Ten more fates were on the line Wednesday, September 2 as “America’s Got Talent” revealed another trio of acts moving forward to the Season 21 semifinals.
This week’s group of quarterfinalists competing for viewers’ votes included acrobatic duo Holland & Sienna, singer Isaac Atkins, contortionist Maria, singer Elsie, dancing dog group Acro Canine Crew, sword swallower Herwan Legaillard, singer/poet Guy Kelton Jones I, magician Kameron Marshall, comedian Daniel Alvarez, and singer Pynk Beard — most of whom received disappointing news on Wednesday.
As always, one lucky act got to sit out from this stress-fest entirely. During Tuesday’s live performance show, Lai Noelle received guest judge Kenan Thompson’s Golden Buzzer, immediately sending the singer straight to the Season 21 finals.
With Thompson once again filling in for Simon Cowell alongside regular judges Howie Mandel, Mel B, and Sofia Vergara, the results of America’s votes were rolled out in dramatic fashion over the course of the hour, thanks to Terry Crews’ lengthy pauses.
Read on for a full breakdown of how the quarterfinalists fared, including which acts are moving forward and who’s sadly out of the competition.
ELIMINATED: Holland & Sienna
Alex Warren’s “Rescuer” provided the soundtrack for this couple’s beautiful, romantic aerial routine in the Season 21 quarterfinals.
“It was so scary, so wonderful, so amazing,” Howie Mandel told them after their performance on Tuesday, though he also posed an important question: “Was it better than the audition? I don’t know that you went up, but it was amazing.”
And the “America’s Got Talent” viewers apparently sided with Mandel. Once the votes were tallied on Wednesday, this gravity-defying couple’s “AGT” dreams were, well, grounded.
ELIMINATED: Isaac Atkins
It was impossible not to salute this Army sergeant after his emotional performance of KALEO’s “Way Down We Go” during Tuesday’s quarterfinals performance.
“Boy, you got soul!” guest judge Kenan Thompson told Isaac Atkins, though he admitted that Atkins could have chosen a song with a slightly bigger range. “This is a wow factor show,” Thompson said, “and I think if you showed a little bit more of…” but his sentence was drowned out by boo’s, both from the audience and a few of the judges. “I’m trying to give good advice,” Thompson said. “Boo, constructive criticism!”
Hopefully Atkins will take some of that “constructive criticism” in his next venture; though he made it to the Top 5, he was ultimately eliminated during Wednesday’s live results show.
ELIMINATED: Maria
Contortionist Maria returned for the quarterfinals with another mystifying performance set to No Doubt’s “I’m Just a Girl.” Because Maria is, indeed, just a girl… a girl who can turn herself into a pretzel!
“There’s something about your act,” Sofia Vergara told her on Tuesday. “There’s some moves that we really have never seen. This new fire thing that you created, that whole story … you are really, really impressive. I hope that people vote for you tonight.”
Unfortunately, Vergara’s hopes were not fulfilled; Maria was the first act eliminated during Wednesday’s live results show.
ELIMINATED: Elsie
Another big voice in Season 21 belongs to Elsie, who delivered a haunting rendition of The Animals’ “House of the Rising Sun” on Tuesday. Unfortunately, the judges thought she could have gone even bigger.
“Elsie, you know I adore you, and I think it’s been really beautiful to see you on this journey come out of your shell more and more,” Mel B said after her performance. “Your voice is so much bigger than I think you even know. It was safe tonight. You could sing that song with your eyes closed. You deserve more than that song. I hope America votes for you, because I do want to see you again.”
Unfortunately, we won’t get to see Elsie again — at least not on “America’s Got Talent” — as the viewers opted not to send her through to the semifinals on Wednesday’s live results show.
SAFE: Acro Canine Crew
This upbeat team of humans and animals had everyone “Walking on Sunshine” with their quarterfinals routine, a beach-set party loaded with flips and tricks.
“You check every box,” Howie Mandel told them on Tuesday. “Everybody loves a dog act, and you have a many-dog act. You are tumbling, you do acrobatics, you do dancing. We smile from beginning to end. The energy is great.”
And the energy will continue to be great, as Acro Canine Crew was voted into the semifinals during Wednesday’s live results show. “We love your dogs, and clearly America loves your dogs,” Mel B said.
