HOME / ENTERTAINMENT / TV

This mother-son duo's Coldplay cover on ‘AGT’ was pure magic — until Simon Cowell almost ruined it (almost)

'AGT' just dropped its early release episode, but it was Simon Cowell's jaw-dropping twist that totally had us

‘America’s Got Talent’s milestone 20th season kicked off with impeccable performances and two Golden Buzzer-worthy acts. The 2nd week brought a musician mother-son duo who delivered a sensational cover of Coldplay’s 'Viva La Vida.' Judge Mel B was impressed by Cole Swensen’s unique tone, while Sofía Vergara felt emotional watching the family perform. But what did Simon Cowell say that upset the audience so much that they booed him? Swensen strummed his guitar and sang while his mother, Judy, played the cello. Although the former impressed the audience with his voice, the cheers doubled when his mother chimed in. 

“You have a really distinctive tone in your voice, and you controlled it and sailed through that song, and you made it your own,” the Spice Girls alum told Swensen. Judge Howie Mandel declared that he loved the contestant’s rendition of the song as much as the original. He also admitted that witnessing love emulating on stage made his heart explode with joy. Vergara resonated with Mandel’s sentiments and said she felt amazing watching a “family come together” in such a way. “I got emotional,” the 'Modern Family' alum added. On the contrary, Cowell played with the contestant's and the audience’s emotions with his remarks. 

“I think this would have been a really good audition on your own,” he said, prompting the live audience to gasp and boo. When Mel B asked, “What about Judy?” it got the audience chanting the mother’s name. However, Judy and her son were still upset over the remark until Cowell completed his sentence. “It would have been a really really good audition if you had just sung this on your own; however, with your mum, it was a great audition,” he added, much to everyone’s relief. The judge felt that Judy’s presence made the performance more interesting and cool. Cowell explained that this choice showed that the 23-year-old doesn’t follow the herd and makes his own creative choices. 

The show’s 20th season premiered on Tuesday, May 27, bringing an amazing lineup of talented artists with it. The debut episode itself consisted of two epic Golden Buzzer moments, one from Cowell and the other from Mandel. When 23-year-old street singer, Jourdan Blue, performed an emotional rendition of The Script’s ‘Breakeven’, Mandel went straight for the Golden Buzzer. The young singer welled up recalling his past struggles, and Mandel shared a few words of wisdom that were just what he needed. The judge assured him that the ‘AGT’ stage will change his life forever. 

“You know, this is season 20. I've seen dreams come true right where you're standing,” he said. “Lives change right where you're standing. And that stage and that moment can take you anywhere,” Mandel promised. The second act to earn the coveted Golden Buzzer was Light Wire, a dance and technology company that combines colors and movements to create spectacular visuals. The stunning light show earned the buzzer from Cowell a few minutes into their performance. “This was one of the most beautiful, stunning Acts I have seen across all of the 'Got Talents,” the judge told Light Wire.