Did POPLYFE Dance and Sing Their Way Into the 'AGT' Finale? (VIDEO)
The top ten acts on 'America's Got Talent' (Tue., 9PM ET on NBC) certainly gave America something to think about. With only four of them moving on to next week's finale, they weren't making it easy to pick which ones deserved it most. At the most, I'd say two acts completely blew it this week and two acts failed to improve.!!SPOILER ALERT!!
The first misfire came when Lys Agnes once again abandoned the opera style that made us love her and tackled Aerosmith's 'Dream On.' Her voice sounded all kinds of weird in the lower register and it never really recovered.
Miami All-Stars mixed it up by incorporating a football theme into their dance, and it didn't work at all. The costumes clashed with their moves, and created a visual mess that failed to look as elegant and tightly choreographed as I know it was.
The two acts that disappointed by not showing us something more than we've seen before were West Springfield Dance Team and Silhouettes. I'm not sure it will hurt the latter group -- though it was frustrating to see them resort to the patriotic pandering they did a few rounds ago -- but I think West Springfield's failure to take advantage of the story elements they put into their routine to show us more than group formations and levels was a failure to impress on their part.
Landon Swank did a trick similar to his earlier mirror routine, but the presentation was so smooth and cool that it made the whole thing look fresher. Plus, the creation and disappearance of the fish was nicely handled as well. The only fear for him I have is that the trick was a little small for a big stage show, but it was deftly presented.
But while Swank was a bit too small for the stage, the Smage Bros. Riding Show is so much bigger than that small space. Nevertheless, they always manage to put together some impressive and frightening tricks. I'd love to see what they could do with the room to build up more speed and make the tricks bigger, but they mixed the set up tonight, added some new stunts and kept things fresh and moving.
The three other vocal acts in the competition all came out swinging, with rock-solid performances. POPLYFE came to life with a beautiful Jackson 5 medley. It was stronger in the beginning, as they seemed to struggle a bit when the tempo picked up. Also, I don't think the guys in the band should sing backup anymore, as they were just atrocious. But I'm not sure America will care, as they are a solid young band.
Landau Eugene Murphy, Jr. kept it simple and classic, and his vocals were again spot-on. He's a perfect throwback to the Rat Pack era and it just makes you feel good listening to him. Anna Graceman, on the other hand, can leave you on the edge of your seat when she hits one of her bigger notes. Her voice is such a mature powerhouse in that tiny little body. I wasn't completely sold on her standing in a meadow rather than behind the piano on this one, but that voice cannot be denied.
That leaves Team iLuminate, who easily earned their way into the finale. They added the concept's creator into the dancing this week, and the visuals remained stunning, innovative and absolutely mesmerizing. More than any other act, this one demands your attention and doesn't let go.
So if Team iLuminate is in, then which three acts will join them? Could it be as simple as plugging in those three singing acts (Murphy, Graceman and POPLYFE)? It's hard to pick this week, which makes it tempting to just cop out and not do it.
But I'll go ahead and say it's Team iLuminate, POPLYFE, Landau Eugene Murphy Jr. and Landon Swank. Now, I say that with very little confidence, so tell me I'm wrong and give us your picks in the comments.
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