ELIMINATED: Herwan Legaillard
Is it hot in here, or are we still recovering from Herwan Legaillard’s squirm-inducing quarterfinals performance on Tuesday, which involved swallowing a flaming sword and swinging around the stage in circles… at the same time! It was a wild endeavor, but not wild enough for some of the judges.
“Maybe I’m not seeing it from the right angle, but it just didn’t look as dangerous [as your previous performance],” Mel B said. “Maybe I’m confused. Maybe I’ll watch this back and be mad at myself, but it didn’t do anything for me at all.”
Legaillard’s quarterfinals performance apparently didn’t do anything for the viewers, either, as he was one of the acts eliminated during Wednesday’s live results show.
ELIMINATED: Guy Kelton Jones I
Guy Kelton Jones I took us to school and to church in the quarterfinals with another powerful spoken-word poem that seamlessly transitioned into an emotional gospel ballad.
“That was so beautiful, so creative,” Sofia Vergara told him on Tuesday. “To mix the poetry with the singing, that was my favorite part. You’re unique, and America is going to vote for you for sure.”
Unfortunately, this unique performer will have to find a new stage for his artistry; the “America’s Got Talent” voters did not send him through to the Season 21 semifinals during Wednesday’s live results show.
SAFE: Kameron Marshall
The judges has nothing but kind words for Kameron Marshall following his latest magic trick during Tuesday’s quarterfinals, which involved both judge Kenan Thompson as well as the studio audience.
“What just happened?” Mel B said, attempting to wrap her head around Marshall’s routine. “Hello? I don’t get it, I don’t want to get it, I believe in magic. You are fantastic!”
And the viewers agreed with Mel B, sending the “fantastic” magician through to the semifinals during Wednesday’s live results show. He promised the viewers that his next act will be “even bigger.”
SAFE: Lai Noelle (received Kenan Thompson’s Golden Buzzer!)
As we said earlier, there was no need for Lai Noelle to sweat it out on Wednesday. Her incredible performance of Elton John’s “Your Song” earned her Kenan Thompson’s Golden Buzzer on Tuesday, sending her straight through to the Season 21 finals.
“I mean, I hope y’all are ready for some more confetti,” Thompson said when she was done singing. “Sofia, could you get that?” With a big smile on her face, judge Sofia Vergara made Thompson’s request (and Noelle’s dream) come true.
SAFE: Daniel Alvarez
Comedian Daniel Alvarez got even more personal in the quarterfinals, telling jokes about his fellow “America’s Got Talent” quarterfinalists, sprinkling in some self-deprecating humor along the way. (“It’s kind of ironic that I’m the last comic standing,” he said at the top of his set.)
“I am so proud of you,” Howie Mandel said on Tuesday. “I’m so glad that you’re doing comedy. You are so slick, so funny — using what’s happening right here right now and making it funny and witty. You’re going to be a star. Put him in the finals, America!”
Wednesday’s live results show was a nail biter, but it ended on a positive note for Alvarez, who was the last act voted through to the Season 21 semifinals.
ELIMINATED: Pynk Beard
With his neon-colored facial hair catching all the lights, Pynk Beard returned for the quarterfinals on Tuesday, closing out the night with a soulful performance of his original song “On My Hood.”
Guest judge Kenan Thompson was impressed, telling the singer, “You just blew the roof off of this place, so y’all better vote for this man.”
Alas, the voters did not heed Thompson’s advice. Pynk Beard was the third act eliminated during Wednesday’s live results show.
Which acts are still competing in AGT Season 21?
With only week left in the quarterfinals, the end of Season 21 is almost in sight. Here’s where we stand after Wednesday’s results show:
THROUGH TO SEMIFINALS | Royal Lasers, dog act Olivia Befus, rapper Luke Taleno, dance group Come Here, aerialist Veronika Goroshkova, and magician Geno Ploeger, magician Kameron Marshall, dog group Acro Canine Crew, and comedian Daniel Alvarez
THROUGH TO FINALS | magic group Hundred Fingers, rocker Nene Royal, and singer Lai Noelle
QUARTERFINALISTS RETURNING SEPTEMBER 8 | novelty act Akira, rock duo Bird & Byron, comedian Cameron Logsdon, comic singer Cesar Dias, singer Jesse Joe, singer Lara D, parkour athlete Ruben Roldan, singer Travis Garland, robot dance group Unitree, and magic duo Young & Strange
How do you feel about Wednesday’s results? Vote for the three acts you would have sent through to the semifinals in the poll below, then drop a comment with your thoughts on Season 21 overall.
