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America's Got Talent (AGT) Season 17 aired a brand-new episode on Tuesday, August 9, 2022 at 8:00 pm ET on NBC. The episode saw eleven contestants putting their best foot forward for the first round of qualifiers aired live from the Pasadena Civic Auditorium.
In this week's episode, Awa Swiss was back on stage with her performance. However, fans weren't impressed with her vocal range and song choice. One fan tweeted:
A total of 54 acts were chosen from the audition rounds on AGT, and the qualifiers will last for five weeks, with eleven acts participating in each of them. Out of all the 11 acts, only two will move to the final round every week.
Judges Simon Cowell, Heidi Klum, Sofia Vergara, and Howie Mandel will allow for one wildcard entry at the discretion of viewers. The acts chosen for the wildcard entry were word swallower Auzzy Blood, singer Ben Waites, singer Debbii Dawson, and comedian Jordan Conley.
Fans react to AGT contestant Ava Swiss's performance
Ava Swiss returned to the AGT stage to perform PINK's Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken and blew away the judges, receiving a standing ovation. The AGT contestant reflected on her journey of being a survivor of the Oxford school shooting and talked about her mantra of love being greater than hate.
However, viewers back home weren't impressed with the singer's performance and criticized her for her song choice. They also slammed AGT judges for choosing singers with a "sob story" over other talents.
Some slammed the show for giving a "yes" to singers with a "sob story."
A quick recap of singer Ava Swiss's audition
Ava was welcomed with wide applause from the audience during her audition round. She revealed that her original name was Ava Swieczkowski, but she preferred to go by Swiss as it was "cooler" and easier to pronounce.
Behind her sweet personality was a strong story. The contestant explained that she and her brother were survivors of the Oxford School Shooting. She performed Remember by Lauren Daigle and dedicated the song to the survivors and those who passed away in the tragic incident. She is currently a senior at the school, but she and her brother couldn't attend classes for a long time after the incident.
However, Ava also revealed that she and her brother had been attending school for over two months now and "things have been better." She confessed that music had been like therapy during hard times:
"It definitely has been... When I sing I remember the good, I remember my community, my family, just the love. And I remember that it's all there for me. And it will help me get to be where I need to be. And that's why I'm so grateful to be here today."
The judges commended her for bouncing back from the tragedy. They applauded her strength and perseverance to "break through and shine." The singer got the approval of all the judges and will move forward to the live shows. Viewers will have to stay tuned in to find out if she will make the cut.
Contestants who performed on this week's episode of AGT include acrobat crew Akounama, animal act Veranica, comedian Lace Larrabee, singer Drake Milligan, and many more. With only two contestants moving to the final round, it will be a difficult choice for viewers to make. Readers can keep watching AGT on NBC.
