Some songs are so closely associated with legendary performers that singing them can feel like an impossible challenge. For a young contestant stepping onto a televised talent-show stage, choosing one of those songs takes more than confidence. It takes courage, preparation, and a willingness to let the audience hear something personal.
That was the challenge facing Laura Kamhuber, a young Austrian singer who appeared on the German edition of The Voice Kids in 2013. At just 13 years old, she chose a song that generations of listeners had come to associate with one of the most powerful voices in pop music: Whitney Houston’s celebrated rendition of “I Will Always Love You.”
It was an ambitious choice. The song demands control, emotional expression, and the ability to build a performance gradually before reaching its dramatic high points. Even experienced singers can find it difficult to balance technical precision with the feeling that makes the song memorable.
Laura, however, was ready to take her chance.
What followed became one of the most widely viewed performances associated with the young singer, introducing her voice to an international audience and demonstrating how a remarkable audition can continue attracting attention long after its original broadcast.
A Young Singer With an Ambitious Dream
Before the performance reached millions of viewers online, Laura was a young contestant pursuing an opportunity that many aspiring singers dream about.
Talent competitions can be intimidating, particularly for children and teenagers. Contestants must perform under bright lights, remember their preparation, and manage the pressure of knowing that judges and viewers are evaluating every note.
A blind audition adds another challenge. In this format, coaches initially listen without seeing the performer. Their decisions are based primarily on what they hear, making the singer’s voice the central focus of the moment.
For a contestant, that can be both frightening and liberating.
There is no elaborate introduction that can substitute for a strong performance. The music begins, the singer takes a breath, and the first notes determine whether the coaches want to turn their chairs.
Laura’s decision to sing a song associated with Whitney Houston placed her in a particularly demanding position. Houston’s rendition had become famous for its expressive phrasing, powerful vocal delivery, and unforgettable climactic moments.
Rather than selecting a simpler song, Laura chose to confront the challenge directly.
Her audition would demonstrate that young performers do not always need to avoid difficult material. With the right preparation and a thoughtful approach, a demanding song can become an opportunity to show what they are capable of achieving.
Why “I Will Always Love You” Is Such a Difficult Song to Sing
To understand why Laura’s song choice attracted attention, it helps to understand the history behind the music.
“I Will Always Love You” was written and originally recorded by Dolly Parton in 1973. Parton’s version was a country ballad, while Whitney Houston’s 1992 interpretation transformed the song into a dramatic pop performance for the film The Bodyguard. Houston’s recording became internationally successful and remains one of the best-known interpretations of the song. <Cite refs={[“turn118133search4″,”turn118133search3”]}/>
The two versions demonstrate how a song can take on different qualities depending on the performer.
Parton’s original recording relies on a more restrained, intimate approach. Houston’s version builds toward a powerful vocal climax, creating a dramatic contrast between its quieter opening and its more expansive later sections.
That contrast is one reason singers continue to attempt the song—and one reason it can be difficult to perform convincingly.
A singer must manage breath carefully, move between different vocal registers, and maintain control as the intensity increases. Simply reaching the high notes is not enough. The performance also needs to communicate the emotion behind the music.
For a teenager, the challenge is even more noticeable because the audience may naturally compare the performance with Houston’s celebrated recording.
But imitation is not the only way to approach a famous song. A successful interpretation can preserve the emotional character of the original while allowing the singer’s own voice and personality to come through.
That was part of what made Laura’s audition worth watching.
The Moment the Coaches Began to Turn
When Laura began singing, the coaches had to make their decision based on her voice rather than her appearance or age.
As the audition progressed, her performance caught their attention. One by one, the coaches turned their chairs, signaling that they wanted to work with her. The official audition recording preserves the moment and allows viewers to experience the progression of the performance for themselves. <Cite refs={[“turn118133youtube22″,”turn118133search0”]}/>
For anyone watching a blind audition, a coach’s turn represents more than a visual reaction. It is a sign that the performer has communicated something compelling through the music.
The suspense comes from not knowing when that decision will happen.
A contestant may begin with a quiet opening, leaving the coaches to listen carefully. As the song develops, the singer has an opportunity to demonstrate vocal control, confidence, and the ability to sustain the audience’s attention.
When a chair finally turns, the atmosphere changes.
For the contestant, it is an immediate sign that someone in the room believes the performance has potential. For viewers, it creates a satisfying moment in which an unseen singer’s voice becomes the reason everyone wants to see who is standing on the stage.
Laura’s audition delivered that kind of television moment.
Her age made the song choice especially striking, but the central attraction was her willingness to take on a challenging piece of music and perform it in front of an experienced panel.
The reaction helped turn the audition into a memorable part of the show’s history.
More Than a Viral Moment
In the years following the audition, Laura’s performance continued circulating online.
