A local singer-songwriter has done the unthinkable: she’s made Simon Cowell show genuine emotion.

20-year-old Jillian Jensen of Rochester, Mass. auditioned on The X-Factor, which aired her performance Wednesday night, and her powerful rendition of Jessie J’s “Who You Are” practically brought Cowell to tears.

The performance itself was not the entire story; Jensen tells her story of being bullied in middle school and high school. You can feel her emotion in the performance and her raspy singing voice, which judge Britney Spears called “incredibly beautiful.”

Simon felt her performance as well, needing about ten seconds to compose himself before saying “That was incredible.” He admits at the end of the video that he did indeed get choked up, and it was the first time in his life that happened to him on a show.

Demi Lovato felt the performance perhaps the most of anyone, as she broke down in tears and even joined Jensen on stage for a hug.

What an incredible story! All of Jillian’s bullies look really bad now, trying to crush her dreams only to see her on TV getting high praise from some of the biggest names in music. Mark this as an epic victory for her and anyone with dreams should look to her as inspiration.

See also: ‘The X Factor’ Season Premiere Recap: Emotions Run Deep