Who made the top 4 on ‘America’s Got Talent’?
Landau Eugene Murphy Jr. (left) made it into the finals and is a favorite to win the $1 million. CREDIT: NBC
Loading ...The final four on “America’s Got Talent” this year features a teen band, a solo Sinatra-like singer, another glow-light act and an unusual silhouette dance troupe. They are:
- POPLYFE. (band): Yes, they capitalize their name, much to my annoyance. But they are precocious and very strategic in their song choices. What type of music do they prefer? It’s hard to say given the variety they’ve offered so far, including Adele, the Beatles and now the Jackson 5. The lead singer has charisma and a little bit of edge, even if the medley Tuesday night was sloppy. Chances of winning: 10%
- Landau Eugene Murphy Jr. (standards singer): Possibly the least fame-friendly name this side of Michael Grimm, Landau has what AGT voters love: he sings and he sings standards, which the older-skewing AGT audience eats up. He has an underdog appeal that’s vote catnip. Chances of winning: 50%
- Silhouettes: They have adorable kids and a unique silhouette dancing technique. Their past two performances have been a bit of a muddle but at least the top 10 show was cleaner and visually stimulating. They can’t help but milk patriotism and happy-happy thematics but they are mostly kids, natch. Chances of winning: 20%
- Team iLuminate: If Fighting Gravity, who I think was a better group last year, couldn’t win last year (they came in third), I can’t see this one either. They do try to tell stories and Tuesday night, I wasn’t sure what the story was. But it was visually creative. Chances of winning: 20%
Solo singers have won every single year. Can anyone not named Landau break that streak?
And what happened to the other six acts?
- Miami All Stars (Latin dance troupe) : There are too many dancers in this troupe. It makes for very messy choreography and this cheerleading-themed performance didn’t really work, despite the dancing chicken suited man.
- Lys Agnes (operatic singer): She botched Aerosmith, pure and simple. I’ve never liked the tone of her voice and she comes across kind of mean and stentorian. I’ve not been a fan so no big loss.
- Landon Swank (magician): He did a cool visual trick where he took a goldfish and gave the illusion that he grabbed it and placed it into a tank through the glass. I wouldn’t have minded him going into the top four but alas, he missed out, though he certainly earned his top 10 spot with his bag of tricks.
- Anna Graceman (singer): She’s a sweet 11 year old and a decent singer but in over her head compared to someone like Jackie Evancho. That is not even a fair comparison. Nonetheless, “True Colors” last night was better than “Home Sweet Home” in the top 24 competition.
- West Springfield Dance Team (dance troupe): I’ve always enjoyed the atmospherics and makeup of this troupe but otherwise, there isn’t a lot there there in terms of choreography. Good to see Sharon call them out on that. They made it further than they deserved.
- Smage Bros. Riding Team (motorcycle troupe): These guys run their bikes around almost running over people (or in the case of Tuesday’s night, the dude got “nicked” twice.) The tricks are fun and they add a little skateboarding act this time. Planking? Serious negative points there.
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By Rodney Ho, rho@ajc.com, AJCRadioTV blog
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41 comments Add your comment
MyPatootie
September 7th, 2011
11:35 pm
Well, at least I got 3 out of 4 right. I had Lys Agnes in place of I-Iuminate. I will play RH here and go further with the analysis. When it gets down to the final 4 I ask myself who would be the better Las Vegas act over a lengthy period and who would use the million dollars wisely. It comes down to the young pop band and LEM, Jr(that should be his new professional name). With a little polishing it would be LEM, Jr. Besides POPLYFE is just too young to be playing in Vegas. Finish school first and then go for it. Surely someone will sign them.
mark
September 8th, 2011
12:24 am
How the “F” did pop life beat the amazingly and talented Smage Bros!!! Vegas would sell so many more tickets to see a daredevil team, than an average at best musical group which there are about a million of out there,and only a small group of performers capable of the brave and amazing riding stunts from the SMAGE BROS you don’t get to see much of out there. America BLEW it
Wanda
September 8th, 2011
12:24 am
WOW!! Color me happy – I got four for four!! That is great for this week but will make for a stressful Wednesday next week…… I love them all.
