14-year-old earns Simon Cowell’s first Golden Buzzer after soulful ‘AGT’ Season 21 audition
'America's Got Talent' has already started to make waves online, thanks to the talented Lai Noelle. The 14-year-old singer left the judges and the audience spellbound with her rendition of 'Die on This Hill' by Sienna Spiro and got a very special reward. The prodigy was accompanied by her family, who watched and cheered for her from behind the scenes. As soon as she walked onto the stage, Simon Cowell welcomed her with a question. The judge asked her why she was auditioning this year specifically. Noelle replied that she felt more "ready" and added, "I definitely got better in my performances, and am more confident this year."
It was evident that Noelle had some nervous energy as she stood on stage. To make her comfortable, Cowell first got the audience to cheer for her and then offered her some water, which the host, Terry Crews, handed her. As soon as she began her performance, everyone knew that they were watching something special. Noelle hit all the complicated notes of the song with remarkable ease. The judges were shocked to see the singer go from being a shy girl to a confident performer. During her performance, Sofía Vergara was seen asking Cowell, "Should I give her the Golden Buzzer?" and he responded, "I wouldn't." However, at the end of the performance, the studio audience and the judges gave Lai Noelle a standing ovation, and Cowell said to her, "Words aren't necessary."
He then reached out to the iconic golden buzzer and pressed it. This meant that she had already qualified for the live shows and now stands a better chance at winning it all. It was euphoria all over, with Noelle jumping with joy, and her family joining her on stage. Cowell came to the stage and called her singing "spectacular." Cowell told Noelle that he shut his eyes for a moment during her performance and thought, "That's not you singing." He shared that what Noelle has is a "gift" and she needs to make it count with this opportunity she has been given.
Vergara then expressed her disappointment, claiming Cowell "stole" Noelle from her. "I told him I'm going to give her the Golden Buzzer, and he stood up and did it. He took her from me," she said. Crews later confirmed that Noelle will indeed be proceeding as Cowell's golden buzzer. As per the YouTube video's description, this was not the only blockbuster performance of the night, as a record-breaking three Golden Buzzers were pressed that night. To know who the other two contestants advancing to the live show are, fans will have to wait for 'AGT' Season 21 to premiere on June 2 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on NBC.