The clip became especially popular on YouTube, where viewers could revisit the performance, share it with friends, and introduce it to people who had never watched the original television episode.
Entertainment coverage has reported that the recording accumulated hundreds of millions of views, making it one of the most widely watched performances associated with an Austrian artist on the platform. Exact view counts change over time, but the scale of its online audience illustrates the lasting reach of the audition. <Cite refs={[“turn118133search0″,”turn118133search11”]}/>
Viral attention can be unpredictable. Some performances attract widespread interest for a few days before disappearing from public conversation. Others continue finding new audiences because they offer something viewers want to experience again.
Laura’s audition benefited from several qualities that make talent-show clips particularly shareable.
First, the premise is immediately understandable: a young singer has chosen a song made famous by a legendary performer.
Second, the blind-audition format creates suspense. Viewers can watch the coaches react as the music unfolds, rather than simply being told afterward that the singer impressed them.
Finally, the performance offers an emotional contrast between the contestant’s young age and the ambition of the song she has chosen.
Those elements make the clip easy to share, whether someone is discovering it for the first time or returning to a performance they remember from years earlier.
Its popularity also illustrates how television talent shows have evolved beyond their original broadcasts. An audition can continue reaching new audiences through online recommendations, social sharing, and viewers searching for memorable musical moments.
The Courage to Sing a Legend’s Song
There is an important distinction between choosing a famous song and making it your own.
When an artist such as Whitney Houston becomes strongly associated with a particular recording, listeners often carry specific expectations. They remember the arrangement, the emotional build, and the moments that made the original performance distinctive.
A younger singer entering that musical territory must find a way to respect those expectations without becoming overwhelmed by them.
Laura’s audition is a reminder that young performers can approach ambitious material without waiting until they have reached adulthood. Talent develops through preparation, practice, feedback, and the willingness to perform in situations that feel challenging.
Not every attempt at a difficult song will produce a viral moment, and online popularity alone is not a complete measure of musical ability. Nevertheless, taking on a demanding performance can help a young singer develop confidence and discover which aspects of their voice deserve further attention.
For viewers, such auditions can also be inspiring because they show the uncertainty that exists before a performance becomes a success.
The contestant walks onto the stage without knowing exactly how the coaches will respond. The first note is a risk. Every phrase is another opportunity to demonstrate what they have practiced.
That uncertainty is part of what makes live performance exciting.
What Happened After the Audition?
Laura’s appearance on The Voice Kids was an important moment in her early musical journey, but it was not the end of her story.
She progressed beyond the initial blind-audition stage, although she did not go on to win the competition. Later coverage has reported that she continued pursuing music and released recordings of her own. <Cite refs={[“turn118133search3″,”turn118133search23”]}/>
Her experience is a useful reminder that a memorable audition and winning a competition are not the same thing.
Talent shows offer a limited number of places and opportunities. A contestant may impress the judges, gain an audience, and still leave the competition before the final round.
That outcome does not erase the value of the experience.
For some performers, the exposure leads to new opportunities. For others, it becomes one part of a longer journey involving musical education, recording, live performances, and personal development.
A viral video can open a door, but what happens afterward depends on many factors, including the artist’s goals, support system, continued practice, and willingness to keep learning.
Laura’s widely viewed audition ensured that her performance would remain available to people discovering it years later. It also gave audiences a chance to revisit the excitement of seeing a young singer take on a song that many people consider difficult to perform.
Why Auditions Like Laura’s Stay With Us
A memorable musical performance does not always require elaborate staging, special effects, or an extraordinary backstory.
Sometimes, the appeal lies in a simple contrast: a young person standing under bright lights, facing a room full of experienced judges, and attempting something that seems far beyond what most people would expect.
The audience watches because it wants to know whether the singer can meet the challenge.
The coaches listen because they are searching for qualities that might develop into something special. The performer, meanwhile, must concentrate on the music and find the confidence to continue even when the pressure becomes overwhelming.
When everything comes together, the result can become more than a television audition. It becomes a moment that viewers remember and share.
Laura Kamhuber’s performance of “I Will Always Love You” continues to attract attention because it brings together a familiar song, a demanding vocal challenge, and the excitement of a young performer discovering what she can accomplish on a major stage.
It also reminds us of the enduring influence of Whitney Houston’s music. Decades after Houston’s version introduced the ballad to a new generation, singers continue to approach the song with their own hopes, abilities, and interpretations.
The original remains iconic, but each new performance offers a different perspective on the music.
Laura’s audition is one example of how a young singer can enter that musical tradition and make a moment of her own.
And perhaps that is the most inspiring part of the story: sometimes, a performance begins with a challenge that seems almost impossible, only to become an opportunity that carries a young artist’s voice far beyond the room where it first sounded.
