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America's Got Talent S15 Power Rankings (Quarterfinals, Week 1)

Aug 14, 2020 by PowerRankings101

AGT is back, and I’m doing things slightly differently this season. Because of the busy-ness of the world right now, I haven’t had the chance to watch the auditions/judge cuts of AGT this season, so this is the first episode I’m watching. So here’s the deal…I am going in COMPLETELY BLIND to these acts, with no pre-consisting notions or ideas of the contestants and no knowledge of the previous judges comments (save for maybe a golden buzzer). I am going to rank them for these performances solely (which I always do), but the predictions will be based on how I think the audience will respond with no knowledge of how well they’ve been received on social media. It’ll be interesting to see how I react seeing these acts for the FIRST TIME on this episode. Let’s rank! Can’t wait.

**Let me start by saying, Sofia Vergara is on this show? I didn’t even realize she was a judge! Interested to see how she does! Also, condolences to Simon Cowell, I hope he has a speedy recovery. Glad to see Kelly Clarkson take his seat, as she got her golden beginnings because of Simon! We love to see it. Hope he feels well soon**

11. Pork Chop Revue- PCR gave me about everything I expected from an act about agile pigs. It was charming and cute, but did get old after a while. I don’t really know what much else this act could bring going forward? The tricks are impressive, but I think the nature of being a pig act is less energetic than a dog act from a sheer athleticism angle. It just doesn’t scream “Vegas act” to me. It’s impressive what they do, but it was a little slow and repetitive for me.

10. Shaquira McGrath- Shaquira is a great singer and has an amazing voice. This specific performance, however, felt a tad “karaoke” to me. I felt like the sound itself was not balanced as properly as it could’ve been, which may have held her back, but everything until the freestyle runs and riffs seemed very forgettable and too safe. There were pitchy bits as well. All that said, I do think she lights up and stands out as a performer, and maybe given a better song, she’d be able to match that with her vocal performance.

9. Frenchiebabyy- This is my first time seeing Frenchiebabyy, and I’m assuming his audition was much more stripped down, so I appreciated him going bigger with the spectacle here. That being said, I do think the spectacle and surroundings ate him up a bit, and overshadowed his performance. I think what he does is great, but there was just too much going on everywhere else. His pre-performance video package was super heartwarming, so I assume many audience members deeply connect to his story. I just wish there wasn’t as much distraction going on in all, because I do think he has true potential and clear talent.

8. Feng E- First off, I love Feng E’s atmosphere he set up for his act. He is a charming kid, and I was excited to see his act before he even started playing. This was certainly something I’ve never seen before. I was impressed with the range a Ukulele could bring. That being said, I do think the act is a bit restrictive for a larger audience, and seems a bit like “once you’ve seen it once, you’ve seen it all.” I’m still beyond impressed with Feng E’s musicality and passion, which made it all worth while.

7. Michael Yo- Well talk about TEARS, I was definitely crying throughout his pre-video. His fight with COVID-19 is so resonant and powerful, and I do think it’ll not only help with votes, but give him a great drive and fighting spirit in his performances as well. Now about the performance, I don’t know if I vibe with his comedic stylings as much as I had hoped to, though it’s clear he brings so much of his personality into his work, and he wears his heart on his sleeve. He’s just such a likable guy, I would vote for him regardless of if the comedy landed or not.

6. Roberta Battaglia- Roberta got a golden buzzer, so it’s safe to assume she already has a great chance of going forward. Her voice itself is just so powerful, such a rich and mature tone for her age. I do think the song was a bit pitchy in the verses (it was a tad low for her), and she got behind the music’s tempo around the first chorus. HOWEVER, you have to take her age into account, and not having an audience to feed off of. She really did a solid job and improved throughout the song, milking all of those amazing big notes that show off so much strength. If (and when) she goes forward, I really want her to capitalize on those huge money notes, because she really shines most with those.

5. Brett Loudermilk- I’ll admit, I did see his audition because it popped up on my Facebook timeline, so I was familiar of him going in. He has such a great charisma and energy, and really knows how to put on an entertaining show. He acts like a sarcastic, wise-ass jerk, but fully commits to the character and succeeds in his humor. I do think the build up was a lot for such an abrupt ending, and we knew exactly where the act was going. But that’s due to live tv, and I do think he had to feed off of the judges’ energy, which may have slowed some of the build up. I do like how he incorporated more into his act than simple sword-swallowing, and how he was able to expand his act. It shows good promise for him going forward.

4. Simon and Maria- This was one of the best uses of the surrounding sets at Universal Studios. It was so cool to see Mel’s Diner as the set for these two. I think it honestly elevated the performance. The dancing wasn’t the most polished or cleanest I’ve ever seen, but it was made so much better with an amazing performance and some incredible passion. I really liked this one, and while there were some slightly more talented acts throughout the night, this one made me smile a bunch and certainly stood out.

3. Bello & Annaliese Nock- We’ve seen them on previous seasons, so I do know who they are, so they are one of the only acts I had any preconceived notions about going into tonight. Their pre-show video was definitely scary, seeing Bello get hurt., but I’m glad Annaliese still got to perform. This is everything you want from a danger act. There were a few minor inaccuracies throughout (not catching the jump rope, tripping on the jump rope), but that only emphasizes the danger more. This is real, honest, hardcore danger. It definitely worked from a danger angle, a spectacle angle, and was one of my favorites of the night.

2. Double Dragon- This is certainly an entertaining act. There’s no denying that. There’s power in the vocals. It’s so unique, I don’t really know what to make of it, but I thoroughly enjoyed it, and to be completely honest, they had one of the cleanest vocals of the night. Pitch problems were nonexistent, harmonies were on point, energy was 110% full. Yeah, I think I loved it.

1. Archie Williams- Archie’s story is fascinating, and I was intrigued from the get-go. His performance was equally moving, full of soul, passion, heart, and resilience. It’s the most raw vocal performance I may have ever seen on this show. It wasn’t a perfect vocal, but it doesn’t matter. It was beautiful through and through, and the easy highlight of the night.

Well, there you have it. I think Archie’s rawness and soul-soothing vocals won the night for me, but Double Dragon really capitalized on a pure entertainment angle. They also nailed all the notes and harmonies. I do think, judging from how this audience votes historically, Archie, Roberta, and Michael Yo all have the story and journeys that will likely advance them to the next round (let alone, how talented they are). As for the last two slots, I think Frenchiebabyy has an impactful story as well, though I worry he may have been overshadowed, especially given the stronger acts that finished the night with equally moving stories. Brett seems to be a talent that many can get behind, he’s both a character and does an entertaining act well. I hope Double Dragon gets that slot, but judging from their video, they may be more of a novelty act that I don’t know if America will respond to well enough. So for me, it’s down to the two pairs: Bello & Anneliese, who have tried twice before and never got through, but delivered their best performance to date…and Simon and Maria, who are both adorable and infectious. I do think that the voters will send through the father-daughter duo, especially because Bello never got the chance to perform.

PREDICTIONS:

Going Through- Archie Williams, Roberta Battaglia, Michael Yo, Brett Loudermilk, and Bello & Anneliese

Going Home- Double Dragon, Frenchiebabyy, Pork Chop Revue, Simon and Maria, Feng E, and Shaquira McGrath

#casting

Comments

Actual: Archie Williams, Shaquira McGrath, Roberta Battaglia, Brett Loudermilk, and Double Dragon

Surprised but INCREDIBLY happy about Double Dragon making it through

Sent by PowerRankings101,Aug 15, 2020

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America's Got Talent S15 Power Rankings (Quarterfinals, Week 1)

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