Good luck to 2011’s talented four!! You guys are great.
Jerry Schneider
September 8th, 2011
12:32 am
I knew it. I predicted it. 4 out of 4! Now the tough part, narrowing it down to 1. Good luck to all the contestants!!!
Mossy
September 8th, 2011
12:33 am
I love 2-wheeled sports but find Smage Bros act boring after 2 minutes. Poplyfe does appeal to a broad audience and Vegas would be a good venue for them. But landau is amazing.
kevin cackler
September 8th, 2011
12:42 am
I knew the four that would go through but deep inside I would have loved for Anna Graceman to have been there instead of Poplyfe.
Martin
September 8th, 2011
12:42 am
Landon is the guy I really want to see more of.
Jeff
September 8th, 2011
12:59 am
I would have preferred Landon Swank over Poplife, but that’s what I get for not voting. Are they ever going to bring back Michael Grasso to perform as a guest act? I would have loved to see him again. As you can tell I am biased towards good magicians.
jake
September 8th, 2011
1:11 am
I fully agree with MARK. The smage bros are the bomb. Pat smage (the younger brother) isnt very talkative but who cares hes is the BEST (not an exageration) in the country at what he does LITERALLY RANKED NUMBER ONE just above CODY WEBB who is a badass also. If the smage bros were allowed to perform outside on natural terrain cliffs and boulders where they are used to riding they would have kicked ass. they can go from flat ground up a 15-20 foot bolder. lookem up on youtube. they are AMAZING
Karon
September 8th, 2011
1:20 am
I am so happy right, every person i thought would make it did. Am happy soo soo happy i cant wait. I think pop life and illuminate is fighting for 1st place the other acts for 3rd and 4th place
ken
September 8th, 2011
1:22 am
Honestly, I’m going to have a hard time watching the finals.
I can’t say the 4 acts don’t have talent but none of them are really my cup of tea.
I guess if I had to pick a favorite of the remaining 4 it would be team illuminate. But the novelty of that act is wearing off already. I really couldn’t see myself watching any of these acts for more than 5 minutes.
Steve
September 8th, 2011
1:34 am
SO did we forget Terry Fater (sp) the ventrilaquist who won season 2? he was not a solo singer plus Landau is good, but not as talentd as some of past singers. Maybe America is ready for a change.
Truth Time
September 8th, 2011
1:55 am
Worst top 4 ever. Pooplyfe is awful. A glow in the dark dance troupe, and an even worse group of 4 year old shadow puppet dancers. A black guy singing Sinatra…..
WOW… Simply awful.
Tina
September 8th, 2011
1:55 am
I guessed the top four also … but also thought it was going to be tight with Landon and Poplyfe. Knew that Silhouettes, Landou, and Team Iluminate were shoe-ins. Absolutely no surprises. Poplyfe did great last night. The tempo a bit fast for “I Want You Back” but that was due to their time constraints I’m sure. Landou, isn’t just a singing act. I didn’t want a singer this year, but his voice and crooning is spectacular. I think it will be close between him and Team Iluminate. I’m not voting the final round because it’s time consuming and either one is good for the gold and they will both be making several million as the years go on. Landau probably quicker than iluminate.
Ken Stillman
September 8th, 2011
1:57 am
I don’t like any of the 4 to be honest. The Magician, the horror dance troupe, the motorbike guys, and that little girl singing would have made for a much more entertaining final.
