NBC
Quarterfinals for America’s Got Talent season 14 continue with 12 more live acts on Tuesday, August 20. Only 7 will make it through to semifinals; the votes of the viewers at home will reveal who stays and who goes home on Wednesday, August 21.
The official synopsis for the episode reads “Performers take the stage live from the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood as judging is turned over to the American viewing audience; with judges Simon Cowell, Gabrielle Union, Julianne Hough, Howie Mandel and host Terry Crews.”
Here’s what happened on episode 14 of AGT, and which acts we think did enough to make it through to the next round:
BEWARE OF SPOILERS and STOP READING NOW if you aren’t caught up and don’t want to know what happened during the August 20 episode. This article will be updated live as the episode airs.
Charlotte Summers was the first of the night to perform, and the young singer looked beautiful and mature in a sequined jumpsuit. Her powerful high notes and strong finish impressed the audience, who gave her a standing ovation, but Howie Mandel, Julianne Hough and Simon Cowell disagreed with the mature song choice.
Nick and Lindsay, the Sideshow Opera duo, sang, played violin and performed knife stunts, and the judge’s called their act (which involved several poorly executed tricks) the worst in AGT history.
Chris Kläfford, the singer-songwriter from Sweden, brought the mood back up after a rocky live show start singing and playing guitar on stage.
Marina Mazepa was next to perform, accompanied by a Billie Eilish song and a video of her face distorted playing in the background and she contorted and danced around the stage. Simon buzzed her during the performance and explained that it was because it started crazy and got boring.
Robert Finley sang a soulful original song for his live performance. The judges loved his performance, but Mandel wondered if his song wouldn’t connect with younger voters.
The Sentimentalists performed a taste-test with the judges. She struggled to guess that Julianne Hough was tasting an orange-flavored candy, but redeemed herself by guessing that Simon Cowell was craving an angel delight. The audience didn’t love the performance and agreed with the judges as they said it was under-rehearsed and messy.
Ryan Neimiller’s stand-up comedy act was met with a much warmer response. Howie said he needs to be in the finals and urged America to vote; the other judges unanimously agreed that he was born for stand-up.
V.Unbeatable, the second wild card of the semifinals, delivered an impressive dance and stunt routine. Julianne Hough said they were the best performance of the night, and Howie Mandel said they were the best performance he has seen in 10 years.
Singer and rapper Joseph Allen performed an original that reflected on the opportunities that competing on AGT has presented him with. He is a natural performer, and his act showed that.
Light Balance Kids also performed their act to a mash-up of “Bad Guy” by Billie Eilish and “Sucker” by the Jonas Brothers, and their dance told a playful story of good vs. evil.
Tyler Butler-Figeroa play violin accompanied by a backing track of “Don’t You Worry Child” by Swedish House Mafia. Gabrielle Union told him that he inspired kids around the world to “put down the controller and pick up an instrument.”
The final act of the night was Ndlovu Youth Choir. The group sang and danced together in coordinated pink outfits. The judges unanimously loved their performance, which Cowell said “popped tonight.”
Who Made it Through? Top Predictions
After night one of quarterfinals 2, the one sure-fire standout who we expect to make it through to the semifinals is Ryan Neimiller. Every joke in his standup routine landed and was unique to him, and he has proven himself a top contender. It would be a shock, and a huge mistake, if America did not vote him through.
Chris Kläfford, though met with mixed reviews from the judges, is a natural on-stage and has an impressive voice that would only continue to move the audience with future performances. He will likely be voted through because he is memorable and engaging on-stage, but even if he doesn’t, he is destined for a successful career in the music industry.
If judges’ responses are any indication of who will make it through, then V.Unbeatable should be a shoe-in. Plus, the fact that they were a wildcard and not initially sent through to the quarterfinals by the judges makes them a comeback story that voters could get behind.