America’s Got Talent LIVE Semifinals begin tonight. Eleven contestants will perform in front of judges Howie Mandel, Mel B., Heidi Klum and Simon Cowell for YOUR votes. Check out the full list of contestants HERE. Tyra Banks hosts. Join us as we live blog all the performances.
The winning act will receive 1 million dollars and will headline their very own show in Las Vegas. Only FIVE acts will advance by the end of tomorrow’s results show.
VOTE for your favorite act via NBC. com, XFinity X1 Voice command, or the AGT Phone app! HERE All the voting methods and numbers for each contestant .
Amanda Mena – Teen singer – In Spanish, Amanda’s mom shares how heartbreaking it was to watch her being bullied by her schoolmates, but she thinks it made her stronger. This week, Amanda dresses her age while singing Pharrell’s “Happy.” The arrangement allows the young singer to riff and hit high notes. It’s nice seeing her go young. But is it a strategy that will earn her votes? The older crowd loves the classics. Mel B gushes over her Golden Buzzer pick. Heidi thinks she’s “sophisticated” for her age. Calls it her best performance yet. Simon notes her confidence and likable personality. Howie says that no matter what happens, she should be proud. Amanda says a few encouraging words for fellow school kids who might be bullied.
Junior New System – Dance Group – This is the male dance troupe that performs while sporting sparkly high heels. Last time they performed, Howie suggested they dance in heels for the full routine. They were almost cut at the semis, so they plan to change it up this time with…stunts! They take the stage in fabulous red heels and shorts. And there’s lots of tumbling! They toss their heels halfway through the routine. Howie is not going to like that. What I like about this act is the way these dudes meld the masculine with the feminine. But maye they should have kept the heels on longer? Mel B loves them. “This has to be your best performance ever!” Simon adds, “That’s what we call a semifinal performance.” Heidi calls the performance, “explosive.” Oh. Howie thinks they listened to him. “Start with the heels,” he said. I thought he said the non-heels portion of the performance was boring?
Us the Duo – Married singing duo – Good lawd. In their video package, they recite gushy poetry to each other. With one of their sugar-sweet songs as background, we see the story of their relationship. I’m way too cyncial for this! The song they perform is about being broke-ass but still in loooove. I mean. Sonny and Cher did this 50 years ago. And not as corny. Or literal. “I’m Still Broke,” appears to be the name of the song. SO MUCH WHIMSEY. Whimsey overload. Simon call them nice and sweet. He compares the song to an “egg commercial.” He calls it “background noise.” BURN. Heidi agrees. Ohh. They throwing them under the bus. Howie is wondering if a song about paying bills rises to the occastion. Mel B appreciates their unique sound. “I hope America votes for you,” Mel says. Howie snarks “Right now Mel has the most bills to pay.” Eep!
Voices of Hope – Children’s choir – The director has no children, so the kids in the choir are sort of a substitute. They sing “Defying Gravity” from the Broadway musical Wicked. The solo singers seem a little nervous tonight. Oh. The third solo is a belter! Honestly, it’s like being back in high school! I was a choir kid myself. No diss. But is this a Las Vegas worthy act. UH NOPE. Simon and his choir obsession. I do not get it. LOL. Simon is the only judge on his feet. Howie admires their aspirational vibe. “I thought it was wicked,” says Heidi. Har. “You’re like my happy place.” Mel B felt the timing in the beginning was off. Simon boos her. “None of this matters! This is exactly the kind of act I like to see doing well,” says Simon. After dubbing them his favorite act of the night, he begs America to vote them. He cray.
Shin Lim – Sleight of hand magician – A few years ago, Shin sliced up his thumb practicing an intricate trick. The docs told him he may never be able to handle cards again. He worked very hard in rehab and recovered! Lucky for us. Mel and Heidi are helping tonight. Serious question: Has there ever been a magician so good at eye-f*cking the camera? I don’t think so. And it’s another mesmerizing performance from Shin. He bettah make it through to the finals. He’s my favorite right now. Sidenote: Tyra’s very vocal freakouts are cracking me up. “That wasn’t a trick,” says Simon. “It was actually incredible.” He also feels he was even better this time. “You need to be in the finals,” says Howie. “How does he do that with his hair.” Heh. “You had me at the word go,” says Mel B. “I loved it.” Heidi enjoyed watching it up close. She thinks he’ll eventually be a household name.
