Malakai Bayoh, from Kennington in south London, released his debut album Golden last month, which topped the charts this week.
Andrew Lloyd Webber and Welsh singer and presenter Aled Jones are among those who have praised the teenager. He has even received a personal message from the president of Sierra Leone, where his parents are originally from.
After winning the hearts of both viewers and judges, and reaching the final of Britain’s Got Talent 2023, Bayoh signed a record deal with Universal, the home of legendary opera singer Pavarotti.
His debut album is a collection of both classical and classic songs, including Lloyd Webber’s Pie Jesu, which he performed for his Britain’s Got Talent audition.
Malakai said that his mother first saw his vocal potential after hearing him sing around the house. He said during an appearance on Britain’s Got Talent: “I started singing at seven. My mum made me join the choir because she is very bossy.” His mother said that her son was a “sweet child”, saying: “He plays tough, but he’s very emotional.”
At aged seven, Malakai joined St George’s Cathedral choir, where his family went to church.
His operatic talents first made headlines in November 2022, when he made his solo debut at London’s prestigious Royal Opera House.
He sang the role of Oberto in the opera Alcina by Baroque composer George Frideric Handel. The Daily Telegraph called him “a star in the making”, and the production won a 2023 Olivier Award.
Despite the positive reviews by critics, the performance attracted attention after an audience member was banned for life after booing the teenager.
The company said that it was “appalled that a member of the audience behaved in this way”, and added that “steps have been taken to ensure the audience member in question does not return to the Royal Opera House”.
Bayoh now attends Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School in west London, singing with choir Schola Cantorum.
His school friends came out in support of him during his Britain’s Got Talent appearance. He told Southwark News: “They were all really happy for me and were like, ‘You’re famous now’. It’s just kind of normal. I still go to school. It’s not like a lot of change.”