‘America’s Got Talent’ episode 7 recap: Did ‘AGT Auditions 7’ include any Golden Buzzer acts? [LIVE BLOG]
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“America’s Got Talent” continued season 18 on July 18 with a two-hour showcase of acts in “Auditions 7.” There are no changes to judges’ dais this summer with executive producer Simon Cowell and long-time judge Howie Mandel taking their place on the ends of the table. Heidi Klum returns as well, as does Sofia Vergara who took a break when “All-Stars” aired earlier this year. Hosting duties are entrusted to the lively Terry Crews once again.
In the audition phase of “AGT,” an act needs at least three of the four judges to give them a “yes” vote to advance to the next round. If two or more judges buzz the act, they are immediately eliminated. Each judge and Crews has one chance to hit the “golden buzzer” and send an act straight through to the live performances.
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In the season premiere, Simon led the panel in handing out the first ever Audience Golden Buzzer to Mzansi Youth Choir from South Africa. Simon gave the Golden Buzzer to 17 year old Indonesian pianist and singer Putri Ariani in episode 2. Then, in episode 3, Terry descended the stage to make a dream come true for Chioma & The Atlanta Drum Academy. Howie made his choice to send French dance group Murmuration straight to the live shows in episode 4. And in episode 6, Heidi fell in love with singer Lavender Darcangelo.
The format will be the same as in previous seasons, with “America’s Got Talent” airing just on Tuesdays at first with the initial weeks devoted to the auditions that took place around the country. The live shows begin on Tuesday, August 22 with voting results shows following on Wednesday.
Below, read our minute-by-minute “America’s Got Talent” recap of Season 18, Episode 7 to find out what happened Tuesday, July 18 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT. Then be sure to sound off in the comments section about your favorite acts on NBC’s long-running reality TV show and who you think will ultimately join the AGT list of champions.
8:02 p.m. – To kick off the night, Terry advised the judges that the first few rows of the audience (behind them) were cleared out for safety reasons during Poetic Flight‘s audition. It turned out the danger wasn’t as dangerous as some acts we’ve seen. Instead, the two pilots flew remote control airplanes in unison around the judges’ panel, receiving the red X buzzer from Simon straight away and later from Heidi. Meanwhile, Howie and Sofia held out in wonder as they concluded amidst audience applause. Sofia called it “spectacular” and “beautiful” and Howie thought it would be a good show to see in Vegas. Heidi and Simon disagreed, saying it would be boring in Vegas and wouldn’t work. With only Sofia and Howie’s “yes” votes, it looked like Poetic Flight was facing elimination, but Simon decided to give them their third “yes” based on audience response.
8:06 p.m. – The next act was electric cellist BJ Griffin who decided to audition for AGT because he’s “done holding myself back” and wants to “share healing” with the world through his music. BJ surprised everyone in the room when he not only played the instrument, but also sang to “Let’s Stay Together.” BJ was surprised also when the judges stood in ovation for his performance. Sofia called it a “delight,” Howie loved “everything about it” and called him his favorite in singing this season, Heidi recognized his “glow,” and Simon said that BJ had “a moment” because his voice is distinct and stunning. It was an easy four “yes” votes for the judges to agree on seeing BJ again in the next round.
8:14 p.m. – When the kids and their parents of Phil Wright & Parent Jam took the stage, Howie recognized one of the parents as a former contestant on his show “Deal or No Deal.” For Phil, “AGT” was the platform to showcase their organization’s dedication to the importance of family. Following the dance routine, Howie said that the act is “fun and sweet,” but doesn’t think it’s big enough for a million dollar prize. Heidi added that “there’s some real stars in there” and that anything can win the show, especially a family-focused group. Sofia agreed with Heidi, calling out the little kids as the stars, and Simon called the idea of the group “genius.” He said that their auditions makes you feel great. Heidi, Sofia and Simon all said “yes,” overruling Howie’s “no” vote to send the group on to the next round.
8:25 p.m. – Uninterested in answering any of the introductory questions from the judges, Enishi got straight into their quick-change audition. Instead of the typical quick-change outfits, Enishi was able to switch in and out of different mask configurations, including some that looked like all of the judges. Howie called the act original, Heidi agreed and loved it as well, but Simon was missing “the wow factor” that he was looking for. Because Howie, Heidi and Sofia all said “yes,” it was Simon that was overruled in this case.
