‘AGT’ Winner Brandon Leake Performs Emotional CW Special About His Family
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On Sunday night, The CW premiered Brandon Leake’s hour-long special, A Family Affair. Within the program, the America’s Got Talent winner delivers eight emotional poems about his family.
AGT Winner Brandon Leake Performs in New CW Special
Sunday’s special featured clips of Brandon performing in front of an audience, intercut with reenactments, animation, and moving moments with his family. The special began with a poem about his mother. Within the poem, Brandon states that she is “personified Black Girl Magic” and proved that “you can be holey and still be holy.”
Some of his more serious poems recalled the rough neighborhood where he grew up in Stockton, California, as well as his late grandfather’s struggle with addiction. Some of the poems he had already performed on AGT, including one about the death of his sister and another about his absent father. Even though these poems aren’t new, it doesn’t take you out of the special.
The latter poem, in which he writes letters to his father, was accompanied by an animation depicting Brandon at different ages. He ultimately tells his father, “I forgive you so I can finally be free.” For the poem about his sister, Brandon performed in the cemetery where she’s buried.
In all of the poems he recited in the special, Brandon brought the same emotion and power that won him Season 15 of America’s Got Talent. You can watch the special for yourself on The CW website and The CW app.
SEE ALSO: ‘AGT’ WINNER BRANDON LEAKE WINS TELLY AWARD FOR POEM ON THE POWER OF SOUND
Brandon Reacted to the Special on Instagram
On Sunday night, Brandon went live on Instagram during and after the special. The spoken word poet had tears in his eyes as he watched himself perform, saying, “This is it. This is the moment. This is what I’ve been preparing for.”
Later, Brandon shared that he was the co-director and executive producer for the project. On Monday, he made a post thanking various people who were part of the special. Within the post he also thanked The CW “for believing in me enough to give my vision a space.”
“This special is more than just about me, more than just my family,” Brandon wrote in a post last week, “this special is a hallmark moment for Spoken Word, it’s the fulfillment of prayers sent to God over the years. This special is a literal dream come true.”
