PASADENA, CALIFORNIA: During the 'America's Got Talent' Season 18 Result Show, Jason Derulo performed an incredible mashup with Anna DeGuzman and Murmuration. Fans quickly flocked to social media to criticize the pop artist, accusing him of utilizing autotune in his performance.
On September 27, the 'AGT' Season 18 finale finished with the revelation of this year's million-dollar act. After receiving enough public votes in the qualifications, eleven performers participated in a two-hour program on September 26. To get this far, some required the help of this season's judges — Simon Cowell, Howie Mandel, Heidi Klum, and Sofia Vergara.
The mash-up began with Anna performing a few card tricks before Jason performed a megamix of songs as Murmuration produced visuals from the stands behind him.
Anna began the show with a card trick before the camera switched to Jason. Jason performed a combination of his hit songs with Murmuration as support dancers.
Jason sang 'Hands on Me' before moving on to another tune. Viewers found these "mashups" to be extremely unpredictable. Jason described the act as "unbelievable." Howie refers to his Golden Buzzer performers as "superstars." Simon congratulated Jason for his visit!
On X, angry fans wrote, "am I going crazy or was Jason deluros new song hands on me a blatant plagiarism of Ben E. Kings Stand by me." Another user asked, "Why tf is Jason delulu on my screen…" Others quipped, "Jason Derulo and his autotune." "I think Jason Derulo holds the record for most lip-synced performances on #AGT. Will he add to his tally tonight?" joked another.
On Reddit, users sighed, "I feel like they totally drowned out murmuration & Anna and just focused on Jason Derulo. I feel like they could have done more to integrate both. Had murmuration closer and zoomed in on more & have Anna do some magic idk." Another user chimed in, "Jason sampling stand by me. Eh no thanks." Some felt, "Nah that was criminal." "That was terrible, IMO," wrote another.
Who are 'AGT' Season 18 finalists?
Season 18 of 'AGT' began with fifty-five brilliant hopefuls competing for a chance to impress the star-studded panel of judges, which included Sofia, Heidi, Simon, and Howie. During the preliminary rounds, there were magnificent performances, poignant stories, and jaw-dropping feats of talent. However, as the battle heated up, the judges were forced to make some difficult judgments, reducing the field to the final eleven.
The following artists have advanced to the AGT Season 18 finals:
Avantgardey
The fan-favorite 20-woman Japanese dancing trio saw their hard work and devotion pay off as they won this season's Instant Save. The group is from Osaka, Japan, and is well-known for its distinctive dancing techniques and facial expressions.
82nd Airborne Division All-American Chorus
This season's army group got off to a remarkable start with an audition that touched both the judges' and the fans' hearts. Their energetic rendition of The Temptations' hit 'My Girl' was dedicated to the memory of Spc Elijah Crawford.
Adrian Stoica and Hurricane
The trainer and his loyal border collie, Hurricane, became an instant hit with the audience. The dynamic team, who have performed together all over the world, put on a show of several astounding maneuvers set to Meghan Trainor's 'Better When I'm Dancing' for their audition.
Mzansi Youth Choir
Earlier in the season, the Mzansi Youth Choir created 'AGT' history by receiving the first-ever Audience Golden Buzzer. As a memorial to the late singer, who died of cancer in 2022, they sang a rendition of season 16 participant Nightbirde's song 'It's Okay' at their audition.
Chibi Unity
The Japanese dance group finished season 18's tryouts on a high note, receiving the Group Golden Buzzer from all four judges and Terry.
Anna DeGuzman
At her audition, the 25-year-old Filipina magician wowed the judges with her mesmerizing card skills. She went on to become the first female magician to advance to the 'AGT's live show rounds.
Ramadhani Brothers
With their jaw-dropping acrobatic tryout, the Tanzanian brothers astounded the judges. Fadhili and Ibrahim specialize in head-balancing, with Fadhili balancing on top of his brother's head (and nothing else).
Lavender Darcangelo
When she sang Irene Cara's 'Out Here On My Own' from the 1980 musical film Fame for her audition, the 27-year-old vocalist soon became a fan favorite. Her impassioned performance received a standing ovation from the judges, prompting Heidi to hit her Golden Buzzer.
Putri Ariani
The 17-year-old singer-songwriter made an impression during her audition when she sat down at the piano and sang an original song. She not only wowed the judges with her singing, but she also received Simon's Golden Buzzer.
Ahren Belisle
During his audition, the 28-year-old software engineer turned comic, who has cerebral palsy and is nonverbal, swiftly won over the judges with his sense of humor. The jokes are delivered by phone by the Ontario native.
Murmuration
The 64-person French dance ensemble first impressed spectators with their breathtaking audition, in which they performed synchronized hand-based choreography while blindfolded. Judge Howie pressed his Golden Buzzer, finding the performance "hypnotic."
Who are the guest performers on 'AGT' Season 18 finale?
With amazing show-stopping displays alongside the top 11 finalists, the two-night season finale concludes on Wednesday, September 27 at 9 pm ET/PT.
Special guests include world-famous chef and television persona Cat Cora, award-winning songwriter Diane Warren, pop and R&B singer Jason Derulo, acclaimed award-winning musician Jon Batiste, music sensation and 'X Factor UK' alumna Leona Lewis, 'AGT' Season 17 winner the Mayyas.
Will there be 'AGT' Season 19?
The eighteenth season of 'AGT' is about to wrap up, and it appears that a new season has been ordered, as the auditions are already open. Potential competitors can sign up for a virtual or video audition on the official 'AGT' auditions website.
One of the most watched shows on American television, reality competition shows have a long history of rewarding seasons and spin-offs that are well-liked by fans. Given its popularity, 'AGT' is returning, although the precise release date is yet unknown. The program and NBC will have to wait before providing further information to viewers.
In light of this, audiences may anticipate the debut of 'AGT' Season 19 somewhere in the middle of 2024. Based on the knowledge we have as of this writing, we have estimated this date.
