'AGT' judges were stunned after singer performed a song that music icon Prince wrote for her

“Your outfit, your voice, the song—it’s amazing to have an artist like you here with us," Sofia Vergara said.
PUBLISHED APR 10, 2025
Simon Cowell and contestant Liv Warfield on 'AGT" 2024; (R) Prince during the 1984 Purple Rain Tour on November 4 at Detroit, Michigan. (Cover Image Source: YouTube| America's Got Talent; (R) Getty Images| Photo by Ross Marino)
Simon Cowell and contestant Liv Warfield on 'AGT" 2024; (R) Prince during the 1984 Purple Rain Tour on November 4 at Detroit, Michigan. (Cover Image Source: YouTube| America's Got Talent; (R) Getty Images| Photo by Ross Marino)

R&B singer Liv Warfield transformed the 'America's Got Talent' stage into a live concert spectacle with an electrifying rendition of the original track, 'The Unexpected.' Warfield performed the unique single written especially by her former mentor, Prince, for the quarter-final round. “If this were the Olympics for singing, you would have won the gold medal,” Simon Cowell reacted to the performance. “It felt to me like all those years you’ve been climbing the ladder to where you want to be, it all came out in those three minutes.” 



 

Sofia Vergara couldn't hide her excitement and lauded Warfield's "perfect" act, saying, “Your outfit, your voice, the song—it’s amazing to have an artist like you here with us.” Howie Mandel, a die-hard Prince fan, did not shy away from praising the 45-year-old artist. “I’m a huge Prince fan, and he knew what he was doing when he gave you this gem. That was a million-dollar performance. America is crazy if they don’t vote for you; that’s your drop-the-mic moment,” he gushed. Fans too were impressed and pledged their vote for Warfield, "The fact that she shared a stage with Prince. That alone is amazing. You got my vote," a viewer complimented. 

Liv Warfield at the 4th Annual
Liv Warfield at the 4th Annual "Home For The Holidays" Benefit Concert at Beacon Theatre on December 6, 2014 in NYC. (Image Source: Getty Images| Photo by Noam Galai)

"OMG. I was almost crying. I feel the same vibe as Janis Joplin, Tina Turner, and Aretha Franklin in her. We need more singers like Liv in the mainstream of today’s music industry," a fan gushed. "She is the absolute real deal. I have been listening to her albums nonstop since she won the golden buzzer," an online user chimed. "The fact that she didn't make it through proves the people don't understand true talent!!! LIV, I can promise you as a Prince diehard fan, he made me watch you, but YOUR talent made me stay!!!" a netizen applauded.



 

Warfield got emotional about her musical journey during a pre-performance interview: “I’ve been grinding for a long time. Backing up Prince was a dream. But I still haven’t reached the heights I know I can reach. The Golden Buzzer. When I got home, I cried in the car; I cried hard. I didn’t think this would be happening. I’m just an everyday people,” she said. The R&B singer's connection with Prince was both professional and personal. The former member of his 'New Power Generation' was mentored and guided by the late icon. Warfield rightfully earned the golden buzzer after performing 'Stare,' an original composition. 


 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by LiV Warfield (@livwarfield)


 

"You write your own material?" Cowell inquired during the auditions. Warfield confessed that she wrote her own music and had joined many iconic singers for gigs, including Prince. "Yes, I've been on stage with the greatest in the world, Prince, um oh, and also, um, Nancy Wilson. Because of art, I've been on a lot of stages, and I'm just glad to be here to be able to do the music and do what I love. I just want to represent that you know," she said. After her mesmerizing performance, Cowell predicted that she would be making a mark in the music industry. Unfortunately, Warfield got eliminated in the quarter-final round, but she continues to be active on the music scene.

RELATED TOPICS AMERICA'S GOT TALENT (2006) THE VOICE (2011)

GET THE BIGGEST ENTERTAINMENT STORIES
STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX.

MORE STORIES

With the first batch of episodes, the identities of the first set of three traitors and a secret fourth one were eventually revealed
2 days ago
Along with its three staple Traitors, Season 4 also features a Secret Traitor, whose identity was revealed in Episode 3
2 days ago
The US version of 'The Traitors' hosted by Alan Cumming hints at rising tensions as traitors and faithfuls face game-changing confrontations
2 days ago
The Croissants quickly became the breakout act of the night, dazzling the judges with a high-energy rendition of Elvis Presley’s ‘Jailhouse Rock.’
2 days ago
'The Masked Singer' season 14 premiere episode packed a few punches with Snow Cone's terrific performances, along with those of other contestants
2 days ago
The clues and vocals from the premiere episode strongly suggest that Galaxy Girl and Stingray are a married couple
2 days ago
The premiere night also saw Nick Cannon reveal the next five new contestants participating on Fear Night
3 days ago
From Idris Elba to Vin Diesel, quite a few Hollywood stars' names were tossed up
3 days ago
A game-changing twist exposed one singer to viewers only, while the judges remained clueless, setting up funny misfires
3 days ago
A towering mystery voice shocked the judges with a wild performance, only to face an early exit that no one saw coming in the season premiere
3 days ago