‘America’s Got Talent’ season 18 episode 9 performances ranked: Top 12 acts from worst to best
On August 1, 2023, “America’s Got Talent” returned with the eighth set of auditions for its 18th season. Host Terry Crews welcomed viewers back to the show along with judges Simon Cowell, Heidi Klum, Howie Mandel and Sofia Vergara. But who were the best acts from this episode? And did any move forward that shouldn’t have? Below we rank the 12 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’ episode 8 recap: Simon Cowell’s most memorable auditions of all time
Season 18 Episode 8 Rankings:
12. Sunny Chatum: This comedy act was excruciating. Completely and utterly excruciating to watch. I never wanted to see this act again but then she advanced. Sigh. Here’s to hoping that she does not make the live round unless she goes full on Borat and messes with the audience or people on the street as her act.
11. Bomba Circus: As soon as they got on stage, I immediately thought, “Yeah this is going to be a hot mess.” Lo and behold, I was indeed correct, but it was a really funny hot mess that harkens back to Men With Pans from a couple of seasons ago. Easily one of the weakest acts of the night, but somehow Howie is one of their biggest fans. Destined to go viral but in no way has a shot at winning.
10. True Villains: It pains me to say this since every member of the band is super nice and really talented, but I despised this cover of “Bad Guy.” Saying that, the judges loved them and social media was equally impressed. I’m definitely curious to see what song choice comes from them next as I am sure with the right song, they will win me over.
9. Noodle & Bun: I love the concept behind this act, even if I found this all to be a bit creepy. Then the canine began singing and it clicked for me. This is an act that kids and adults can get behind and has all the things that these groups love: impressive animation, kid-friendly, and an amazing lead singer. The guitar-playing cat cracked me up and the drum-playing pony was something straight out of Pixar. This could work really well in Las Vegas and I have no doubt that we will see them in the live rounds.
8. H.B. Monte: This act amused me. In no way is this in my wheelhouse, but I could see this working as a fun video game. I am iffy on this act and need to see more to generate a more solid opinion.
7. Kylie Frey: Kylie Frey had a good amount of screen time, which excited me at first since her personality is an A+. Vocally, Kylie is not the type of singer that I would gravitate towards, but there is an audience out there for her as social media predominantly loved her.
6. Pulse Percussion: This might be the most elaborate percussion group that I have ever seen and I could watch them all day. If I had a Golden Buzzer, my hand would have slammed down on it quicker than Terry could begin speaking. Ironically, I think that this act should use “Rhythm Is Gonna Get You” as the next track they use and apparently NBC agreed by playing that song during the judging.
5. Zion Clark: I am in awe of Zion Clark. His life story is inspirational to say the least. Then he began his act and I was even more in blown away. He made all of those athletic feats on stage look effortless and the voiceover during the act was just icing on the cake. My only questions is this: What else does Zion have up his sleeve for the next round? I only ask since I am 100% sure we will see him in the next round.
4. Twinjas: These kids have a ton of personality and, more importantly, the skills of Jackie Chan and Jet Li. Nickelodeon should do something with them if they do not win. I kinda wish we saw more tricks from them, but they have the potential to be this generation’s version of “The Three Ninjas,” which is a film franchise from the olden days for the confused readers born after 2000.
3. Summer Rios: This Ohio native seemed a bit nervous at first, but once she started talking about Pizza Hut and her ex, she calmed down and was really funny. Saying that, her talent is singing and she was even better at that than she was at being unintentionally hilarious with the judges. If someone combined Olivia Rodrigo and Miranda Kerr, it would be Summer Rios. If I were to guess, we will see her in the live rounds.
2. Duo Acero: This couple is not only amazingly talented, but also had a secret weapon in the form of their daughter. This was what I call a near perfect danger audition. I found it hilarious that their daughter just watched it like “I see them do this all the time.” Then again, Sofia probably would have also had her sit at that table for the remainder of the show if she had a choice. They are a lock for the live rounds.
1. Gabriel Henrique: While I was not blown away by the song choice (it was a bit safe), there is no denying that Gabriel Henrique has an amazing voice. This is the type of singer that can not only win the show but become a global superstar along the way. He is the one to beat in the competition in my opinion. A star was born on August 1, 2023, mark my words. Best use of the Golden Buzzer comes from Sofia once again, who just might be the first to use it on back-to-back winners.
Which season 18 act is YOUR favorite at this point in the competition? Do you think they can snag the $1 million prize? Sound off in the comments below and with other fans in our reality TV forum. Also be sure to make your predictions to influence our reality TV racetrack odds.