- How are you?
- I'm doing pretty good.
How are you? - Good.
Yeah, great, thank you.
Uh, what's your name, please?
- My name is Lily Meola. I'm a singer-songwriter.
- Okay. And how old are you?
- I'm 27. - And what makes you different
from all the thousands of other people trying to get,
you know, noticed at the moment?
- The song I'm gonna do today is an original song
that I wrote and it's called "Daydream."
And it's kind of evolved over the past couple of years,
the meaning of it for me.
- Which is?
- I wrote it at a time in my life
when things were really beautiful.
And I was essentially living my daydream.
I had a major label record deal.
I had a publishing deal.
I had butterflies I was hatching.
It was just--it was magical. It was just so beautiful.
And I wanted other people to be able to feel that.
And so that's where it originated.
And then my life flipped upside down,
and my mom was diagnosed with cancer.
And I became her full-time caretaker.
I lost my record deal during that,
but I think maybe it was a bit of a blessing,
'cause it gave me some extra time
to really be there for her.
[exhales sharply]
- Is she okay?
- No, she passed away. - I'm sorry, Lily.
- It's okay. [laughs]
I really told myself I wasn't gonna cry.
Um-- - That's all right.
- Um, she was my biggest cheerleader
and...[sighs]
- Lily, I have to ask you this,
are you okay to do this audition?
- I don't know how I'm gonna be able
to make it through a song without crying--[chuckles]
But, you know, singing was something
my mom and I really connected with.
And it's how I fell in love with music in the first place,
her playing music in the car.
So I'm just trying to make her proud.
And...continue to live my daydream.
- Good for you. - Good for you!
[cheers and applause] - Whoo.
- Okay, well, best of luck.
We're rooting for you, Lily.
[cheers and applause]
♪
- ♪ When we were kids in the back yard ♪
♪ Playing astronauts and rock stars ♪
♪ No one told us to stop it
♪ Called us unrealistic
♪ Then suddenly you're 18
♪ Go to college for your Plan B ♪
♪ What you want is too risky
♪ Live for weekends and whiskey ♪
♪ We all got these big ideas
♪ One day they're replaced with fears ♪
♪ How did we get here?
♪ Darlin', don't quit your daydream ♪
♪ It's your life that you're making ♪
♪ It ain't big enough
♪ If it doesn't scare the hell out of you ♪
♪ If it makes you nervous
♪ It's probably worth it
♪ Why save it for sleep
♪ When you could be living your daydream ♪
♪ So scared of failure that we fail to try ♪
♪ Turnin' around before the finish line ♪
♪ Gotta fall for a minute before you can fly ♪
♪ So daydream
♪ It's your life that you're making ♪
♪ It ain't big enough
♪ If it doesn't scare the hell out of you ♪
♪ If it makes you nervous
♪ It's probably worth it
♪ Why save it for sleep
♪ When you could be living your daydream ♪
♪ Why save it for sleep
♪ When you should be living your daydream ♪
[cheers and applause]
- Bravo.
[cheers and applause]
♪
- First of all, you have a beautiful voice.
And I could feel the emotion.
And, you know, you told us the story
before you the song about this time in your life
when things were perfect and you hatched butterflies.
- [chuckles] - You know?
And this moment right now,
you are that butterfly on the way.
[cheers and applause]
- I think your mother was watching you tonight.
And the way you were, like, feeling what you were doing,
that what it was so special about your performance.
And I really enjoyed that song.
- But you didn't-- you didn't put anything out
when you had a deal?
- No. - You didn't.
Okay, so you've never really tested the waters, have you?
- Mm-mm. - Okay.
- I haven't--
yeah, this was my first time putting music out
and I just went for it.
[cheers and applause]
- There is something special about you.
You know, everything you've been through
you told us about. You know, and I'm sure
those memories came flooding back to you
during that audition, and you're thinking,
"I've still gotta get through the song."
And I know you've gone through a very difficult period.
I think the fact that you've come back
after what you've gone through,
that says a lot about you, Lily, so good for you.
- Bravo.
[cheers and applause]
- I don't know what to say.
I'm, like, speechless, you know?
Like, sometimes you have someone on the stage
and you hear their voice--
And just everything about you, you just light up.
I see a light around you. And I don't know, I--
like, immediately I fell in love with you.
And for this season, season 17, I was like,
"There's always a lot of singers on the stage."
And I was like,
"I want to give someone else a shot."
But I can't help it,
'cause I really, really like you.
So I'm gonna do this. - [gasps]
- I'm gonna push this Golden Buzzer for you.
It's you! [audience gasps]
- ♪ I'm not a princess
♪ This ain't a fairy tale
♪ I'm not the one you'll sweep off her feet ♪
♪ Lead her up the stairwell
♪ This ain't Hollywood
♪ This is a small town
♪ I was a dreamer
♪ Before you went and let me down ♪
♪ Now it's too late
♪ For you and your white horse ♪
- I think you're gonna knock it out of the park.
- Thank you.
- I think you're really, really, special.
- Lily!
You are going straight to the live show!
- ♪ Try and catch me now
- What are you feeling?
- I, honestly--
I'm just--I want to know what my mom has to say.
- [laughs]
- She'd be so mad at me
if I wasn't pursuing what I love.
And "Daydream" was one of her favorite songs.
So I think she'd be really happy
wherever she might be.
- ♪ It's too late
♪ To catch me now