Vincent Mandile
·5 min read
On July 16, 2024, the sixth episode of “America’s Got Talent” season 19 aired with a new group of auditions and a Golden Buzzer recipient. Host Terry Crews welcomed back judges Simon Cowell, Howie Mandel, Heidi Klum and Sofia Vergara, with performances from this diverse group as well as some memorable acts that failed to move forward.
But who were the best acts from this episode? And did any move forward that shouldn’t have? Below we rank the 11 acts who advanced from worst to best. Do any of Tuesday’s acts have what it takes to win the million dollars this year?
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Season 19 Episode 7 Rankings:
11. HORSE/Nasty: On the NBC website, he is billed as Nasty…so I am not quite sure what I am going to call him. An interesting conundrum to say the least. Saying that, this low production version of “Jackass” was just a hot mess and “AGT” veteran that nobody seemed to recognize. The audience oddly was into it though, which I attribute to us normalizing the MTV show. Hard pass from me even if the judges let them advance, except for Sofia…the sole voice of reason.
10. Insane Shayne: Insane Shayne lived up to his name, but his views on the internet might be the scariest part of the entire performance. Seriously, who looks up stuff like this? The catching of items from the upper area seating was impressive, though. I could never sit through a whole show of tricks like this personally. We also learned that Simon has the best aim out of the judges with Heidi having the worst. A truly useless talent for a human.
9. Schumacher: This act baffles me. I was expecting this to be a stand-up comedy act for some reason but turns out they are some sort of animal cosplay meets quick change act. Oddly entertaining, but another hard pass for me. Of course, Howie loved it and Sofia sent them straight to the live rounds, so my nightmare act of the season has emerged.
8. Jabu and Cornelio: I wish I could say that I liked this performance, but I think we will see this act in the live rounds. The drumming is impressive, but it is the dancing that really left me awe struck. Something tells me that we haven’t seen the best of them just yet. Sheila E. and Derek Hough should see this one for sure!
7. Dian Rene: While I loved his backstory and drive to become a professional singer, this audition was a mixed bag for me. On the positive side, Dian has an amazing voice and the song was a really good fit for it. Jennifer Lopez would be proud! He also reminds me a bit of Marc Anthony. Simon was not a fan of the song that he was given when his original song did not clear, but his second song sealed the deal for his addition to the next round of the competition.
6. Forest of Haunts: As a horror movie fan, this act was right in my wheelhouse. From the jump scare at the opening to the ominous bunny man to the balloon popping over Sofia’s head, to delight of Howie and Heidi, this was a slam dunk in my eyes. This act reminded me of the late Bray Wyatt and the current The Wyatt Sicks 6 in WWE. I could watch this audition all day!
5. Aleksandr Batuev: From his entrance from the box to the rest of his contortionist tricks, this act just knocked it out of the park. Insanely anxiety inducing? Yes! Impressive? Yes! Do I need to see more? Heck yes! Just think of the possibilities if he were to make the live rounds! He could be on the stage in something without the other acts knowing.
4. The Jerusalem Youth Choir: This group is proof that the current violence in the Middle East can be rectified if we all just listen to one another. The performance itself was beautiful and I cannot wait to hear what they come up with next! Might I suggest “Talking to the Moon” by Bruno Mars?
3. Mervin Mayo: First and foremost, thank you for your service in the police department, sir! Secondly, thank you for providing us with an audition that seems destined to go viral. With an impressive cover of an Ed Sheeran hit partnered with an even more impressive personality, Mervin seems poised for not only the live rounds but superstardom. Icing on the cake was “How’s that feel baby?”, which prompted the judges to bring his wife on the stage as well for her moment to shine as the reason he auditioned in the first place.
2. Illya & Anastasia Strakhov: This Las Vegas native is quite honestly one of the most anxiety inducing acts of the season for me. I would add: Do not try this at home guys! Illya is a natural performer that also has a terrifying talent that could headline a show in Sin City. The Jonas Brothers track felt a bit out of place. Might I suggest Panic! At The Disco’s “Victorious”? This would have been my Golden Buzzer act of the night.
1. Mia Soleil Sanchez: The first act of the night was this young singer that is far more confident than most adult contestants. Her choice of a Billie Eilish hit was a wise one, as the crowd and judges immediately were excited from the get-go. Vocally, she was pitch perfect, but her stage presence was the biggest surprise as she owned the stage like she performs on it regularly. She is one to keep an eye on if she makes the live rounds. I would love to hear her take on Olivia Rodrigo’s ‘”Can’t Catch Me Now”! Side note, I am loving that that this is becoming the season with the best child singers.
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