The young girl with a voice to rival legendary singers has perfected the art of singing in English–a language she doesn’t even speak.
Meet Elsie, a young girl of undetermined age from an unassuming fishing village in the Philippines. That’s pretty much all we know about her, along with the fact that she was born blind and has the singing voice of an angel.
Seriously, we’re not exaggerating here. Just listen to her cover of Whitney Houston’s 1992 version of “I Will Always Love You” as posted by Facebook user Darrell Burnett. It takes guts to even attempt this song, and very few people can actually nail it. Elsie is one of them.
Here’s the even bigger kicker: according to Burnett, Elsie doesn’t actually speak English, and she has never even been to school. Instead, she learned how to articulate English sounds and intonation patterns by simply listening to and memorizing English songs again and again. If we didn’t know any better, her pronunciation sounds like a native speaker’s!
Enjoy these other clips of Elsie’s musical performances in the order Burnett posted them:
▼ The oft-covered “You’ll Never Walk Alone,” originally from the 1945 musical Carousel and especially popularized by British band Gerry and the Pacemakers in 1963
▼ “Girl on Fire” (2002) by Alicia Keys (another song not just anyone can attempt!)
▼ The classic “Happy Birthday” while code-mixing English and Cebuano/Bisaya, a language of the Philippines (according to the comments section)
▼ “Just Give Me a Reason” (2013) by Pink
▼ “Perfect” (2017) by Ed Sheeran
Wow. Just wow.
As the above videos of Elsie singing went viral, many people in the comments sections are clamoring to get the attention of American TV host and actor Ellen DeGeneres to invite Elsie onto her famous talk show. Ellen is known for her human-interest stories and charitable work, and could potentially propel Elsie to worldwide recognition if she so desires.
Sources: NextShark, Facebook/Darrell Burnett
Featured image: Facebook/Darrell Burnett

Little girl sings her heart out while selling rice cakes, leaves us blown away 【UPDATED】
You have to listen to this Korean girl’s amazing cover of Adelle’s “Hello”【Video】
Terminally ill father accompanies bride down the aisle in tear-jerking Philippine wedding
Blind drummer boy will blow your mind and touch your heart【Video】
Attack of the clone choir: Stunning cover of Kiki’s Delivery Service theme song 【Video】
The average age of Japan’s hikikomori shut-ins is getting older, survey shows
Studio Ghibli releases crystal glass paperweights featuring Totoro and the Catbus
Japan’s new Pokémon jackets give you the look and powers of the Kanto starter trio
Sega opening 65th anniversary store in downtotn Tokyo with deep-cut game merch
Viral tweet suggests Japanese convenience store ripping off customers with donuts, so we investigate
Studio Ghibli releases new anime keychains that are like miniature figurines
Japan enters Golden Week vacation period, survey shows one in three plan to ride it out at home
Samurai Coffee: Try Edo period coffee once enjoyed by Japanese warriors
Lipton releases… Pudding Milk Tea in Japan?!?
Retro-style Evangelion T-shirts coming to Uniqlo sister brand GU[Photos]
Brand-new Square Enix Cafe to open in Tokyo…and in Los Angeles too!
New Kyoto Converse sneakers celebrate Japan with traditional kimono fabrics for your feet
Japan’s 5.3 million beautiful Hitachi Nemophila flowers are now in full bloom[Photos]
Hello Kitty is now a transforming truck robot[Photos]
Dorayaki from 89-year-old Japanese confectionery shop is one of the best sweets hidden in Tokyo
What are the worst things about living in the Japanese countryside?[Survey]
Tifa’s Final Fantasy VII bar is going to pop up in real-world Tokyo
Japan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visa
Wisteria season starts early with blooming of Japan’s Great Wisteria in its beautiful garden
Pokémon and Ikea Japan cross over into each other’s worlds with collaboration events
Japan’s best conveyor belt sushi restaurant of seven years ago has now, finally, come to Tokyo
Brand-new Pokémon manhole covers coming to help the recovery of a disaster-stricken part of Japan
Japan’s awesomely beautiful Alpen Route snow corridor is now open
Injuries on stairs in Tokyo highlight an overlooked design flaw
Survey asks foreign tourists what bothered them in Japan, more than half gave same answer
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
No more using real katana for tourism activities, Japan’s National Police Agency says
Japanese artists in New York sing Sukiyaki together in heartwarming video
Japanese mom’s son crashes her piano recital, melts the Internet’s heart【Video】
Is Japan’s crazy silent karaoke gadget the solution for stay-home singing? 【Video experiment】
Kid’s mom says video games are pointless, kid grows up to be part of new Zelda game’s soundtrack
There’s a special, familial reason Utada Hikaru looks so natural and unguarded in her new video
Hello Kitty blames herself for guys feeling embarrassed about liking her, offers apology【Video】
Professional basketball meets Cowboy Bebop in awesome NBA playoffs/anime video【Video】
All heart, no CG in beautiful, mind-bending Pocari Sweat video【Video】
The One and Only Nose in the World – talented girl plays recorders using her nose [video]
Sheltering-in-place Japanese schoolkids form “Neo-Chorus” choir to refresh our hearts【Video】
Ash’s Japanese voice actress nails Pokémon anime theme one last time before retiring from role【Vid】
Tokyo church cancels anime singer’s concert because of her involvement with adult video games
Rock star Yoshiki donates to Meals on Wheels, asks why coronavirus cases in Japan are so low