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