Makayla Phillips – Teen singer – This 15 year old singer was last week’s Dunkin Save. She’s performing Jessie J’s “Who You Are.” The song is a litte bit too big for her, as some of the high notes are beyond her reach. But she’s got the look and sound to be a pop singer. She’s a little bland compared to some of the other acts, though. And no tragic backstory! She’s got a tough road. She’s Heidi’s golden buzzer. She begs America to vote for her. “You got guts,” says Simon. He thought the song was overproduced, but still her best performance yet. Howie thought she did an amazing job, but didn’t “blow the roof off.” He says, “You’ve got to take it up 9 levels.” Mel B. disagrees. “She just killed it,” she says. I’m on Team Howie.
Front Pictures – Projection (Wildcard) – One of the members shares how outer space influenced his art. He wants America to feel the same sense of wonder he did as a child, looking up into the sky! They were chosen to return after ALMOST beating Mikalaya for the Dunkin’ Save. And it’s a space theme this time, with the dude floating around in the night sky alongside turtles and dolphins? Hm. Simon buzzed them! Unfortunately, I agree. This is really boring. No wow moments or creativity. Their prior performances were so much better than this. As far as the judges are concerned, there seems to be confusion all around. Simon hated the music, thought animals in space was weird. However, Mel B calls it “breathtaking, clever and interesting.” Heidi also liked it. I’m Team Simon! “There are no fish in space,” observes Howie. Indeed.
Duo Transcend – Married acrobatic duo – The guy has a disease that’s diminishing his eyesight. During the judge cuts, he dropped his wife, but then redeemed himself during the Quarterfinals. The duo promise to do something completely different this time. After a bunch of crazy acrobatic stunts on the trapeze, he PURPOSELY drops her into a fire pit! And then dives in after her. They don rollerskates to do more stunts on the floor (remember that roller skating couple from a year or two ago? There’s no hair involved this time.) Still, the stunts were pretty crazy. They definitely stepped up the drama and the danger. “How many ways are you trying to find to kill your wife,” says Simon. (Simon uses the Lord’s name in vain. Oops.) “You deliver everything you need to deliver,” says Howie. Mel B calls it “flawless” and “nail biting.” Heidi calls them “insane.”
Samuel J. Comroe – Comedian with Tourettes – Another mildy amusing routine from Samuel. Howie thinks he delivered a performance that will take him to the finals. “This is my favorite performance of the night,” says Mel. Heidi is underwhelmed, but thinks he’s a nice guy. Simon says it was hard to folllow the acrobats, but nevertheless nailed it. “I think we’re going to see you in the finals,” he says. Tara asks him about his “accent.” He’s from California, yet talks like a southern. He says he has no idea where it comes from. “Maybe I was born with swag,” he says. Or maybe it’s Forign Accent Syndrome (Yes. It’s a thing!)
Michael Ketterer – Singer – Michael is Simon’s Golden Buzzer. The bluesy singer is an impossibly good person. He’s a nurse that specializes in pediactric mental health. He and his wife have adopted a bunch of kids with special needs. He wants to save the world. This time he performs “When I Look at You” by Miley Cyrus. He’s not a skilled vocalist, but he knows how to deliver raw emotion. That, combined with his Saint Michael backstory, will likely ensure him a spot in the final. “You’re an extraordinary human being,” says Simon. He asks the country superstar, Garth Brooks, on air, to write Michael a song for the finale. Hm. I’m sure this is s done deal. Garth will send along a tune he never released. I’m sure there’s plenty. Mel B calls him “real and honest.” Heidi feels he’s improved week to week. “You deserve every hope, every dream you have,” says Howie. He dedicated the song to his wife. “We’re a team,” he says.
Zurcaroh – Acrobatic dance group – Tara’s Golden Buzzer. The group’s director insists the members are not professionals. He gets all teary talking about it. This week, the routine has an Egyptian theme, against New Agey sounding music. I’m expecting pyramids galore! They do not disappoint. Mel is STUNNED! “Brilliant,” she says. Heidi calls the routine an “epic, grand spectacle.” Simon wants to rename the director “The Greatest Showman.” Simon says he never dreamed the show would find talent like Zurcaroh. Howie calls it the “best act of the night. A showstopper” OK. They’re good. But don’t oversell it, guys.
