‘America’s Got Talent’ season 18 episode 1 performances ranked: Top 9 acts from worst to best’
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
On May 30th, “America’s Got Talent” returned with the spectacular two-hour premiere of its 18th season. Speaking with “Extra” earlier that day, judge Heidi Klum described the fans as the best out there and Howie Mandel noted, “The world is hungry to see what’s next.” Host Terry Crews welcomed them back to the show alongside Simon Cowell and Sofia Vergara, with performances from the first set of auditions.
But who were the best acts from the season opener? And did any move forward that shouldn’t have? Below we rank the 9 acts who advanced from worst to best. Do any of Tuesday’s acts have what it takes to win the million dollars this year?
More from GoldDerby
'RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Untucked' season 5 episode 5 recap: 'Snatch Game of Love'
'RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars' season 8 episode 5 recap: 'Snatch Game of Love'
Season 18 Episode 1 rankings:
9. Steel Panther: Did anyone at AGT do any sort of background check on Steel Panther? They already have five albums under their belt with one scheduled for release in 2023. They also may be known to some as Metal Shop or Metal Skool. Others may recognize them for appearing on “The Drew Carey Show.” Sofia knew them from her husband’s birthday party, which was a weird flex. Moral of the story, they are already famous and we have this season’s version of Drake Milligan and it’s only the first episode. They also seem to be unaware that glam rock has evolved since the 1980s. I want to end this nicely, so I will say that the lead singer has a great voice and I lived for the guitar solo.
8. Three G: First and foremost, prayers for the war to be over with soon. Three G does not exactly rework the wheel so to speak, as we have seen these tricks before and maybe a little better. This Ukrainian trio has more personality than most acrobatic groups that the show has had in the past though, which makes them memorable. The fall was terrifying, but this trio just got back up and kept the tricks coming. The second fall was a heartbreaker, but the crowd encouraged them to give it another go. This essentially was a nightmare for Three G, complete with what I can only assume is a twisted ankle. The judges comforted them alongside four yes’s. They need to nail a performance cleanly before it is a yes from me though.
7. Trex Flips: This audition started off really awkward but somehow a man in an inflatable dinosaur costume made me really happy. I also immediately thought that this was Sethward back for another go-around at driving America insane. Simon was very curious to see how this all came about and honestly I had the same reaction. This might be the best dancing dinosaur since Barney frequented his large park/school. Very fun way to open the show and I would love to see more of this act even if it has zero chance of winning.
SEE ‘America’s Got Talent’ winners list: All seasons, plus ‘Champions’ and ‘Extreme’
6. Mzansi Youth Choir: I immediately recognized Mzansi Youth Choir from their performance with Beyoncé that I saw on social media not too long ago, but after a quick search I learned that they have performed with the likes of Josh Groban, Shakira, Andrea Bocelli as well as on “The Voice” and “Dancing with the Stars.” Their homage to an AGT great was perfection on every front. The Golden Buzzer quickly became the obvious answer as this just might be the best choir that we have seen on the series. This Golden Buzzer was especially unique as this was the one for the audience, who was more than ready to give them their flowers. Also, when Simon cries, we all do apparently as social media was an emotional mess.
5. Orlando Leyba: A comedian has never won AGT before and Orlando Leyba hit the stage as the first of the season. I could not help but think “There is something special about him that I cannot quite place my finger on, but consider me a fan.” Then it hit me, he literally did this exact set on the “Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon” a few weeks ago. Nonetheless, any set that includes bison, Yogi Bear, Kevin Costner, and a science lesson about Old Faithful is a winner in my book. He just might be the comedian to break that AGT glass ceiling!
4. Shadow Ace: Is Beyoncé watching this show? You have to appreciate that he thinks this will lead to him meeting the icon. We have seen similar acts on the show, but this one just uses hands, which makes it stand out in a big way. It was a real crowd pleaser and was definitely captivating in a pure sort of way. Not sure how this will translate to a bigger scale, but I cannot wait to hopefully find out.
SEE ‘AGT’ deaths: Remembering the contestants we’ve lost on ‘America’s Got Talent’
3. Phillip Bowen: Phillip Bowen strikes me as a really nice guy, so it pains me a bit to say that despite how good he is at playing the violin, I found this performance to be a bit boring at the same time. He needs to up his game in terms of performance factor and would benefit from some special effects on the stage if he were to make it to the live rounds. The judges loved it and honestly, I already have him penciled in for the live rounds after this performance and that reaction. Color me intrigued by this act. Added bonus, his parents met the judges and are living their best lives as well.
2. D’Corey Johnson: D’Corey Johnson has a ton of personality, but it is his voice that is even more impressive. This song has been done to death on other shows, but somehow he made me like his version more than those covers by adults. He had passion and the vocals to match, which wowed the crowd and the judges. He was Golden Buzzer material and I was shocked that he did not get one.
1. Trigg Watson: I love it when magicians are on this show, so this was right in my wheelhouse. Trigg has a lot of energy, which is always a plus. I think I have an idea on how he was able to do this yet was only really impressed by the way he swapped out Howie’s glasses in the Instagram video. There is a ton of potential here for an amazing act that could wow the voters and I think that he just set the bar for all of the other magicians this season in a huge way.
Which season 17 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.
Best of GoldDerby
Sign up for Gold Derby's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
