*Contains spoliers
Last Wednesday night was the season 16 finale of America’s Got Talent and boy was it packed with talent! Every other season or two, I get really invested in AGT and this season was definitely a great one to be invested in. The talent ranged from singing and magic acts all the way to large choirs and martial arts groups. It would take a long time to recap every act from this past season so I am going to give my opinion on the top 5!
- Aidan Bryant: Aidan Bryant is a sixteen year old aerialist who managed to impress the minute he stepped onto the AGT stage. His audition impressed the judges so much to receive a standing ovation from Simon Cowell, Heidi Klum and Sofia Vergara. He did aerialist tricks on a hoop that was hanging from a rope. These included contortionist poses, spinning extremely fast and hanging from the ceiling by his ankles! Aidan captured the hearts of America and made it to the finals. He was able to step it up every round and in the finals, he delivered his most dangerous performance yet. He managed to hang by his neck and spin extremely fast. He had special effects around him, like flames, which enhanced his performance and made it so fierce and strong. I think that he definitely deserved the spot in the finals and I am not surprised at all that he was the runner up of this season. There have been other aerialists on AGT but something about him was just so refreshing and different. I think he definitely has a successful career ahead of him!
- Brooke Simpson: Brooke Simpson is no stranger to the stage. She was on The Voice’s season 13 and placed third! She is a 30-year old singer and songwriter from a small town in Hollister, North Carolina. One of the reasons she chose to enter the show was because she wanted to give a voice to indigenous people and to represent her tribe back at home. She has a beautiful story and I am so glad that she was on this season. I did not watch The Voice so she was a surprise to me. And let me tell you, she was by far my favorite singer that has ever been on AGT. I am not one to want singers to win AGT because I believe that they should go on singing only shows but Brooke is an exception. Every single round, she blew me away with her stellar vocal and performance abilities. She was able to step it up each round, adding more vocal runs and belting high notes left and right. I wanted her to win or at least be the runner-up so badly. Although she came in 4th place, I think that she is going to have so many opportunities going forward in terms of her career and becoming a professional recording artist. If you have not heard this woman sing, RUN don’t walk to YouTube.
- Dustin Tavella: Dustin Tavella was this season’s winner! He is a magician from Virginia Beach who is married and has two adorable sons. I know that there have been a lot of magicians on AGT but something about Dustin is so special. He is able to combine the idea of magic and his passion for making a difference in the world. Every single performance had meaning and a message behind it. His magic told a story and then impacted others to go make a difference in somebody’s life. Plus, I literally cannot even begin to figure out how he did that type of magic. He captured my attention from the audition all the way to the finals. I do think that his final act was not the strongest out of all his performances, however. There are many people saying that they are disappointed in who won this season and others saying that Dustin did not deserve the win. Here is my opinion. I think that he definitely deserved his spot in the finals. With the win, I have been going back and forth in my head thinking if he should have won or if it should have gone to someone else and I genuinely do not know. I think that he was very unique but I was disappointed that a magician won the show so close to when the last one won, Shin Lim. I still really enjoyed his act however and I think that people in Vegas will love him as well!
- Josh Blue: Josh Blue is a stand-up comedian who captured the hearts of so many this season. Blue has Cerebral Palsy and was able to use his disability to make others laugh. That is such an amazing and hard thing to do. Put yourself out there in front of millions and make fun of yourself. I give him SO much credit. His jokes were always hilarious and constantly had the judges dying from laughter. He was also voted the Last Comic Standing on NBC’s reality show Last Comic Standing during its fourth season, so Blue is no stranger to the stage. Blue placed third in the competition this season and I think that he definitely deserved it. I am not a fan of stand-up comedy because I personally do not get most of the jokes but he actually got me. We will definitely see him as a big stand-up comedian in the future, possibly following in the footsteps of Howie Mandel, one of his biggest supporters throughout the season!
- Léa Kyle: Léa Kyle is a quick change artist and magician who placed fifth on this season of AGT. This was one of the most unique acts I have ever seen and I really enjoyed watching her throughout the competition. She received Heidi Klum’s golden buzzer at her audition and automatically made it through to the live shows. When I first saw her audition, I was in awe and my jaw was on the floor. I could not comprehend how she did everything. She also stepped it up each performance as the changes got more impressive and just jaw dropping. There were points where a dress would be on a mannequin, would fly off through mid air and next thing you know, she would be wearing it. I think she definitely deserved to come in 5th place. It was one of the most unique acts the show has ever had and I am honestly surprised she did not place higher. Her act is perfect for Vegas and could be enjoyed by anyone!
So that was our top 5 from this season! I want to end with two honorable mentions from the top 10 who I think should have made it into the top 5: Jimmie Herrod and the World Taekwondo Demonstration Team. Now I know I said that I don’t usually vote for singers on the show but Jimmie Herrod is something special. At his audition, he said that he was singing “Tomorrow” from Annie and Simon was immediately turned off saying that he hated that song. By the end of his audition, Herrod received a standing ovation from all four judges, Simon Cowell’s golden buzzer and even changed Simon’s mind about the song. It was the most incredible rendition of that song that I have ever heard. Each round, he continued to impress with his mind-blowing vocals and musicality. His voice literally brought me to tears and chills every time he sang and I was so upset that he did not make it into the top 10. He is definitely going to be the next Broadway star, just you wait!
The World Taekwondo Demonstration Team was an incredible act as well. There were at least 50 members in that group who managed to flip through the air at incredible heights and break like a hundred wooden boards. There have been Taekwondo acts on the show before but this was the most impressive one the show has had thus far. I was absolutely shocked when it was revealed that they did not make it to the top 5 because again, I think they were extremely deserving as well.
Season 16 of AGT was truly so special and I cannot wait to see what kind of talent the next season brings!