8:35 p.m. – Drummer Timothy Fletcher told a story about how one of his biggest supporters was killed and so returning to the instrument was his way of honoring his belief in him. Timothy did not only drum, he performed tricks and used hip hop music as background to elevate his act into something fresh. Sofia liked the rhythm and energy of the performance, Howie was mesmerized, Heidi called it a “perfect first audition” that he can build upon, and Simon closed out the comments by saying that Timothy made their job easy because of how amazing his performance made the room feel. Without a doubt, all four judges gave him a “yes” vote to advance.
8:44 p.m. – When Simon said that “the show will take anyone,” he didn’t quite expect to see acts like musicians The Galactivators that Howie gave a red X to before they even started, Off Broadway Jack‘s long-arm golfing audition, or circus acrobat Gorilla (yes, in a gorilla costume). The strange acts they were more inclined to enjoy were those like face yoga instructor Koko Hayashi‘s. And yet even with Sofia’s endorsement that she already follows Koko on Instagram, Simon and Howie were not so enthused, holding firm on their “no” votes to send Koko home as well.
8:55 p.m. – Acrobat sisters The Rybka Twins reminded Simon that they met him on the red carpet previously and that they tried out for the show because she told them they should. Following their mixed-medium routine of tricks and dancing, Heidi said she was taken by them after the first split trick, but Howie acknowledged that he “could like it” if it wasn’t so corny and Sofia thought it was “outdated” and could be made more modern. Simon “completely disagreed” with Howie and Sofia, calling them “fun” with “great showmanship.” Still, with no confidence from Howie and Sofia, it looked like the twins would be eliminated, but ultimately Sofia was talked into by the cheering crowd to switch her vote to a “no” so that they could move on to the next round.
9:08 p.m. – Hoping to build a better future for their families, Duo Just Two Men came to AGT with their hand balancing act. Heidi appreciated the danger of their audition having no mats underneath their tricks and said that they accomplished moves they’ve never seen. Howie said their act looks “like a special effect,” Sofia called it “breathtaking and dramatic,” and Simon added that their act is “extraordinary.” All four judges wanted to see them perform again so they each said “yes” to this first audition.
9:20 p.m. – In order to settle his nerves, Cakra Khan employed his personal trick of eating spicy food ahead of his audition in order to calm down. His vocal rendition of “Make It Rain” was not to Simon’s liking so he stopped him mid-song to advise that he try something else. With his second song, “No Woman, No Cry,” Heidi said he has a unique and sexy voice that stands out, Simon called his voice “rare” and thinks the second song made him sound like more of an artist, and Sofia called the performance special. Howie added his thought that everyone in the room could feel his emotion. Going down the line from Howie to Simon, it was four “yeses” for Cakra to advance.
9:31 p.m. – It was no surprise to the judges that Magic Mike Jacobson would be performing magic for the crowd based on name alone. In his act, Mike used an invisible deck of cards and through the process of elimination had the judges slowly select one of the cards matching a single card hidden in a matchbox all along–Simon’s choice, the queen of diamonds. Then, he added a final trick where he had Howie select an invisible card, sign it and then revealed that the real signed card was in a box, matching Howie’s choice. Heidi liked how silent the audience became watching Mike, Sofia found it both funny and intriguing, Simon sees a future in magic for Mike, and Howie concluded that it was “incredible” and “really good.” The judges were all in agreement that Mike should advance with four “yeses.”
9:43 p.m. – The “scary” costuming of Atai Show gave the room the sense that they might be in for a treat with their audition. That was confirmed for them once the contortion movement began between the four members in rhythmic unison. Sofia called it “such a surprise” and “spectacular,” emphasizing that they are “beyond” what they’ve seen in contortionism before. Heidi liked that they wrapped their talent around a great story, Howie said they’re an act that people beg others to watch, and Simon called them “exactly what we are looking for this year.” He said that “people love being scared” in a good way. Howie, Heidi, Sofia and Simon all agreed that this is a group they need to see again, voting unanimously “yes.”
9:53 p.m. – The final act of the night was 2 Moms United By One Heart, a singing duo that met when one of their sons died and as an organ donor transferred his heart to the other’s son. They met a few years after the transplant, only to find out that they had connected with their individual sons with the same song, “For Good” from “Wicked,” which they sang for their audition. Howie said that he never responds well to musical theater, saying that this was the first time he’s felt personally connected to the genre. Heidi was at a loss for words, referring to them as strong women with a powerful story. Sofia called it “a moment we’re always going to remember.” Simon said they were “very brave” and he thinks it’s remarkable how their story with that song loops together. Needless to say, the four judges all agreed that the mothers should sing again.
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