Emotional song “Please Don’t Go” by AGT singer Stephanie Rainey

Stephanie Rainey’s poignantly beautiful song about loss touched the America’s Got Talent audience and had judges Sofia Vergara Wipe away tears.

“Stephanie, it was such a beautiful, soulful song,” Vergara told her. “You can tell what you were going through. It was very simple and perfect.”

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The song captivated the audience and earned Rainey the votes she needed to advance in the talent competition after Judge Simon Cowell said it was “by far” the best new song he had heard all year.

What you should know about Stephanie Rainey’s “Please Don’t Go”

The Irish singer created a powerful “moment” on stage by performing a song with deeply personal roots.

As she told the jury, her original song, titled “Please Don’t Go,” was written in honor of her nephew, who died just one day before his first birthday when she was a teenager.

“It took me a long time to write a song about it,” she admitted. “Honestly, I was about to give up on music, so I wanted to create something for myself that I believed in. So this song means more to me than I can really describe.”

The 36-year-old admitted that her career as a singer has been “kind of a rollercoaster ride.” One of the biggest highlights came after she wrote the song years ago and decided to make a video for the heartbreaking ballad.

“I think it’s about my experiences with grief and what it’s like,” she told the entertainment blog Greeble House. “I asked my friends and family who I knew had lost different people to be in the music video. We interviewed everyone and asked them to answer certain questions, like what they would say to their loved ones or what it was like when they lost them – all that kind of stuff. We ended up making this incredible video. And the day I released it, it just went viral. It had a million views the first day.”

With lines like “I will hold your hand until it gets cold/I will hold back my tears until you go/With all the life leaving your bones/It sucks the sense out of my own“The ballad touches the heart and allows the listener to delve deep into Rainey’s pure grief.

“So lay on my chest/For I know how to hold you best/I will take you through these final breaths/And kiss you and love you to the end”, the song continues. “Ohhh, ohh, oh/Please don’t go.”

After the viral success of the video, Rainey signed a record deal.

“Yeah, it was really, really crazy,” she told the blog in 2021. “I think anyone who’s ever had a viral video will tell you it’s the most bizarre thing that could ever happen. I mean, I had writers calling me and asking if they could share the video. I was like, ‘I don’t know… maybe?'”

But it wasn’t the ticket to success in the industry that she had hoped for.

“I don’t think I fully knew who I was when I signed the contract,” Rainey told the judges. “The road from then to now has been tough. It’s a tough industry, you know? You have to be resilient, and I think when things go downhill, you have to be ready to get back up, and here I am.”

Rainey decided to take another chance by recording the song AGT.

What did the judges say about “Please Don’t Go”?

The step paid off and the jury was overwhelmed by the heartbreaking and honest lyrics.

“Very few acts move people and this was one of the most relatable, emotional moments we had in season 19, so thank you,” said juror Howie Mandel praised her.

Judge Heidi Klum added that she found Rainey’s voice “amazing” on the AGT Stage.

“It was just a really special moment,” she said. “Well done.”

But it was Cowell who really liked the song.

“Of all the new songs I’ve heard this year, this is by far the best,” he told her. “Even though it’s about something really sad, it’s real and your voice is beautiful. A lot of people are going to resonate with this song and with you. I absolutely loved it.”

After Rainey effortlessly received the four yes votes necessary to advance them in competitionCowell came on stage to say some final words of farewell to her.

“That was what I call a moment,” he said. “The song is so beautiful. Thank you for coming by.”

To find out how Rainey will perform in the competition, regard America’s Got Talent Available Tuesdays at 8/7c on NBC or streaming the next day on Peacock.