Nearly two decades after Kelly Clarkson’s first song for approval by Simon Cowell, the American idol winner found himself in his seat, replacing the injured judge temporarily America’s Got Talent.
Tuesday’s episode of AGT marked the first live episode of Season 15, giving 11 quarterfinalists the chance to score America’s votes. But first a few toilets…
“As some of you know, Simon had an accident over the weekend, and he may not be there tonight,” host Terry Crews announced above the two-hour broadcast. ‘We send a lot AGT love and our best wishes, and we hope to see you again. ”
The spotlight then shifted to Clarkson, who admitted, ‘I have been waiting years for this. I love Simon, but I’m getting used to this chair, friend. Take the time. I could use another job. “When she was all scared, she added, ‘I hope he feels better. I love him, and I did not bother to step in for him. ”
Read on for a breakdown of the 11 acts performed on Tuesday, then venture in with the five you hope to make it to the semi-finals:
PARK CHOP REVUE | After rolling out the red carpet for themselves, these so-called ‘diva’ barges jumped through an obstacle course to the tune of Gretchen Wilson’s ‘Here for the Party’. I want to get the impression of these fierce porkers, but I’m too busy to worry that they’ve already been subjected to the temptations of Hollywood. I also appreciated Howie Mandel’s shameful assessment: “I like it … because they are barges.” (Immen will get angry texts from Miss Piggy tomorrow.) Click here to view.
FENG E | Have you ever wondered what it would be like to fall and look like salt School of Rock? Well, wonder no more! This sickly talented kid served us a face-melting classic rock medley all the way from Taiwan. I did not think the world needed to find “the Jimi Hendrix of the ukulele”, but I’m so glad we did. Seriously, let’s revisit this:
SHAQUIRA MCGRATH | This week’s first focal performance gave Clarkson the opportunity to flex her judgmental muscles, and I appreciated her most positive assessment of McGrath’s take on Rascal Flatts’ “What Hurts the Most.” Then again, this is not Clarkson’s first time at the judging rodeo, given her multiple seasons on The Voice. And let’s not forget ABC’s short-lived game series Duets. Let’s never forget. Click here to view.
SIMON AND MARIA | These little dancers gave us another high-energy performance, this time cutting a carpet at the ‘Mel’s Diner’ at the Universal Studios lot. It was beautiful. You know, in the way that Old Navy ads are fun, we also think these beekeepers really cared that they had to see where Home only 2 was filmed? Were her parents even born when that conversation was first released in the cineplex? Click here to view.
FRENCHIE BABYY | I hope Frenchie’s parents saw his outstanding performance last night and they felt like absolute poop emojis for not supporting his apparent talent. Hearing that he and his sisters have been strangers since 2010 broke my heart in quarantine. I hope Frenchie’s Mandel prediction comes to the next round. Click here to view.
BELLO & ANNALIES NOCK | Clarkson was apparently not the only person to complete an injury this week. After injuring himself at the rehearsal, Bello was forced to take a knee, causing daughter Annaliese to perform a series of death-defying stunts – including running blindfolded on a burning machine several stories above the ground – with her brother as her counterweight. They took it off, of course, but the judges could barely see without crawling out of their chairs. Why do people put themselves through this ?! Click here to view.
ROBERTA BATTAGLIA | With her viral performance of “Shallow” still fresh on the judges’ heads, expectations were high for Sofia Vergara’s Golden Buzzer selection. And the 10-year-old vocalist did not disappoint, delivering a concise release of ‘You Say’ by Lauren Daigle. Clarkson summed it up in her first three words: “You. Binne. Incredible. Watch:
MICHAEL YO | After recently welcoming two cousins into the world, I greatly appreciated Yo’s concern about the futility of men in the delivery room. That said, he completely lost me when he turned away after a discussion about whether he would die for his son or his wife. It was… a lot. Especially when you factor in Yo’s near-death experience with the coronavirus, a story that had me snoring before he even took the stage. Click here to view.
DOUBLE DRAGON | “Be ready for the fugue,” they warned us. But let’s be real, nothing could have prepared us for this take on these singing sisters on “Bang Bang.” The choreography. The focal points. The dramatic pivot to “Taki Taki.” In a word, it was everything. I’ve been obsessed with Double Dragon since they made men rain at their first audition, and this sequel – complete with sparkly cowgirl costumes! – she kept trusting me.
BRETT LOUDERMILK | The primo-sword of this season came back, this time Vergara asked him to shoot with a crossbow. “Is this what I’m pushing?” she asked at one point, to which he replied, “Yes, the trigger.” If you were not already nervous, you might have been distracted by the apparent early fire of the weapon. “Is he dead?” Vergara asked. Fortunately, the answer was no.
ARCHIE WILLIAMS | After already winning the award for the saddest backstory of the season – he broke through decades in prison for a crime he did not commit – Williams returned to the AGT stage on Tuesday to continue fighting for his next victory. You could hear a pin drop as Williams treated the judges against a powerful private performance of Stevie Wonder’s “Love’s in Need of Love Today.” Absolute bone-chilling. Not a dry eye in the house.
Which of these actions will you have rooted for if the results are revealed tomorrow? And how do you think Clarkson acted on her first night as a judge? Grade their big debut below, then drop a comment with more of your thoughts.
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