,
when it moves you. That felt like
the most authentic thing I've heard this season.
[cheers and applause]
- That was surprisingly beautiful.
It was powerful.
It was heartfelt, and I think you're amazing.
[cheers and applause]
- You gave me chills.
I mean, your voice is so beautiful to listen to.
It was beautiful all the way around.
- Your voice is stunning. - Mm-hmm. It is.
- Absolutely stunning, and I totally agree with what
Howie said, you know, about authenticity.
There was something about that song after the way
you just almost casually told us
what you're going through, and, oh, you know...
- You can't wait until life isn't hard anymore
before you decide to be happy.
[applause]
- Um...
there are, however ...
there have been some great singers this year.
Um...and I'm not going to give you a yes.
[audience groans]
I'm going to give you something else.
- ♪ Follow me down where the waters run deep ♪
♪ I'll let you drown in the worst of me ♪
♪ Though my heart is in my hands ♪
♪ I won't break, give me faith to bend ♪
♪ Am I looking for revival
- Everything about that was really special.
Good for you. Good for you. - Thank you so much.
- ♪ Will I ever breathe again ♪
♪ Again
- I have a 2% chance of survival,
but 2% is not zero percent.
2% is something,
and I wish people knew how amazing it is.
- You blew us all away.
You are the voice we all need to hear this year.
- That was way more than okay. - That was amazing!
- That was beautiful. That was beautiful.
- God, that really got to me.
- It pushes all the heart string buttons, right?
- And yet she's still so strong.
- ♪ Will I ever breathe again ♪
- I did it!
- ♪ Will I ever breathe again ♪