Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-26983547-20190527152245/@comment-36158916-20190605063916

2. '''Benicio Bryant - He’s definitely better than Sophia in terms of technical skill. I do think he was a bit boring tho. Now looking back, you don’t see too many male kid singers go far on the show in the recent season regardless of their skill. I remember I was saying Jeffrey was going to make the finals last season but he got cut in Judge Cuts in possibly one of the worst eliminations in AGT history if I remember. For now, I think he’ll probably make semifinals.'''
 * 1) Jonathan Burns - Great way of starting off the episode. Personally I feel like contortion often seems forced on the show, it’s definitely interesting to watch but there’s only so much you can do. I love how he focused on his comedy before the contortion and blended both seamlessly. Having a great personality also helps. The great thing about acts like these is the HUGE amount of potential they have but this can also be a double edged sword. He might be the next Tape Face or the next Jokgu. Right now, I think either judge cuts or quarterfinals. If he passes judge cuts then he’s definitely doing something right and thus probably has good chances of making the semifinals. 
 * 1) Emerald Belles - I think Simon and Howie both had fair points to make. Like they said, their style of dance is something unorthodox and not seen often today. If they’re one of the few doing it in modern times than perhaps there’s value in them. On the other hand, you have to consider why it’s unorthodox. There are more styles of dance that are more engaging, creative, etc. Their routine was by no means bad but it was definitely one of the most forgettable of the night. If it wasn’t for Gabrielle, I’m sure they would’ve been montaged. I’ll say Judge Cuts are the end of the line and Quarterfinals at most.
 * 2) Messoudi Brothers - They have that Malevo-esque charisma and charm which makes just makes them so likeable (this is coming from a straight man btw). I like how they don’t have too much of a sob story, just some brothers trying to live up to their dad’s example. As for their act, it’s interesting to see not 2 but 3 acrobats. I think the additional person will really open up new possibilities for their act. I know we had The Godfathers 2 seasons ago who ended up getting cut in Judge Cuts. The fact that these guys got a segment dedicated to them gives me hope they move on though. I know I’ve been repetitive but I think it’s another Judge Cuts/Quarterfinals.
 * 3) Bir Khalsa Group - We’ve all seen plenty of danger acts in the years we’ve been watching this show so we’re all desensitized to it and thus can think more critically compared to casual viewers. The whole overly blindfolded and then doing dangerous things to other people has already been done to death multiple times. That being said, generic does not always mean bad. I actually found the act to be very engaging, I could feel the strength of the hammer slamming into the ground and crushing those fruits. Definitely one of the highlights of the night. The show emphasized that they were Indian so perhaps we’ll see more unique performances that take elements of their culture. I think quarterfinals is a good place for them for now.
 * 4) GForce - As someone who’s an avid enthusiast in Kpop (don’t judge lol), my expectations for what a girl group  are pretty darn high. That also means that I’m used to the potentially cringy aspects that come with acts like these. Of course you have to take into account that these are young kids who really weren’t THAT bad for their age. The song was mediocre and that really sums up the whole act. A big part which determines the success of boy bands/girl groups is likeability. Do these kids come off as spoiled obnoxious brats? Kinda….but once again you have to take into account their age. I think it’s the end at Judge Cuts but they might be another Artyon and Paige so you never know.
 * 5) Adaline Bates - Just like Patrizzio, her act relies a lot on the surprise however I think she actually has it worse than Patrizzio. For one, the surprise is revealed after she goes backstage and changes, not as appealing as doing it on stage. Patrizzio also has the advantage of doing dance which has more creative possibilities imo. I do think you have to take into account that she does have a pretty good voice but I don’t think it will be entertaining in the long run. I like her humbleness though. I think she’ll be eliminated in quarterfinals.
 * 6) Ryan Niemiller - It’s pretty damn refreshing to see an act with a disability not focus so much on it in a negative way. As much as I loved Samuel last season, I won’t deny that his sob story would take me out of the humor every now and then. I just love the way Ryan views his disability as a gift and not a curse. His delivery and ingenuity was spot on. One of my favorites and deserves to be at least a semifinalist.
 * 7) Light Balance Kids - This is a very interesting act because really if you cut out the opening/ending parts where they reveal themselves, you would NOT be able to tell the difference between this and the OG Light Balance. Even their heights don’t help much. Personally I think this would’ve worked better had they revealed the kids after the performance. The fact that they were that similar is impressive on its own but do they deserve to go far on the show even though they’re almost the exact same act…. of course not. Definitely a semifinalist at worst.
 * 8) Nicholas Wallace - Just like danger, I feel like the people on this forum are able to look at the act from a more critical perspective. We know that the whole horror magic thing isn’t real so instead we focus on things such as presentation. Compared to The Clairvoyants, Riana, and even Collin; Nicholas doesn’t come off as forced. With those three acts despite their great showmanship, the overdramatics did become quite tiring after a while. It’s a good change of pace to see someone be calm and minimalistic. The focus isn’t really on him but rather his act. This is because instead of building himself up to be some great force of nature, he presents himself as just a weirdo. He chose a pretty simple yet entertaining audition act which is good because he’s saving his better work for stuff down the line. I feel like he definitely will make the quarterfinals but whether he moves forward will depend on how people like the aforementioned presentation style.
 * 9) Joseph Allen - Damn we already got a polarizing audition. I’ll start by saying I don’t think he deserved the Golden Buzzer. That doesn’t mean he isn’t talented but rather I don’t think it was enough to justify an instant pass to the live shows. The fact that people are arguing on whether or not he deserves it probably means we need to see him for a second time. His flow was quite good imo and the lyrics while a bit cringy felt like it came from the heart. He’s an overall likeable guy and always have to give credit to people who perform original songs. One thing I noticed and it might just be me but the sound of his voice kinda came off weird as if it had been slightly edited maybe idk. I think he will get as far as the semifinals.

'''My top 3 this week are Ryan Niemiller, Light Balance Kids and Nicholas Wallace. Props to Jonathan Burns though, I find his act to be very charming. Out of the 3, Ryan is my personal favorite both for his jokes, delivery, and the way he went about explaining his disability. I feel like Nicholas’ act without taking into account presentation was pretty standard and the Light Balance Kids need to do more to distinguish themselves from the OGs.'''