‘AGT’ Recap: 21-Year-Old Singer Gets Howie’s Golden Buzzer After Epic Final Audition

The ‘AGT’ season 14 auditions continue and the second week featured a shocking danger act, a cute girl group, and more amazing singers. But one performance was so incredible that Howie Mandel had to press his Golden Buzzer!

The second round of the AGT season 14 auditions kick off with Terry Crews rolling out a suitcase. Seems harmless. Then a guy crawls out of the suitcase. His name is Jonathan Burns and he shows he’s a contortionist in the weirdest ways — like fitting himself through a toilet seat and tennis racket. He ends his performance by taking off his underwear. “That was like Napoleon Dynamite but bendy,” Julianne Hough says. Simon Cowell doesn’t hate Jonathan’s act and is curious to see what else Jonathan has to offer. All the judges vote him through to the next round.

Next up is 14-year-old singer Benicio Bryant. He is so nervous to perform in front of Simon. Benicio knows Simon can make someone a star with the snap of his fingers. He performs a gorgeous rendition of Brandi Carlile’s “The Joke” and gets a standing ovation from everyone. “You’re the entire package,” Julianne says. Simon admits that Benicio reminds him of Harry Styles. “I think you’re a real find,” he notes.

The Emerald Belles, a high-kicking group from Texas, grace the stage. They have incredible synchronization. They don’t make one mistake. Gabrielle Union, known for her iconic Bring It On role, is so proud of the group. “You brought it,” Gabrielle says. Julianne calls the performance “cohesive and collectively beautiful.” Howie Mandel doesn’t think the performance was on the level of the Rockettes. Simon wants to give them a chance, as well as Gabrielle and Julianne.

Acrobat group The Messoudi Brothers show off their jaw-dropping strength with their act. At one point, each brother is holding the other in the air. Oh, and they do most of their performance shirtless. The judges love them. Simon notes the trio’s “star presence.” They get a yes from all 4 judges. They later bring Terry out and he gets in on the action, too!

Indian duo Karamjit and Karawjit Singh take danger acts to new heights with their act. One of them has salt poured over their eyes and is then blindfolded. The other is down on the ground and surrounded by coconuts and melons. One wrong move and someone’s going to get hurt. The blindfolded guy goes around smashing the coconuts and melons, getting extremely close to the other guy’s head. Howie says the act was the “craziest and most dangerous thing I’ve ever seen.” Simon admits he was on the edge of his seat the whole time. The danger act is headed to the next round.

Girl group GFORCE has arrived to make your heart melt. This group of 5 perform an original song and they are just so much fun. They can dance, too. These are stars on the rise. “I can definitely hear this song on Radio Disney already,” Gabrielle tells the girls. One of them starts crying because she’s so excited. They’ve never performed in front of an audience this big before. They get a yes from every single judge.

Adaline Bates is a singer with a four-octave range. She joined a group when she was 17 but they eventually broke up. She thinks AGT could be her big break. She’s not just an ordinary singer. Adaline performs both parts of Nat King and Natalie Cole’s version of “Unforgettable.” The judges love her unique vibe and send her through.

Standup comedian Ryan Niemiller is up next. He has a disability in both hands, but he’s not letting that stop him from achieving his dreams. He makes everyone laugh out loud with his act. “I think you are amazing,” Simon says. Howie thinks that Ryan should be in the finals! Ryan is voted through to the next round.

Light Balance Kids, the mini version of fan favorite Ukrainian LED dance troupe Light Balance, take the stage after Ryan. They wow the crowd with their Iron Man-themed performance. The judges love every second of their act. “Your skill is at the level of an adult,” Julianne raves. The group is moving on to the next round.

The next to last audition is Nicholas Wallace, who is a magician. He’s haunting, to say the least. There’s always a creepy act every season and Nicholas is going to be that act. He calls Gabrielle up to help with his act. With some type of voodoo doll, he scares the judges with his tricks. “You are amazing. I love your presentation,” Howie says. Howie, Julianne, and Simon all give Nicholas a yes.

The final audition is 21-year-old singer/songwriter Joseph Allen. He grew up in a blending family and was the youngest of 12 siblings. Joseph has always had a knack for accomplishing his dreams. He’s taught himself how to produce and engineer music.

He performs an original song for the judges and it’s a song about how everyone is going to know his name. He tells the judges he just wants to leave his own footprint on this world. His lyrics don’t lie. The performance is incredibly memorable. He mixes rap with stunning softer vocals. When it’s over, he collapses and starts crying. The judges are blown away. Simon tells Joseph he has a “great tone” and “amazing energy.” Howie is so impressed and inspired that he gets up on the table in front of him and presses his Golden Buzzer for Joseph.