America’s Got Talent 2015 Rankings Week 1

First off, have we heard how many acts are moving on after this week? I’ve been trying to figure it out, but the math just isn’t adding up for me. Anyway, I know you are all here to see my rankings, so without further ado, check them out.

12- The Gentlemen– As I said in my live recap, I predicted that should these guys advance (undeservingly I might add) it would be simply so they could be fodder in the next round. That said, I still stand by that statement. I will be floored if these guys advance.

11- Craig and Micheline– Who!? Have we even seen these guys at all this season? I get that if some contestants decide to withdraw from the competition they need to be replaced, but why pull people we don’t know and let them (unfairly) get to skip a round and go straight to the live shows!? If anyone should get that second chance because someone dropped out, it should be someone who was at least shown in that middle round. Despite everything, the fact that no one will know who these guys are when they perform should spell out how they will do with votes. Such a shame.

10- Showproject– See number 11.

9- Vita Radionova– Vita definitely has a talent, but if I had to guess, contortion is a talent that a lot of people will find difficult to watch and so will be turned off by it. As much as I find her talent fascinating, I just don’t see how she will get enough votes at the level like Piff and sob-story Drew will get that she needs to advance. Sorry Vita, I still think you are talented!

8- Alondra Santos– Alondra along with Showproject and C&M are our wildcards this week, but unlike the other two, she got substantial screen time, so the American public will recognize and remember her when she performs. Alondra has a great voice, but this week also performing is Samantha Johnson, and to be honest, even though I personally prefer Alondra, I think Samantha will trump and overshadow her. I have to admit, the thing that Samantha has is a bit more control and is more well rounded and experienced as a performer. Poor Alondra, I think is going to slip through the cracks again.

7- Paul Zerdin– I just don’t get this guy’s hype, but apparently I am in the minority, because people are loving Paul and his puppets! As scary as it is to admit, I actually prefer Ira over this guy. However, despite my personal dislike of this guys act, I just can’t discount his popularity and following, hence his ranking. I wouldn’t mind losing him this week, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he pulled out a surprise victory and advanced.

6- Triple Threat– I like these guys! I think they have great voices and harmonies, and if they pull off a strong performance I think they will have an excellent shot of advancing. While personally I think belter Samantha Johnson and WGWG Benton Blount are the singers with the best shot of advancing, I wouldn’t undermine Triple Threat’s potential. They might just squeak on by this round, but if they do I expect them to be fodder for the next round.

5- Samantha Johnson– Samantha can belt and she is a seasoned performer. Give her the right song and let her nail those high notes and I think she will stand a great shot of moving on.

4- Benton Blount– I ranked Benton over Samantha simply for the reason that he is a WGWG, and as Idol has shown, that genre always comes out on top. While I don’t think Benton will end up winning AGT this season, I think he has an excellent shot of moving on, that is, as long as he picks the right song.

3- Drew Lynch– People all over America are loving Drew, and with his audition video getting over 5 million views, he has amassed himself an impressive dedicated fanbase. While I personally am not getting his appeal- I think his sob story is really the thing that is carrying him right now- I would be FLOORED if he doesn’t advance. I really don’t want to be mean to the guy, so I’ll just say that people love this kid and they will vote their fingers off for him no matter what, so I don’t see any scenario where we say goodbye to him. Impress me on Tuesday, Drew. Please give me a reason to root for you.

2- Siro-A– On a week with very few dance acts, with the edit these guys have been getting, I think they can pull off some incredible performances. I rank them at number 2, but I still think they have potential to give the best performance of the night. These guys are just flat out talented.

1- Piff The Magic Dragon– Of course Piff gets the number one spot. If he can deliver as well at the level that we have come to expect from him, I don’t see a scenario where he isn’t in the finale. All aboard the Piff The Magic Dragon train! Next stop? Radio City Music Hall!

So those are my rankings, what are yours? Let me know in the comments section below! Also, if you liked what you read and want to show your appreciation, you can follow me on Twitter at @adamhsamuel.