When Owen Stuart stepped in front of the judges on The X Factor USA, music wasn’t the only thing on his mind.
He was only 16 years old, and he had recently moved away from New York, leaving behind someone he clearly cared about deeply — his girlfriend, Tori.
Before Owen even sang, the judges learned just how important the relationship was to him.
He talked about missing her, wanting to be closer to her again, and even said that if his X Factor dream worked out, being reunited with her would mean everything.
Simon Cowell’s reaction showed that he wasn’t completely convinced by all the teenage romance.
But Owen still had an audition to deliver.
Then He Dedicated the Song to Her
Owen chose “Airplanes” by B.o.B. featuring Hayley Williams.
Before starting, he made it clear that the performance was for Tori.
At first, Owen sang the familiar melodic section of the song.
Then the audition changed.
Instead of simply copying the original track, he moved into rap lyrics of his own, giving the performance a more personal feel.
That decision caught the judges’ attention.
L.A. Reid, who had extensive experience working with major recording artists, specifically recognized that Owen was managing both singing and rapping during the same performance.
Simon Started Taking Him More Seriously
Simon had looked amused — and at times skeptical — while Owen talked about his girlfriend.
But the performance changed the conversation.
Afterward, Simon told Owen that he liked him and saw potential in the young performer.
Demi Lovato was also impressed by the romantic nature of the performance and joked that plenty of girls in the audience probably wished they were Tori.
L.A. Reid responded positively too.
Britney Spears was the only judge who remained unconvinced. She acknowledged the performance but said Owen hadn’t completely wowed her.
Three Yes Votes Were Enough
When the judges voted, Owen got the result he needed.
L.A. Reid — yes. Demi Lovato — yes. Simon Cowell — yes. Britney Spears — no.
Three yes votes meant Owen was moving forward to Boot Camp.
And the first person he wanted to tell was, naturally, his girlfriend.
The teenager quickly called Tori to share the news that he had made it through.
For Owen, the audition had been about more than simply earning approval from four famous judges.
He had connected his dream of making music with the person waiting for him back home.
His X Factor Journey Continued
Owen survived beyond the initial audition stages.
Later in the competition, he became part of a newly created boy band called Playback, alongside Austin Corini, Brandon Hassan, Johnny Maxwell and Josh Metzler.
Playback was selected among the groups that advanced to the Judges’ Houses stage under Simon Cowell’s mentorship.
So the lovestruck 16-year-old who had walked onto the stage talking about his girlfriend actually went considerably further than a single audition.
A Teenage Love Story Became an Audition
Looking back, Owen’s performance stands out because his personality and personal life were so closely connected to the music.
He wasn’t pretending the song meant nothing to him.
He was missing someone.
He turned that emotion into his own rap.
And even though not every judge was convinced, three of them saw enough potential to give him another chance.
🎥 Watch Owen Stuart’s full audition below and see how this 16-year-old turned “Airplanes” into a performance dedicated to the girlfriend waiting for him back home.
