‘America’s Got Talent’ star Grace VanderWaal reveals advice she'd give younger self after debut at age 12

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Grace VanderWaal, the breakout star of 'America's Got Talent', is redefining confidence and embracing her journey. In a surprise appearance on TikToker David Carmi's 'Confidence Heist' series, the 20-year-old singer shared her secrets to self-assurance and personal growth. 

From navigating fame since her teenage years to offering advice on self-acceptance, Grace has opened up about how public scrutiny shaped her.

She has also been making waves online, sharing a glimpse of her new music video and a candid rooftop moment as she continues to shine in her evolving career

Grace VanderWaal makes unexpected cameo after 8 years

Nearly eight years after capturing 'America's Got Talent', the singer made an unexpected cameo in TikToker David Carmi's 'Confidence Heist' series, where he interviews New Yorkers about their confidence secrets. 

In a video posted on August 14, Grace excitedly introduced herself, saying, "Oh my god, you're the TikTok guy! My name is Grace VanderWaal."

When Carmi expressed surprise at meeting her, Grace shared that her key to confidence is simply "having somewhere to go." 

She added that growing up in the public eye pushed her out of her comfort zone. "It threw me into scrutiny," explained Grace, who won 'America's Got Talent' in 2016 at age 12. "It forced me to sink or swim."

Despite finding it "corny," Grace encouraged viewers to "accept who you are" and embrace "your strengths" to build confidence. She also warned her younger self, saying with a serious tone, "Don't trust everyone."

Reflecting on her journey since her TV debut, where Simon Cowell dubbed her the next Taylor Swift, Grace admitted to E! News in 2022 that she's faced mental challenges growing up in the spotlight.

"I keep learning about how to take care of myself better and my biggest thing recently is just acknowledging your triggers," she said.

"I've been doing this for so long that you get desensitized to hate online. I went through a ton of hate online when I was really young. I'm happy it happened though because it prepared me for this life."

Recently on August 26, Grace gave fans a glimpse into her current life by sharing a photo of herself on a New York City rooftop and behind-the-scenes footage from her "Call It What You Want" music video. She simply captioned the post, "Life."

Grace VanderWaal fans overjoyed by singer’s return in new video after 8 years

After seeing Grace VanderWaal's new video, many internet users quickly praised her for being a beautiful young talent. One user said, "You have beca very beautiful young woman!" Another wrote, "You look stunning."

The third claimed, "Yeah, Grace, that cancer stick makes you look all grown up." 

The fourth shared, "Has nothing to do with "looking grown up." She's just living her life, and how she does it is of no concern of yours."

One more person claimed, "Love GraceVanderWaal." One individual claimed, "She is beautiiful." The last user claimed, "She won and never heard of her again, which is a good thing."

This article contains remarks made on the internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online