It’s time for the finale of America’s Got Talent 2019! Overall, this season has been a bit of a letdown for me compared to the past two years, but I must admit that I am pretty happy with the remaining acts. Nobody has made it this far who lacks talent, it’s all about personal preference at this point.
Which act is going to win a million dollars, paid out over 30-40 years, and participate in a show in Vegas for at least 3 nights with two or three other acts from this season supporting them? (I know that’s not as catchy as saying someone is “the winner of the million dollars and the star of the headline show in Las Vegas, but I’m going for honesty.)
America’s Got Talent 2019 Top 10 Revealed, Watch Performance Videos
I’ve gotten about 50% of my predictions right these past two weeks, so odds are I’ll be totally wrong again. Keeping in mind that this is what I expect to happen, not necessarily what I want to happen, here we go. In reverse order:
10) Ndlovu Youth Choir – Two choirs made it to the finale of AGT 2019, making history together. No choir has ever made it this far before. I predict that it will be to their detriment that both of them made it. Choirs are hard for audiences to connect to on these shows, and two competing choirs will probably split the vote. I think that Ndlovu is the better choir of the two, but they also needed the judges save last time. So I would be shocked if they made the top 5.
9) Emanne Beasha – I wrote last week that we have a teen opera singer almost every year. But on my podcast, Adam shocked me when he told me that there had only been 5 of them he found. As far as I know, other than Jackie Evancho, none of them made the finale. EDIT: As a commenter pointed out to me, other opera singers have made the finale before, specifically Laura Bretan in season 11. Emanne got in by the skin of her teeth thanks to the judges save. An act that needed the judges save has never won AGT, and I don’t expect that to change this year.
8) Light Balance Kids – This act is fantastic. Using lights, dance, and music, they give me an adrenaline rush every time they perform. Super creative, super cool. But they needed the Dunkin Save last round, and so I can’t expect them to make the top 5. I hope they have success thanks to the exposure they got on AGT, but they are not our winners.
7) Ryan Niemiller – Ryan is my favorite act on this season of AGT. On my podcast I gave him my theoretical golden buzzer at his audition. He’s the first stand up comedian on the show to make me laugh since Julia Scotti in season 11. And I think that his semifinal performance was his best so far, because it didn’t focus on his disability at all. He’s not a niche comedian, he’s a great comedian full stop. But he needed the Dunkin Save. I knew Ryan wouldn’t win AGT – YouTube views alone prove that to me – but I’m thrilled he’s made it this far. I personally cannot wait to buy a ticket to see him on tour.
6) Detroit Youth Choir – Now it gets interesting. Six acts made it to the finale through the initial public vote, and therefore might have a chance at winning. I think Detroit Youth Choir has the smallest chance of the six. As discussed above with Ndlovu, choirs never succeed on AGT. They always get hyped but it never leads anywhere. I think this choir has a great story and great personality, but they are missing a lead singer that can truly impress me. I think they’ll just miss out on the top 5.
5) Voices of Service – The lead female vocalist in this quartet has the best voice of anyone in the competition. If she was by herself (and was given proper song choices) she could possibly crack the top 2. As is, this group is fantastic, but they haven’t been given the same hype as the four acts above them. I think that they make great TV but I don’t think Simon thinks they could sell records. I think they’ll make top 5, but I’m afraid that’s as far as they’ll get.
4) Tyler Butler-Figueroa – Tyler wins the award for most improved act this season. His first audition getting the golden buzzer made me question Simon’s sanity. He’s been much better since then, but still not mind-bogglingly amazing like Lindsey Stirling or Brian King Joseph. He’s also only 10 years old, so he can and probably will get there eventually. But as of now, I think Tyler is heading for fourth place.
3) Benicio Bryant – Benicio is the best solo singer remaining in the competition. He’s also probably the most marketable solo singer left, so I think Simon might sign him. But I’m skeptical. He didn’t get a golden buzzer. His first live show performance wasn’t particularly great. And his audition is still his best performance so far. If he beats his first audition, he could possibly make top 2. I’d love to see him there. But he needs to pull off a miracle to win.
2) Kodi Lee – I apologize if you just spit out your drink all over your computer. How the hell could I put Kodi Lee at number 2 when it’s been obvious from the start that he’s our winner? Here’s how. Kodi is talented, and deserved to make the top 10. But if he wins, it’s not because he’s the best talent, it’s because people pity him. He’s probably 8th or 9th on the talent scale. I’ve ranted about inspiration p**n after his first audition, and his treatment hasn’t gotten any better as the season has progressed. It might have actually gotten slightly worse over time. I want people to succeed on AGT because of their talent, not because of their story. Kodi has dominated the YouTube views all season, but this round, Kodi is virtually tied for most views with another act. And that other act had far less time to accumulate those views. On Got Talent, we’ve seen surprise results in the past. Jackie Evancho lost to Michael Grimm. Shin Lim beat Michael Ketterer. On BGT, Diversity beat Susan Boyle. You can argue about whether these results were justified. I think that with the exception of SuBo, they were. Kodi could very well win AGT, but it’s not a sure fire thing like everyone else seems to think it is.
1) V.Unbeatable – If Kodi Lee doesn’t win, V.Unbeatable are the act that will beat him. Why? They get a ton of views on YouTube. They break new ground for the show, as a dance troupe has never won AGT. But most of all, they are incredible. They are perfectly in sync, they have personality to spare, and their tricks and flips are insane. Assuming Ryan cannot win, V.Unbeatable would be my favorite act.
Feel free to tell me how wrong I am in the comments below. I’m looking forward to it!
https://youtu.be/VtwQGWd1euo
