On July 2, 2024, the fifth episode of “America’s Got Talent” season 19 aired with a new group of auditions and a Golden Buzzer recipient. Host Terry Crews welcomed back judges Simon Cowell, Howie Mandel, Heidi Klum and Sofia Vergara, with performances from this diverse group as well as some memorable acts that failed to move forward.
But who were the best acts from this episode? And did any move forward that shouldn’t have? Below we rank the 11 acts who advanced from worst to best. Do any of Tuesday’s acts have what it takes to win the million dollars this year?
SEE ‘America’s Got Talent’ season 19: Who was your favorite act from ‘AGT’ Auditions 5? [POLL]
Season 19 Episode 5 Rankings:
11. Jollux: This was a quick audition for viewers, but color me impressed. I need to see more! Maybe with a drum accompaniment?
10. Boss Baby Brody: This TikTok phenomenon was quickly identified by my sister, so there must be a massive fanbase online for this act, which made me place him higher in my rankings than I normally would for this type of act. Was he my favorite of the three young acts that appeared in that segment? Not sure. He will be amazing as he gets older, but I think he might get swallowed up in comparison to other dance acts.
9. Bboy Nana: This was a very brief audition for viewers, but this young dancer blew my mind. I really hope we see him in the live rounds.
8. Sebastian & Sonia: After incredible aerial acts in past seasons, the bar has been raised. I wish I could say that the I loved it, but we have seen these tricks before. The judges were blown away, leaving no doubt in my mind that we will see them in the live rounds. Social media seemed especially excited over the performance.
7. Oscar Stembridge: If Justin Bieber and David Cassidy had a baby, it would be Oscar Stembridge. His original song, which technically hit all the right notes given the state of the world as of late, was kind of forgettable. More importantly, his voice is impeccable and the way the crowd, especially the ladies, reacted spoke volumes. Maybe an Ed Sheeran song next time?
6. TT Brothers: After a string of failed auditions, this act looked to turn the morale of the night around. Honestly, any talent whatsoever would have done that, but this duo was memorable for all the right reasons. Howie seemed especially amused by them, which was to be expected as this falls right into realm of The Three Stooges kind of comedy and Howie loves a good laugh. Honestly, this was the quickest I thought “How did this get on the stage?” and “That was actually good!” simultaneously.
SEE ‘America’s Got Talent’: Stephanie Rainey is your favorite act from ‘AGT’ Auditions 4 [POLL RESULTS]
5. Young-Min: Historically, magic acts are my favorites on the show. On a night where the only other magician was a man flipping the bird, Young-Min easily won the magician battle. The tricks were super impressive and even I could not figure out how he did that. Mesmerizing was the perfect word to describe this act, but what else can he do that is on an even bigger scale?
4. Pranysqa Mishra: When she took the stage, nobody expected this young singer to be as good as she was, as she rocked a Tina Turner classic. She just might be the best solo singer of the season. With the perfect song, her voice is a weapon that she can utilize to wipe out the competition. Everyone was wowed by her, but Heidi gifted her the Golden Buzzer, sending her straight to the live rounds of the competition. Best use of the Golden Buzzer thus far!
3. Erica Rhodes: There might be no better line this season than “I’m looking for someone that seems like a psychopath but isn’t one.” This stand-up comedian has a dry wit that is not for everyone, but like John Mulaney and Maria Bamford, she is right in my wheelhouse. If I had the Golden Buzzer, let’s just say it would have rained confetti. Her material could really work as a sitcom too!
2. Attraction Juniors: After a successful run on “BGT” in its 15th season, this act comes stateside to accomplish what eluded them there: victory. This group is already an internet sensation from that season, a fact Simon clearly knew. The performance itself was great and I noticed that both children and adults on social media were singing it’s praises. I loved it, BUT there is a slight change I would make to the act as it goes forward: keep the surprise a secret until the last possible moment to really win over some naysayers, who consist of the same complainers that always seem to not want to see children compete, instead of raising the screen with everyone coming out before the song is done. I have not felt more confident saying this: See you in the live rounds guys!
1. Menudo: In a blast from the past, this new iteration of the iconic group, which was created by none other than Mario Lopez in 2022, hit the “AGT” stage, albeit with a slight advantage as they know how the music industry works…even if neither of their singles charted whatsoever. Vocally, they sounded amazing on their second song, which won me over. Might I suggest a modern day take on “A Cara O Cruz” in the live rounds? With Simon’s support in conjunction with the fanbase of Menudo, both past and present, they could be unstoppable.
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