Peyton Littleton, a high school student, accidentally became a viral sensation by performing Ed Sheeran’s “Perfect” at his school’s talent show. His emotional performance garnered over 8 million views and thousands of comments praising his confidence.

At his high school talent show, Peyton Littleton stunned his peers with a confident performance of Ed Sheeran’s “Perfect” in front of a full gymnasium. Despite the nerves that come with such a bold act at a young age, Peyton delivered his cover with pride and professionalism, earning overwhelming support from his fellow students.

Choosing “Perfect” in 2018 was no small feat—it’s a challenging song to perform, especially while playing guitar. Peyton’s dedication and skill shone through, helping him secure first place. Watch his impressive performance in the video below:

Before his performance, it was clear that Peyton was a liked student in high school. Several cheers and ‘whoops can be heard as he adjusts his guitar and microphone before eventually speaking and addressing the crowd. One student even shouted “Peyton, I love you!”, which caused a couple of friendly laughs. When he began to play, the crowd mostly paid full attention, and several students could be seen swaying to and fro to the tune of “Perfect” and its gentle, caring rhythm.

“Perfect” is one of Ed Sheeran’s most successful songs from his third studio album, Divide, which was released in 2017. While it still featured many acoustic love songs that Sheeran became well-known for internationally, the album also saw the British superstar branching out into more contemporary genres, and into mainstream pop with hints of rap here and there. “Shape of You” is another hit from the album, which became an overnight success that is incredibly popular in clubs to this day.

Around halfway through the performance, towards the chorus of “Perfect”, students can be seen turning on their phone flashlights and swaying them back and forward in support of Peyton’s performance of this touching ballad. He is also playing very well, especially considering the nerves and overall difficulty of playing in front of all of his peers and teachers in his high school. It takes a lot of confidence to pull off something like that, and this young man certainly did it.

Not only did Peyton win his high school talent competition, but he also became a viral hit. This cover of “Perfect” amassed over 8 million views on YouTube, with comments coming from all over the world in support of Peyton’s bravery and abilities. Despite his success at the talent show, it is uncertain if Peyton pursued a career in music (other than a band-like cover photo on his YouTube channel), but we wish him all the best in his future endeavors.