“America’s Got Talent” isn’t just a place where contestants can show off their unique skills. It’s also where they can share a powerful message with the world.
On Tuesday night’s episode, the Mayyas, an all-girl dance group from Lebanon, did just that, talking about the struggles they face in their country as dancers before delivering a winning Golden Buzzer audition.
“Lebanon is a very beautiful country, but we live a daily struggle,” one of the dancers told the judges before their audition. Another added: “Unfortunately, being a dancer as an Arab woman is not yet fully supported.”
The band’s choreographer says the Mayyas were inspired to try Nightbirde’s “AGT,” which won judge Simon Cowell’s Golden Buzzer last year. Nightbirde then had to withdraw from competition due to her cancer and died in February.
“You can’t wait until life isn’t tougher before you decide to be happy,” Nightbirde said after her powerful audition.
One of the Mayyas dancers got emotional as he explained what the opportunity to be on “AGT” means to the group.
“The fact that we are here standing on the biggest stage in the world is our only chance to prove to the world what Arab women can do, the art we can create, the fights we fight,” he said. she declared.
The group then delivered a hypnotic and dreamy performance, moving their arms and dancing with long feathers in perfect synchronicity. Judges Cowell, Heidi Klum, Howie Mandel and Sofía Vergara were stunned.
“There are no words to explain to you how we felt here,” Vergara said. “It was the most beautiful and creative dance I have ever seen.”
Cowell said the band “will make a difference, period, in so many positive ways.”
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“It was arguably the best dance number we’ve ever seen,” he added.
Vergara said she wanted to empower the dancers more than just giving them a “yes.”
“I would be so honored to give you even more power on this journey, because you deserve it,” the former ‘Modern Family’ star said, before hitting the Golden Buzzer and showering the Mayyas with confetti. golden.
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“It’s been a life-changing experience for us,” one of the dancers told host Terry Crews afterwards.
The Mayyas aren’t new to Golden Buzzer winning auditions. In 2019, they won the Golden Buzzer on “Arabs Got Talent” and won the season. Later that year, they also took part in “Britain’s Got Talent: The Champions”, where Cowell was also a judge.
How far will they go on “AGT”? We’ll have to wait for the live broadcasts to find out.
Kieran Rhodes sings a powerful original song about depression; Kristen Cruz goes from cooking TikTok to the ‘AGT’ scene
Another emotional audition came from 20-year-old Kieran Rhodes, who said he played baseball before discovering his passion for music. He then taught voice and piano on his own and now attends the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston.
Rhodes began by singing “She’s Got a Way” by Billy Joel, before the tough Cowell cut him off and asked if he had any original songs. Rhodes then sang “Disengage”, which he wrote to help him overcome his depression.
The song had several audience members in tears.
“I could hear you playing and singing for hours,” Vergara said. “You have everything.”
Mandel praised the student for not succumbing to his nerves, while Klum complimented the “melancholy” in his voice.
Cowell kept his comments factual.
“You are a great singer,” he said. “I really liked your original song, and I really hope this audition can change your life.” Rhodes got a “yes” from all four judges.
Another successful singer was Kristen Cruz, who gained a following on TikTok where she uploaded photos of herself singing while making matcha, coffee and protein shakes in her kitchen.
She sang the rock number “I See Red” from Split Enz, to a standing ovation from the judges.
“Is it really you who sings?” Cowell marveled.
Vergara said the performance was “unexpected” and “sexy”.
“I want your voice,” Klum said, “I love everything about you. You’re already a star in the making. You just have a real gift.”
Cruz got a yes from all four judges.
Simon Cowell was wrong about pole dancing
Cowell clearly wasn’t a fan of pole dancing as an art form prior to the Kristy Sellars audition, joking to her fellow judges, “It’s just unnecessary.”
But the pole dancing contestant quickly proved the judge wrong, giving a magical performance using an animated backdrop to help tell a story.
“You have such an amazing vision and you’ve really taken pole dancing to a whole new level,” Klum said.
“It’s a Vegas show right there,” Mandel said.
And Cowell ate his previous words.
“You never know how these ideas will work out on stage, but this in the venue was just phenomenal,” he said. Sellars got a unanimous “yes” from the judges.
Sellars previously won “Australia’s Got Talent” in 2019.
