‘AGT’ Recap: New Frontrunners Emerge & Simon Declares One Act Is ‘Terrible’ In Quarterfinals

The final performances of the 'AGT' quarterfinals featured some highlights and some less-than-stellar performances. A few acts prove they're more than deserving of making it to the finals!

‘AGT’ Recap: New Frontrunners Emerge & Simon Declares One Act Is ‘Terrible’ In Quarterfinals

Recap

August 24, 2021 10:13PM EDT

The final performances of the ‘AGT’ quarterfinals featured some highlights and some less-than-stellar performances. A few acts prove they’re more than deserving of making it to the finals!

UniCircle Flow kicks off the final round of the America’s Got Talent season 16 quarterfinals with their newest performance. One member of the group falls off her unicycle in the middle of the performance, but she gets right back up. Howie Mandel cracks a joke about Simon Cowell’s fall while commending the group for continuing on. Despite the mishap, Simon thinks they’ve got a “real shot” at making the semi-finals.

Anica is ready to prove to Simon that she can do a live show. She wants to leave her day job as a realtor behind. She rocks out to “River” by Bishop Briggs. Heidi Klum declares Anica is one of her “favorites.” Simon notes that this performance was “a million times better” than her first audition.

Lea KyleLea Kyle performs during the quarterfinals. (NBC)

‘AGT’ Quarterfinals Performances

Léa Kyle, Heidi’s Golden Buzzer, returns to the AGT stage. She shows off her plethora of outfit changes to Gwen Stefani’s “Just a Girl.” While Heidi is so “proud” of Léa, Simon says he thought her audition was better than this. Howie disagrees with Simon on this one.

The Curtis Family C-Notes jam out to “Love Train” by The O’Jays. Howie admits he felt like this performance made this group seem like a ’70s cover band. Simon suggests to not let mom and make the decision about what to sing next time. “You’ve got to become current,” he says. Meanwhile, Heidi and Sofia Vergara are all about this act.

Keith Apicary’s performance has Simon pressing the first red buzzer of the night. Heidi says Keith is “dynamite,” but Simon doesn’t sugarcoat his real feelings. “This was terrible,” he says. Next up is Michael Winslow. He shows off a number of new voices during his latest act. Sofia raves that Michael is “such a unique human being.” Simon isn’t a huge fan. Howie has known Michael for years and believes he’s a “true talent.”

The Curtis Family C-NotesThe Curtis Family C-Notes hit the stage for the quarterfinals. (NBC)

Brooke Simpson brings down the house performing a rendition of “Lost Cause” by Billie Eilish. She gets a standing ovation, even from Simon. “I think this was the best performance so far,” Simon tells Brooke. “I really felt your hunger.” A new frontrunner has emerged!

Rialcris, the hand-balancing act from Colombia, makes Sofia proud with their performance. “Looks like we have a competition,” Simon quips. Howie tells the trio that they deserve to make it to the next round. Chapkidz has an explosive performance that really elevates the competition. Sofia admits it’s “unbelievable” how synchronized they all are. “This stage can make you or break you. Tonight, it made you,” Simon raves. He adds, “By far the best act by a mile.”

Storm Large Wins Wildcard Vote

Storm Large is the winner of the wildcard vote. She performs a unique rendition of “Take On Me” by a-ha. It’s a much slowed-down version. Sofia thinks Storm is the “perfect package,” but this wasn’t better than her first audition. Simon tells Storm that she was a bit “too soft” during this performance.

Magician Klek Entos has Terry Crews and Sofia be a part of his act. Just a bit into the act, Simon presses the red buzzer. Sofia begins to scream as Klek brings the scares. After it’s over, Simon admits it just “took a long time” to get to the point of the act. Howie and Heidi disagree with Simon. Heidi brings up that people love being scared.

The final act of the night is Terry’s Golden Buzzer act: World Taekwondo Demonstration Team. Just like with their audition, this group brings their A-game. “This is what America’s Got Talent is all about,” Simon declares. “We will be seeing you in Vegas.” Howie adds that this was the “best act of the night!”