Video premiere: ‘X Factor’ alum Drew Ryn takes her passion, makes it happen with new ‘Flashdance’ cover

Six years ago on the first season of The X Factor USA, a talented 14-year-old then known as Drew Ryniewicz wowed with her ethereal interpretation of Irena Cara’s iconic movie theme, “Flashdance… What a Feeling.” Now a grown-up, Nashville-based artist with two indie EPs to her credit and going by the simpler stage name Drew Ryn, the stunning singer is bringing her career full circle, by premiering a new video for the cover song that first thrust her into the national spotlight.

“’What a Feeling’ is a truly special song to me. I released an official studio version in June after receiving thousands of requests from fans who saw my debut performance of the single on The X Factor,” Ryn tells Yahoo Music’s Reality Rocks. “Releasing this music video is the next exciting step. The song is delicate and emotional, and I wanted this video to be simple, leaving the focus on that delicacy and simplicity the production captures.”

Ryn’s version eschews the over-the-top bombast of the original ‘80s anthem, transforming the Oscar-winning, Giorgio Moroder-penned megahit into a sweet, stark piano weeper, not unlike something you might hear on a Lorde or Imogen Heap album. And speaking of albums, Ryn is currently taking her passion and making it happen, working on her full-length debut to be released later this year.

Watch Drew Ryn’s original X Factor performance of “What a Feeling” to see how far she has come since she sang for Simon Cowell in 2011.