Sophia Bromberg Hits Back at Bullies Who Criticized Her Whistle Notes on ‘The Voice’
Tyler Golden/NBC Reading Time: 3 minutes
Sophia Bromberg performed “Heather” during The Voice Season 21 Blind Auditions. Toward the end of the song, Sophia hit whistle notes, a vocal style that Ariana Grande is an expert at. Both Grande and Kelly Clarkson had turned their chairs. While it should have been a big moment for the 16-year-old, she was faced with severe trolling online.
‘The Voice’ Contestant Sophia Bromberg Addresses Online Hate
One TikTok account posted a clip of Sophia’s whistle notes on the platform. Within days, the video accumulated over 18.6 million views. This was well beyond the 7.4 million viewers who tuned in for the episode. The video features a text box that says, “Ariana regrets turning around.” The caption says that the notes sounded like a “deflating balloon.” The comments section is full of harsh words from people who feel like Sophia should not have attempted whistle notes in front of Grande.
Other TikTok users began posting the same clip of Sophia’s audition. This time, they zoomed in on Clarkson’s face during the whistle notes. It became an internet rumor that Clarkson and Grande wished they could have turned their seats back around. Sophia’s audition is one of the most popular of The Voice Season 21 contestants on YouTube. She has over 1.3 million views. She also faced ridicule on YouTube from people saying they could see “disappointment on the coaches’ faces.”
Sophia broke her silence on Instagram after the bullying went too far. She posted a video where she thanked those sharing words of encouragement. But, she did mention that people online were also making fun of the fact that she had an eating disorder. Battling an eating disorder was part of the story that Sophia shared before taking The Voice stage.
“I’m well aware that in this space of a music competition there will be people with positive opinions and negative ones and that is this business and candidly, also life in general,” Sophia said. “And I’ll even admit that was definitely not my best performance but that’s besides the point. What I want to emphasize is that I will no longer accept a world where social media has normalized an individual’s ability to disrespect another person and not be called out for it, specifically when those comments can cause irreparable damage to one’s psyche.”
Sophia Proves Everyone Wrong in New TikTok Video
To further prove that she is rising above the hate, Sophia posted a TikTok video singing “Heather.” This time, she showed everyone that she can do whistle notes just as well as Grande does them. It’s obvious she was just nervous in her Blind Audition. Anybody would be nervous performing in front of a superstar coaching panel that has a combined 17 Grammy Awards among them.
Sophia’s fellow Season 21 contestants have been very supportive on social media. Wendy Moten, Parker McKay, Manny Keith, and Chavon Rodgers all posted comments on Instagram praising Sophia for handling the situation so maturely. It’s not easy to share your life and perform on national television.
Choosing to be on Grande’s team was the best choice for Sophia. Grande has been a great coach so far during the Battle Rounds and is trying her best to find ways to elevate each of her team members’ performances. It is rumored that Sophia will be going up against Jim and Sasha Allen in the Battle Rounds. This is really her chance to show everyone that she is a vocal powerhouse and to shut down the haters even more.
Sophia is fantastic!