‘America’s Got Talent’ season 18 episode 16 performances ranked: ‘Qualifiers 3’ acts from worst to best

Vincent Mandile
·5 min read
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On September 5, 2023, the third set of season 18 qualifiers took the stage on “America’s Got Talent.” Host Terry Crews welcomed viewers back to the show along with judges Simon Cowell, Heidi Klum, Howie Mandel and Sofia Vergara. But who were the best acts from this episode? And who deserves to advance to the next round of the competition? Below we rank the 11 acts that performed. Do any of Tuesday’s acts have what it takes to win the million dollars this year?

SEE ‘America’s Got Talent’: Who was your favorite live act from ‘AGT’ Qualifiers 3? [POLL]

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Season 18 Episode 16 Rankings:

11. Barry Brewer Jr.: In what became a trend on this night, many of the acts that had memorable auditions had a less impressive performance the second time around. Those acts can be seen ranked from here to 6th. In the case of this comedian, he needs the music. The material was not nearly as good as the audition and there is no amount of showmanship that could have saved some of the jokes.

10. Herwan Legaillard: This performance gave me anxiety and left me more worried than intrigued by what he would do if he advanced to the finals. The aerial tricks saved this performance from being something I would never want to see again.

9. Justin Jackson: I was a bit disappointed by this performance because Justin embraced the idea of doing more than just tap dancing. Very cool that he can jump rope and tap dance simultaneously, but if he was worried about being a solo dancer against tough competition, there were so many other ways he could have gone creatively to stand out. The confetti was just not a fun touch whatsoever to me.

8. Phil Wright & Parent Jam: This act is one of my least favorites in the competition. Do not get me wrong, it is adorable, but in no way a million dollar act. The performance felt like something I would see at a theme park while it’s raining or if you need to escape the heat. I have to agree with Howie on this one.  If anything, they can maybe parlay this into success on “Shark Tank” and make it a franchise?

7. Summer Rios : After her audition, I did some research and found she is not as green as she depicts herself to be. She has over 300,000 followers on her TikTok. Putting those fun facts on the sideline, the performance itself was not as good as the audition and she looked a bit nervous. Not sure why some judges gushed over the performance and I definitely disagreed with Simon about the production. I do not need a crystal ball to see that she will not be advancing to the finals.

6. Trigg Watson : Honestly, I feel like this performance was not on the same level as Trigg’s audition, but still impressive. In no way whatsoever do I believe that the passing of the photo was done well (I used to watch “Masters of Illusion” a lot). The final part of the trick was impressive. Where I thought the performance was lacking was in the presentation.

SEE U2 clears song for Putri Ariani on ‘America’s Got Talent’ live show, and Heidi Klum compares her to ‘an angel singing’ [WATCH]

5. Warrior Squad: Warrior Squad is fearless and I love that. This was a performance that as Ted Lasso would say, “Your body is like day-old rice. If it ain’t warmed up properly, something real bad could happen.” This group clearly put in the work to ensure that the performance went off perfectly and on that front, mission successful. The addition of what I viewed as the swing of uncertainty was a great touch as well. I think that they stand a very good chance of advancing to the next round.

4. Philip Bowen: Phillip Bowen definitely upped his game with this performance and showed there was a major fire to win the competition. I personally loved it. The judges loved it and noted that he “made the violin sexy.” Song choice was perfection as well. On the flip side, he needs to watch Lindsey Stirling and adopt some of her performance techniques.

3. MOS: I was most excited to see this act again as they are super unique and their takes on popular songs are infectious. This performance was a great example of what Philip Bowen lacks in terms of showmanship. On the flip side, when they received their own solos, some notes were not nailed and sounded a bit under, so I get why nobody seemed to notice. I could watch them all day and I think they stand a very good chance of advancing to the finals if the reaction on social media translates into votes.

2. Mzansi Youth Choir: The word “perfection” is rarely used by me in regards to live round performances, so this is not something I say lightly: This performance was perfection. This was captivating and one of my favorite performances of the season so far. I could watch them in concert all day as this is the perfect mix of a choir adults would love as much as children. I really hope they try “Roar” by Katy Perry next!

1. Putri Ariani: Putri Ariani is the type of singer that can seemingly sing anything. Never in a million years would I have picked this U2 classic for her, but she not only owned it but made an arrangement that made an iconic song sound brand new. Honestly, any combination of acts going through to the finals will and should include Putri as part of the duo. As far as the next song choice, might I suggest “Because You Loved Me” by Celine Dion? One word can describe this performance: perfection.

Which season 18 act is YOUR favorite at this point in the competition? Do you think they can snag the $1 million prize? Sound off in the comments below and with other fans in our reality TV forum. Also be sure to make your predictions to influence our reality TV racetrack odds.

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