Who Will Win 'America's Got Talent'? 'Perfect' Putri Ariani Impresses
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Murmuration is the new favorite to win Season 18 of "America's Got Talent" and the $1 million prize after the dance group and comic Ahren Belisle advanced to the finals last week.
The latest qualifiers episode featured plenty of strong competition for the pair, including two Golden Buzzer acts, singer Putri Ariani and the Mzansi Youth Choir, but only two out of Tuesday night's 11 acts will advance.
Cowell 'Speechless' After Ariani Exploits
All four judges, Simon Cowell, Heidi Klum, Howie Mandel and Sofia Vergara, rose from their seats to give Ariani a standing ovation after her a cappella version of U2's "I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For.”
Cowell was left "speechless" after his Golden Buzzer pick's performance, and Mandel said it was “perfection.”
Ariani looks to have put one foot in the finals and is at +200 to win “AGT," just behind new +150 favorites Murmuration, while Mzansi Youth Choir remains +350 to triumph after their Tuesday performance.
The Mzansi Youth Choir received the "AGT" audience's Golden Buzzer earlier in the season after performing tune "It's OK.” The song was an original by late singer-songwriter Nightbirde, who auditioned for "AGT" in 2021 and received a Golden Buzzer, but she had to pull out of the contest due to ill health and later died of cancer in February 2022.
Nightbirde's siblings were in the "AGT" audience on Tuesday night to see Mzansi Youth Choir perform a cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “Everywhere,” which Cowell praised as “spectacular,” and they received a standing ovation from all four panelists.
Warrior Squad Looking For An Upset
But both Golden Buzzer acts won't necessarily progress, as we saw last week when Belisle (+300) advanced.
If anyone is going to upset the futures betting market, it could be dance group Warrior Squad.
Mandel called for America to vote for them after their head balancing and acrobatic tricks wowed the panelists.
They are at +400 to win “AGT," even in price with all-female brass band MOS, which covered former "X Factor UK" star Fleur East's tune “Sax.”
MOS is narrowly ahead of new +450 chance Herwan Legaillard in the betting market, after Mandel said the sword swallower "deserves" to be in the finals.
Bowen's Outside Chance
Philip Bowen (+850) might be the best of the rest after Vergara told the fiddle player he made the violin “sexy,” and a pair of +700 chances. Magician Trigg Watson and singer Summer Rios, are also in contention.
Tap dancer Justin Jackson (+900) impressed, with Vergara predicting America will love him, but comic singer Barry Brewer Jr. (+800) might be left regretting his decision to ditch the singing part of his act.
Dance group Phil Wright & Parent Jam, who are at +1200, face an uphill battle to progress after receiving the only red buzzer of the night.
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