When Josh Levi stepped onto The X Factor USA stage in 2013, he looked like a confident but still very young contestant with a lot to prove. At just 14 years old, he chose a song nobody expected: “Come & Get It” by Selena Gomez. That alone was enough to get attention, because it’s not the kind of track most people imagine turning into a standout vocal moment.
But the second he started singing, the whole vibe changed. Instead of doing a straight pop copy, Josh gave the song a fresh spin, with a smoother, more soulful sound that some coverage said even brought to mind young Michael Jackson and Bruno Mars. It instantly made him feel less like “just a kid singing a hit” and more like someone with real star potential.
What made the audition pop was the mix of age and control. Josh didn’t just survive a risky song choice — he made it his own. The response online was strong enough that multiple writeups singled him out as one of the memorable young acts from that audition round.
Sometimes all it takes is one unexpected song to make people look twice. Josh Levi walked on as a 14-year-old hopeful — and walked off sounding like someone the judges, and the audience, weren’t going to forget anytime soon.
