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'America's Got Talent' Season 17: Ben Lapidus moves forward despite judges' rejection thanks to fans

'I think the judges have it wrong, the audience loves it! I guess these celebrity judges get all the Parmesan they want!' said a fan

When ir comes to performances on the 'America's Got Talent', you never know what to expect. Some of the most touching stories come with some interesting performances. Benjamin Lapidus explained that his love for music began when he found a ukelele in the garage, which led to him playing melodies that he heard. He opened up about how he was mostly raised by his mother, seeing that his father passed away unexpectedly when he was only 6 years old. This led him to write songs at the age of 14 and record them -- music was his lifeline. But when it came to his performance, Lapidus took the entire show by surprise.

If talent shows are currently on your watch list, then be sure to catch the latest seasons of 'American Song Contest', 'American Idol' and 'So You Think You Can Dance'.

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Lapidus noted that 'AGT' was the biggest stage and this is what he wanted to do with his life -- which led him to audition for the show. He hoped that his music would resonate with the judges. As he took to the stage, he explained that he was a sound designer for narrative podcasts, but his dream was to make more music. Singing an original number, Lapidus began singing a rather heartfelt song about wanting more parmesan on his pasta. While the song resonated with the audience (who doesn't want more parmesan, honestly?), Simon was the first to hit the red buzzer, followed by the rest of the judges.

Heidi Klum noted that he felt the same though, seeing that she too, always wanted more parmesan, demanding to know why they are also "so bloody stingy", only for Simon to interject and note that he hated the cheese, calling it disgusting. While most of the judges, save for Heidi, were not a fan, the studio audience rallied behind Lapidus, seeing that he was clearly singing a song of the people. As he began performing again, the entire audience was on their feet, singing along. Cowell noted that he wanted to "kill" Lapidus, seeing that he now couldn't get the catchy song out of his head, leading him to take the no away and gave him a yes. Heidi was team Lapidus all the way and gave him a yes too, but Howie was hell-bent on his no. It all came down to Sofia, who couldn't ignore the 'power of the people', resulting in Lapidus third and final yes, leading him to the next round.

While the judges missed the punk-rock satire nature of the song on the first go, Twitter was on Lapidus' side all the way. "I think the judges have it wrong, the audience loves it! I guess these celebrity judges get all the Parmesan they want! #AmericasGotTalent #AGT" tweeted a fan. "I always want more Parmesan is my whole life vibe. Same same. #AGT" added another. "He perfectly encapsulates the experience of going to a Italian restaurant #AGT #AGTPremiere" said a fan. "I don’t know I think I always wanted more Parmesan is actually a catchy tune music this is great!!  #agt #agtpremier @AGT @SofiaVergara @howiemandel @heidiklum @terrycrews" wrote a fan. "I cannot stop singing that I want more Parmesan it is so stuck in my head #agt" added another. 

'America's Got Talent' Season 17 premieres on Tuesday, May 31, 2022, at 8 pm on NBC. Following the show's premiere, you can catch all-new episodes every Tuesday at 8pm ET/PT. For viewers who wish to tune in to the show without cable, they can do so using any of the following streaming services: Sling TV, fuboTV, Hulu With Live TV, AT&T TV or YouTube TV.