Danyl Johnson is the newest contestant on X-Factor to take the world by storm. The new favorite to win not only wowed viewers and audience members but actually garnered one of the most memorable comments from the usually-pessimistic Simon Cowell.

“I have been doing this for what, how many years? 8 or 9 years...okay, Danyl, that was singlehandedly the best first audition I have ever heard,” Cowell told the 27-year-old teacher from Reading, England after his powerhouse performance of The Beatles With a Little Help from My Friends.

But this wasn’t the first time Danyl has tried his hand at making it big. He auditioned in 2006, but was rejected before he had a true chance to show off his talent.

Many are comparing Danyl to last year’s Britain’s Got Talent finalist Susan Boyle but I couldn’t disagree more. Susan Boyle was an unlikely talent appealing to an older crowd while Danyl is a young, hip, energetic talent who knows how to get the crowd moving and inspire viewers. I’d compare him to Leona Lewis (who shot to fame after winning the talent competition in 2006).

Watch the video of Danyl here and let us know if you think he has what it takes to win this year.