Darci Lynne’s Stunning A Cappella Rendition of ‘I Dreamed a Dream’ Rivals an Icon’s Legendary Performance

By now, everyone knows about Susan Boyle’s breakout audition on Britain’s Got Talent in 2009, when she sang “I Dreamed a Dream” from Les Misérables. It’s arguably one of the most viral singing performances of all time. The audition put Boyle on the map, and as then-BGT Judge Simon Cowell said, helped “change the rulebook” of pop stardom.

Darci Lynne on stage during AGT Fantasy League Episode 104

Darci Lynne on America’s Got Talent: Fantasy League Episode 104. Photo: Trae Patton/NBC

Boyle isn’t the only Got Talent alum to try her hand at “I Dreamed a Dream.” Singing ventriloquist Darci Lynne also took a crack at the tune a few years back—totally a cappella. And she crushed it.

“Hi guys, I’m in my garage,” Lynne said in the video. “I recently watched Les Misérables online…and now it’s stuck in my head, so I’m gonna sing it for you guys. Here we go.”

Lynne stood out in her inaugural AGT season with her unbelievable ventriloquism act. Not since Terry Fator had the show featured such a skilled ventriloquist. But in the years following, Lynne has established herself as quite the talented singer—without a puppet.

Darci Lynne wants to be an all-around entertainer

Now that she’s 19 and coming into her own as an artist, Darci Lynne wants to be seen as more than just the “ventriloquist girl.”

In a 2017 interview with her local newspaper, The Oklahoman, Lynne opened up about her career aspirations.

“I don’t really want to be known as just the puppet girl or just a singing ventriloquist,” she confessed. “I want to be known as the performer, singer, ventriloquist, actress, Broadway star, all of it. I want to do it all.”

Here’s what to know about “I Dreamed a Dream”

Recorded in 1980 (and performed for the first time that same year), “I Dreamed a Dream” is sung by the character Fantine during the first act of Les Misérables.

The song has been incredibly popular over the years and has been covered by artists like Josh Groban, Neil Diamond, and Japanese sensation Tomomi Kahara. Kahara’s version achieved massive commercial success, reaching number-six on the Japanese Billboard Hot 100 in 2013. Anne Hathaway won an Oscar in 2014 for playing Fantine in the movie adaptation of Les Misérables; her take on “I Dreamed a Dream” is widely beloved and respected.