Marsha
September 8th, 2011
2:05 am
LEM,Jr is NOT that good. Compare him to Michael Buble..and he’s nothing I wouldn’t see him for free. He’s a nice guy,but no big deal. I stopped watching AGT weeks ago because I didn’t care about anyone, I think POPLYFE has a future and I actually liked Those Funny Little People. Silhouettes is very cool and altho they faltered here and there, I think would bring in the biggest audience. ILuminate is VERY clever but needs a little more polish perhaps. Miami Dance troupe was good but almost too frenetic..but the best dance group and I would have liked seeing Fatally Unique go further esp given their background and LACK of a dance coach.
Leslie
September 8th, 2011
2:26 am
Landon, plain and simple, should be in the top 4. Who could support a Las Vegas show? Who would have enough variety to keep our interest as a solo act? I loved Silhouettes, but just how many silhouette dances can one watch? Same with iLuminate. Once the novelty wears off, it’s just another dance with another set of lighting. POPLYFE is good, but a bit young. Don’t know that I’d pay a pretty good price for a ticket to see kids singing. They definitely have a future ahead of them. I see Landau as winning this year’s competition. He does have his background has his novelty, and quite frankly, when I look at him, I don’t immediately think “crooner.” I would enjoy his show.
This is how I see it.
)
p.s. Landon and Anna – As an Alaskan I am SO VERY PROUD of you!!! Hold your heads up high – you deserve it!
jcon10
September 8th, 2011
3:28 am
Ok almost everyone on here is stupid.you have to think what will be a good VEGAS show!!!! how can a garbage teen band hold a vegas show, they are less than mediocre. no!!! they just plain out suck!!! how many frank Sanatra copy cats are out there? you can find a guy like him in a crapy restaurant singing in the corner drinking his sadness away because his life sucks!!! which leaves team iLuminate. they are amazing!!!! original, talented, entertaining!!! these are the ingredients to making a great vegas show. think about how successful blue man group is, the jabbawokeez. thse groups make great entertainment there are a million musicians and im tired of seeing a singer win every year.
Nutmeg
September 8th, 2011
4:35 am
1) Silhouettes has a fabulous concept, but they are *so* schmaltzy. I expect that my great-aunts will send me a forwarded clip of them complete with early 90s .gifs and flashing rainbows. Love the concept. Hate the execution of cheese with a side of cheese. Too much!
2) POPLYFE is amazing. I think they’d have been better off not making top four and instead getting signed to Disney or something. The right marketer/promoter can make those kids rich. Can’t you just see them as a sitcom? They look like they’re from central casting already.
3) Murphy is good. I was hoping a soloist wouldn’t win this year, but he’s likeable and hits a rare niche. He’d also do very well with a Vegas show. But how many music competitions are on TV for soloists?! Lots. I wish this had gone to a dance group or a magician.
4) I-Luminate is teh awesome. My husband and I both love watching them. They’re fabulous. They deserve the win of the four remaining, although it will probably be Murphy.
About the guys who are gone? I seriously disagree with the characterization of Anna Graceman as lacking compared to Jackie. Jackie is a soulless performer–overcoached, oversinging, over-pageantized. I *never* had that feeling watching Anna. I rarely like kid performers, but both Anna and POPLYFE have a genuine feel to them, a real sense that these are kids who like to perform, who aren’t being pressured into it, who are doing what they feel is artistic rather than what somebody else thinks would be lovely. I cannot overstate how oversold Jackie Evancho is. And the worst part for Jackie is that she sings incorrectly and is most likely damaging her vocal chords. But Anna–Anna is one of those kids who seems to have an old soul. I’m not displeased that she didn’t make top four, but comparing her to Jackie is like comparing a building created by an architect to a building designed by a robot. The latter may be more perfect from a technical perspective, but flaws are sometimes exactly what the diamond needs to sparkle.
Disappointed about Swank not making top four. I’d have put him there over Murphy.
Also disappointed about West Springfield, which to me was better than Silhouettes. I think there’s a generational thing there. The choreography was *fabulous*; it just wasn’t *hard*. I’m seriously disappointed that they didn’t get further just because I would love to see their full show. If I were to go to the AGT tour, which I might, it would largely be to see them.
