This past week on The X-Factor, the youngest contestant left in the competition, Carly Rose Sonenclar, 13, jumped to number one on the voting leader board. Hailing from Westchester, New York, Sonenclar refers to herself as soft spoken, but evidently she has a huge impact on those who hear her sing.

Demi Lovato has referred to her as an “alien,” Britney Spears has called her “possessed,” and even the ever-criticizing Simon Cowell says she is a huge force to be reckoned with. Could this 8th grade girl be the next big thing? It looks like America is saying yes. Sonenclar surpassed all nine of the other competitors in the number of received votes, and her most recent performance on YouTube, which merited a standing ovation from the judges, has over 3 million views.

Whether she wins The X-Factor or not, I think this girl might be going places. Don’t believe it? Watch her yourself. On Tuesday night she sang Somewhere Over The Rainbow, and Simon said it was one of the best versions of the song that he’s ever heard. Watch the performance that awarded Sonenclar her #1 position.

And tell me, what do you think? Is Carly Rose Sonenclar the next big thing?