Spoilers ahead for the Season 18 premiere of America's Got Talent on NBC.
America's Got Talent is officially back with another batch of contestants hoping that they have the skills to dazzle their way to the grand prize of $1 million and a stage show in Las Vegas. As expected, the Season 18 premiere on May 30 featured some great singing, comedy, and magic acts to go with some sillier performances that won't get past the audition stage, but there was one group that absolutely stole the show. Mzansi Youth Choir honored Nightbirde with their performance of her iconic AGT song, and the judges were in tears by the time they made golden buzzer history.
Nightbirde was a golden buzzer winner back in Season 16 and even a favorite to win the entire season with her inspiring story about her battle with cancer, but the singer – whose real name was Jane Marczewski – ultimately had to withdraw from competition due to her health. She died in early 2022, less than a year after earning Simon Cowell's Season 16 golden buzzer. So, in the Season 18 premiere, longtime AGT fans undoubtedly recognized the Mzansi Youth Choir's song pretty quickly from the lyrics, even though the arrangement was different from how Nightbirde performed the song. Take a look:
There didn't seem to be a dry eye in the house after Mzansi Youth Choir performed "It's OK" on the AGT stage, with the singers themselves looking positively (and understandably) overwhelmed. The judges clearly weren't immune to the moment, with Simon Cowell choked up enough that he had to pause and compose himself to speak. Sofia Vergara was crying just looking at Cowell's reaction, and Howie Mandell and Heidi Klum watched him as well, with host Terry Crews tearing up in the wings of the stage.
To his credit, Cowell kept his composure until he heard from the choir why they chose this song and learned that they recorded their version after feeling touched and inspired prior to Nightbirde passing away, and she responded "so beautifully" to them. "It's OK" has been a "pillar of strength" to them, according to the choir, and they wanted to continue her legacy.
So, was it any surprise that Cowell – who previously spoke about Nightbirde's fight against cancer and paid tribute to her when looking back at his favorite AGT moments – wanted to honor both the talented South African youth choir and the late singer who had inspired them? He led the judges and Terry Crews in deciding to give the audience a golden buzzer of their own for the very first time, and there was no doubt that the crowd wanted Mzansi Youth Choir to be guaranteed a slot in the next stage of competition.
This isn't the first time that Cowell decided to make golden buzzer history seemingly on the fly, as he came up with the idea of a group buzzer in Season 16 for young singer Victory Brinker. Could anybody make an argument that the choir didn't deserve a buzzer, whether or not it made history as the first of its kind? Even if the song hadn't been a tribute to Nightbirde, the young singers did an incredible job with their performance, and I for one can't wait to see what they have planned for their next song. No choir has ever won America's Got Talent; could Season 18 be the first?
It's very early to start speculating about who will win after just one episode of auditions has aired, but I'd say that Mzansi Youth Choir and their take on Nightbirde's "It's OK" was a stellar way to start things off in Season 18. Keep tuning in to America's Got Talent with new episodes on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on NBC, and find some more viewing options on our 2023 TV premiere schedule.