GUNGA DIN
September 8th, 2011
4:46 am
PLEASE. PLEASE. PLEASE…. get rid of these 3 idiot judges. they have passed way too many mediocre acts thru the previous rounds. Piers is obnoxious, Sharon is a be-yatch and Howie is just plain disgusting (that little skit last night about the dressing rooms was stomach churning crap). they wouldn’t know talent if it bit they on the butt, cause they have none thenselves!!!
deejaynizzle
September 8th, 2011
4:53 am
America got it almost right this year….but ONE BIG WRONG…Landau is horrible…who wants to hear a wanna be Frank/Dean wannabe in Vegas…gimme a break…I think America fell asleep and punched the wrong button on their computers…I guess it really doesnt matter…It’s gonna come down to Team Illuminate and The Silouhettes….so whatever you wanna be go back to where you came from…sorry Anna Graceman sang circles around you and has way more talent so there you go….you won’t win anyway
JOOBEEN
September 8th, 2011
5:16 am
POPLYFE SUCKS, SILHOUETTES ARE REPETITIVE, ILUMINATE IS OKAY, MURPHEY IS A GREAT SINGER AND HAS WORKED HARD HIS WHOLE LIFE—-HE DESERVES THE BREAK AND I HOPE HE WINS!
JOOBEEN
September 8th, 2011
5:17 am
OH AND LANDON SWANK SHOULD HAVE MADE THE TOP FOUR!
Nutmeg
September 8th, 2011
6:50 am
JOOBEEN! Turn your caps lock off. Well, let me rephrase… turn your caps lock off if you want anyone to take you seriously. If you must emphasize everything you say, then try bolding it instead.
The three idiot judges… well, I can’t say that I think they’re idiots, but it really irks me that there’s not a single American on the panel since the Hoff left. While I like Howie, I like Sharon, and I like Piers, this is insulting.
Tarheel
September 8th, 2011
7:58 am
All great acts in the Top 4, but Landau is the perfect Las Vegas act and so deserving. Very gracious and humble which is rarely seen these days. Bring back good-listening music. Please vote for Landau next week!
Harriett
September 8th, 2011
8:39 am
I loved Lys Agnes up until her last performance. Hated it. Now, I am pulling and voting for Landau. Love Team Illuminate, but as others have said, it is hard to watch the sameness for very long. As for Vegas-ready, who but Landau?
Chris Allen
September 8th, 2011
9:32 am
I have met Landau and his wife and listened to him speak at a meeting. He is very humble, down-to-earth and is just like you see him on TV.
Rinabrina
September 8th, 2011
10:46 am
I really love all of these acts. I absolutely love the sillouttes act. It was beautiful. I loved their rendition of 9/11 and the launching of the space shuttle. Brilliant, just brilliant. Go all the way sillouttes. I was crazy for Poplyfes rendition of the micheal jackson medley. Sorry Landau, I didn’t get to see yours. I send my love to the sillouttes and poplyfe. They all should be here. They deserve it.
Poplyfe, Seriously???
September 8th, 2011
12:38 pm
Poplyfe is a terrible band. The singer is the only decent one. Seriously watch the other musicians. The white guitarist played ONE chord THE ENTIRE SONG!!!! You’re telling me someone could learn some cheesy dance steps, play one chord and be in the running for a million dollars? There are about a million better bands at high school talent shows.
And team iluminate, while pretty cool, is not original. Daft Punk did it back in 2007 for their Alive tour.
Jan
September 8th, 2011
1:44 pm
The second year a solo singer did not win. Terry Fater, a ventriloquist who also sings, won. But he isn’t a solo singer. He ended up with a $10 million contract in Vegas and is doing fantastic. I hope Landau wins. Love his name, love his voice, love that he is a class-act person.
