America’s Got Talent Season 21 returned on Tuesday night for another episode of the live Quarterfinals, as 11 acts took the stage to perform for their chance to move on. Judge Simon Cowell was absent from the show due to surgery. During the episode, judge Mel B hit the Golden Buzzer for guitarist Nene Royal.
AGT Live Shows Continue as Mel B Hits Golden Buzzer
Eleven acts took the AGT stage during Tuesday night’s live Quarterfinals episode. One act earned a Golden Buzzer from judge Mel B, sending them straight into the Finals. Voting will be open until 7 a.m. ET on Wednesday for viewers to choose their favorites. Only three acts will make it into the Semifinals.
This week, the AGT Golden Buzzer went to 16-year-old guitarist and vocalist Nene Royal, who made it through the Judges’ Callbacks round earlier this season, thanks to judge Howie Mandel. On Tuesday’s live episode, Nene performed a cover of “Black Hole Sun” by Soundgarden on electric guitar.
“NBC, give her the million right now,” Mandel said after the performance, while Sofia Vergara agreed that Nene could win the whole show. The audience went wild for Nene’s performance, chanting for Mel B to press the Golden Buzzer. After sharing her thoughts, Mel did just that, sending Nene straight into the Season 21 Finals.
Nene Royal wasn’t the only musician to impress the judges during this week’s new episode of AGT Season 21. Mackenzie Sol’s performance of “You Broke Me First” by Tate McRae earned praise from Mel, who pressed the Golden Buzzer for him in auditions. Vergara predicted that girls will go crazy for him.
Later, music duo Butter & Grit took the stage to close the show with an original song that Mel called “brilliant.” Vergara said their tracks already sound like hits, and Mandel told them they “created another earworm” for fans at home.
Another act who wowed the judges on Tuesday night was aerialist Veronika Goroshkova, who performed a gravity-defying routine set to “The Fate of Ophelia” by Taylor Swift. She earned a standing ovation, with Vergara calling her talent “so effortless.”
Dance group Come Here also stunned the panel with their energetic routine, set to “Indestructible” by Robyn. They also earned a standing ovation, with Vergara calling it “so perfect” and Mel describing it as “absolutely incredible.”
The AGT judges were also impressed by magician Geno Ploeger, who paid tribute to his grandfather. He earned a standing ovation, and the crowd went wild for him. The judges praised Geno for remaining true to himself with the routine.
Mel B Also Hit the Red Buzzer
Mel B didn’t just hit the AGT Golden Buzzer during Tuesday night’s new live show — she also pressed the dreaded red buzzer for not one but two acts. The first was during a performance by Nyjah Music & Zyah Rhythm, who sang “I Swear” by All-4-One.
Mel told the young music duo that she did them a favor, arguing that they need more experience. Mandel shared similar thoughts, adding that it was clear how nervous they were. Sofia Vergara also thought the pair played it safe with their performance this week.
Later in the show, Mel also pressed the red buzzer for danger duo Brad & Tracy, whose act involved cutting an apple with a chainsaw and swallowing a saw and a corkscrew. While Mandel called the act “so bad it is amazing,” Mel simply asked the couple, “Why?”
Another performance that received criticism from the judges (although no red buzzer) came from rapper LaRussell and his group of Bay Area musicians. Mel B called it “a little bit chaotic,” while Mandel said he wasn’t sure it looked professional enough for AGT.
The judges also seemed conflicted about German dancer Patrox, whose backwards-and-forwards performance confused Mel B. However, Vergara acknowledged that it was “not easy,” and Mandel called him “incredibly unique.” Similarly, the panel thought singer Bety might have played it too safe with her cover of “Fire on Fire” by Sam Smith.
What did you think of the second live show of AGT Season 21? Which acts will you be voting for? 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
