music

A lot of people can sing, but not many people can make a room stand still with their voice. Sometimes a person opens their mouth and magic comes out, mesmerizing everyone within earshot. It's hard to pinpoint exactly what qualities make a voice transcend the average and transfix an audience, but we know it when we hear it.

Enter Shawn Louisiana. A video of him singing in a barbershop went viral in 2021, and it's definitely worth a watch. Louisiana wrote on YouTube, "The older guy didn't think I could pull off a Sam Cooke song," but when he started singing "A Change is Gonna Come," he definitely proved that he could. Really well. Like, whoa.

Watch:

- YouTube youtu.be

People in the comments gushed over his voice:

"From laughter to silence to praise... That boy was killing them notes... salute."

"This young man has real talent. He has the intensity .. not just the notes. If you can sit on a stool in a barber shop and let this fly, be assured you’re taking the rest of us with you. Great respect."

"AMAZING! I love how the ENTIRE room got quiet during his performance. You could tell every single person there was thoroughly enjoying/feeling the music. I love Sam Cooke and all the wonderful people in this world who appreciate great music."

"It was like Sam tapped him on the shoulder and said, 'brother sing my song and make me proud.'"

Cooke, aka the "King of Soul," was known for his warm, smooth, velvety vocals that came completely effortlessly, whether he was singing pop, soul or gospel pieces. And he was able to deliver this heavenly sound live, with zero help from tech, night after night. It's a feat we don't often get to witness anymore. But, as Louisiana proves, this talent still very much exists.

As one viewer put it, "it was like Sam tapped him on the shoulder and said, 'brother sing my song and make me proud.'"

By the way, Louisiana is no one-hit wonder. He frequently shares videos of himself just singing casually for the camera. Just listen to this "Stand By Me" cover. Like butter. Sing us to sleep, sir.

- YouTube youtu.be

Since achieving viral fame, Louisiana got to perform on the farewell episode of the Ellen DeGeneres show, singing "Tennessee Whiskey" like he was born to do it:

- YouTube youtu.be

The clamoring for Louisiana to get a recording deal that followed his viral fame was heard and answered. In the summer of 2025, Louisiana released a single titled "Greener Grass," which can be found on Spotify along with two other songs.

He is still gracing the internet with his vocal chops for free, which is a gift, frankly. People often make requests, and Louisiana sometimes obliges. For instance, here he is singing Al Green's "For the Good Times" on his TikTok channel:

For more from Shawn Louisiana, follow him on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube.

This article originally appeared four years ago.