America’s Got Talent Season 21 returned on Tuesday night for the first round of Judges’ Callbacks, as Mel B and Simon Cowell watched several acts perform before deciding who should move on to the live shows.
Mel B Chooses Acts in AGT Judges’ Callbacks
During Tuesday’s new Judges’ Callbacks episode, AGT judge Mel B saw several acts perform at her home in Leeds. She ended up sending three of those acts into the Season 21 live shows — mentalist duo James and Marina, singer Bety, and music duo Butter & Grit.
James and Marina wowed Mel and guest judge Emma Bunton (aka Baby Spice) with their routine, in which Marina stood outside Mel’s house while describing various objects she couldn’t see. The couple then sent information from Mel’s brain to Emma’s, shocking them both.
Mel was also wowed by 17-year-old singer Bety, who delivered a powerhouse performance of “Impossible” by James Arthur in both English and Spanish. The judge also loved Butter & Grit, who performed a sweet original song about their friendship.
Unfortunately, we had to say goodbye to three other AGT acts who also performed for Mel in this week’s episode — country duo Madelyn Tallent and Malachi Martin, magician Joel M, and comedian Lachlan Patterson. They will not be going to the live shows.
AGT judge Simon Cowell also watched performances from several acts on Tuesday night, from his home in Malibu. He put through most of the performers he saw — including singers Travis Garland and Elsie, dancer Sando, music duo Nyjah Music and Zyah Rhythm, and novelty act Akira.
Cowell, who was joined by guest judges Normani and Poo Bear, admitted that he found Travis Garland’s audition “corny,” but the singer managed to win the judge over with his performance of “Love on the Brain” by Rihanna during the Judges’ Callbacks.
The judge also enjoyed Elsie’s performance of “Make It Rain” by Ed Sheeran, as well as Nyjah and Zyah’s cover of “Daisies” by Justin Bieber. He was also impressed by Sando’s performance, which featured two backup dancers this time. As for Japanese performer Akira, his funny use of props from Cowell’s home paid off.
Unfortunately, we had to say goodbye to dance group Elektro Dads, whose funny performance about changing their babies’ diapers wasn’t enough to send them through to the AGT live shows.
What did you think about the first episode of Judges’ Callbacks? Do you agree with Mel B and Simon Cowell’s decisions? Let us know in the comments below.
Words by:
Jill O'Rourke Jill O’Rourke is a contributor at Talent Recap, writing news stories and recaps for shows like ‘AGT,’ ‘The Voice,’ and ‘American Idol.’ She graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in English and Film Studies, and has been writing about pop culture since 2012, with previous bylines at Crushable and A Plus. Jill spends her free time binge-watching sitcoms and daydreaming about life as a hobbit
