The singer who finished third in season eight of the U.K.'s The X Factor, Amelia Lily was born in Nunthorpe, Middlesbrough, England and started her musical career while still a high-school student by posting videos of herself singing on YouTube. Boasting a strong voice reminiscent of Christina Aguilera, she auditioned for The X Factor in 2011 when she was 16, performing Erma Franklin's "Piece of My Heart" for the show's judges, Gary Barlow, Tulisa Contostavlos, and Kelly Rowland, who became Lily's.