Man Sings Classic Love Song And The Judges Cheer Him On With His First Note

Nov 08, 2020 by apost team

Song contest TV shows are enjoyed by many worldwide, with millions tuning in every week to witness small-time performers chase their dreams of being superstars in the music industry. Whether it's American Idol or The Voice, fans love watching those moments when a performer shocks the judges with their talent – or lack thereof, at times. 

Poland is no exception to the song contest love, with the Central European country even creating their own version of The Voice called The Voice Poland. One contestant from 2013, Mateusz Ziółko, even got close to breaking the internet with his rendition of the beloved classic, When a Man Loves a Woman. The performance was so impressive it has gone viral worldwide, with close to 17 million views!

At first glance, Ziółko seems very much like a regular guy. Sure, he's good looking enough, but he doesn't seem like somebody we would automatically peg as a future star. But that's just one of those things that makes music so unique; an otherwise average person can suddenly blow our minds when they start to play their tunes or sing. 

As a contestant on The Voice Poland, Ziółko hoped to show the judges his talent and progress in the competition. Like any performer, he believed in his talent and years of hard work would carry him through to the finish line. 

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As fans of the Voice will know, the show features a spinning chair gimmick that makes for great television. Essentially, the judges sit on spinning chairs facing away from the competitors when they perform, allowing the judges to make assessments on someone's ability based on their vocal talent alone.

If the judges like what they hear, they push a button, and their chair spins around so they can see the contestant.

For his audition, Ziółko chose the timeless classic, When a Man Loves a Woman, originally sung by the Soul legend Percy Sledge. Ziółko didn't choose an easy song to go with to impress the judges, with the opening note already being a particularly tough one to hit. 

As you can see in the video, his choice paid off, with four of the five judges almost instantly smashing their buttons to have their chairs spin around. 

Michael Bolton, who recorded his own version of When a Man Loves a Woman in the 90s, wrote a piece for TIME in 2015 about the story behind the emotional song. 

"It's universally received as this powerful love song," Bolton wrote, "but when you really go through the lyrics you realize how deep it is—'if she's bad/he can't see it/she can do no wrong,' she can bring him misery, she can play him for a fool, and so on—it's about how vulnerable you are when you're in love."

"And it's about how devastated you would be if something goes wrong," he added. 

Ziółko successfully captured those same emotions of love, vulnerability, and pain, making his performance all the more impressive – remember, English isn't his first language! The last judge pushed his button to turn his seat very shortly after the other ones did. As they all watched his performance, it was clear that they knew this young man was a star in the making.

As you can see in the video, the two female judges are almost moved to tears by the performer's rendition of this classic tune. They can't stay seated and stand in rapture as he finishes his performance. Even without understanding Polish, the judges are very obviously impressed with Ziółko's performance. One female judge is shaking, while the other two male judges can't stop talking about the performance.

Ziółko appears humble and even surprised by the judge's euphoric reaction of the judges. 

That day, Ziółko joined polish singer Marek Piekarczyk's team and progressed to become a fan-favorite. On November 30, Ziółko won the finals and got signed by a music label as his grand prize. 

Since then, Ziółko has become a beloved singer in Poland, even winning first prize for his performance at the  51st National Festival of Polish Song in Opole in 2014. The following year, he sang alongside Andrea Bocelli at a concert that celebrated the Polish city of Wrocław as a European capital of culture. He released his first album in 2017, titled Na nowo (In Flames), which was certified golden by the Polish Association of Audio-Video Producers (ZPAV).

What did you think of this performance? Were you as blown away as the judges? Show this to everyone you know who loves music and tell us what you thought about this impressive rendition in the comments.