Chris
September 8th, 2011
2:26 pm
Landau is decent, but not amazing. Besides, there are already plenty of crooners in Vegas as it is. Most of which are way better than he is. POPLYFE is fun to watch because you can tell they really love performing. I like Silhouettes a lot. When they tell stories instead of just making shapes, there is a lot to get out of their show. However, iLuminate will be getting my vote this week. They are by far the best act of the season. They have also been the most consistent. Each other act has had up and down weeks. Team iLuminate has gotten better each time. The only other act I can say that about this season would be Landon Swank. But unfortunately he didn’t make the cut (Although he should have instead of Landau).
Pooplyfe
September 8th, 2011
5:28 pm
Pooplyfe!!!! The more sh*tty we are the more Sharon will cheer for us! Poopmania!
Patrice
September 8th, 2011
5:57 pm
Some of you wouldn’t know talent if it came up and hit you on the face. Give me a break. Landau all the way. And his kind of talent is not common, and neither is his voice. Landau is going to win this thing.
Lyberty
September 8th, 2011
8:10 pm
I LOVED West Springfield Dance Team.They were refreshing and nobody else does Horror dance.Team Iluminate is awesome in my opinion.I also think Anna Graceman was awesome.She sounds better than Poplyfe to me.I do love Silhouettes.But my fvorite was West Springfield Dance Team and I hope we see more of them in the future.
Ole' Timer
September 9th, 2011
9:09 am
Through this whole contest I believe that POPLYFE has been better each week and deserve to be in the Final Four – and hopefully win it all! Its been refreshing to hear something other than “rap crap”.
Landau Eugene Murphty Jr. would be my second choice because of the music style he brings back, WOW music ltrics that one can understand and offensive langague is not there. (What a Concept!)
The two large dance groups are BORING and I don’t see them being a headline act in Vegas
Peggy
September 9th, 2011
4:27 pm
Good luck to all four
Matt Masino
September 9th, 2011
8:28 pm
Thank God the Smage brothers didn’t win. But iLumunate and Polyfe deserver it.
John Klawitter
September 10th, 2011
10:27 pm
I love all of the experts here who think Landau is terrible. Why not let’s wait what those who have some real expertise on Frank or Dean or … have to say. Why not wait to hear Bublet’s or Harry Connick Jr’s take on Landau’s creditbility as an artist. Why not ask Tony Bennett or, perhaps, Jerry Lewis (did you hear Landau do a little Jerry while talking to Nick after the last performance?). When I hear it from them that he’s terrible, I’ll consider myself and the many others as not having good judgement. But as for now, I’m still thinking his critics are the one’s who can’t judge worth a flip.
neil
September 14th, 2011
10:00 pm
Landau can sing but his racism ruins it all. His reference to the host two weeks ago was insulting and very racist, but I guess its allright since he’s black.
Gary
September 14th, 2011
10:06 pm
Ok america Freedom I’m speech. Bull crap that landel wins. Wasn’t set up or nothing first year 2 blk groups top 4. I called it from the start cause our country is going down hill. ITS A CROCK. No national anthems at school cause they don’t wanna offend anyone IT’S AMERICA PEOPLE Whole country is going to crap
David E. Ortman
September 15th, 2011
1:48 am
Nothing against Mr. Landau, but there is already a national contest for singers. It’s called American Idol. It really is not fair, given the number of singers that have cashed out:
1)11-year old singer Bianca Ryan
3) Opera singer Neal E. Boyd
4) Kevin Skinner
5) Michael Grimm
6) Landau Eugene Murphy, Jr.
Thank goodness for ventriloquist Terry Fator in Season 2 who won over yet another singer, although ironically, Fator won because he could sing through his amazing puppets. So, in effect, all six winners to date have been singers.
If AGT doesn’t want to turn itself into AI-light it should ban singers, Jackie Evancho, notwithstanding. It should also ban acts under 21, as it is not fair to expect young children to produce a headline show in Las Vegas.