Joseph Allen’s audition on America’s Got Talent was a hit from the moment he walked onstage. The 21-year-old student from Phoenix, Arizona had brought a huge cheer squad of fans who started hyping him up from the get-go. This reception and his super positive vibe immediately made an impression on the judges. He told the judges he was there to sing an original song that he wrote just for America’s Got Talent.
Allen kicked off his performance with a smooth R&B vocal over a piano backing, with a message about taking chances and making the most of life. After singing the hook “After today the world’s gonna know my name”, Allen changed tack and brought his rap skills to the table. His upbeat rap shifted the energy in the room big time and he quickly got the crowd clapping along to the beat and then waving their hands as one. All in all, he created a real feel-good audition.
Allen really presented the full package at his audition, showing he can sing, rap, and bring a magnetic, positive energy to the room. Unsurprisingly, his audition was a big hit online, attracting 59 million views on YouTube. This made the young singer’s performance the fourth most popular video on the America’s Got Talent channel.
Fans online were really impressed with Allen’s audition, and added comments such as “This is called a complete performance, not just your talent alone but the energy you put right from the start to the end” and “He seems so genuine. His dad was so happy. This is my favourite golden buzzer performance.” Allen returned in the season 14 quarterfinals and performed another of his original songs, “Mama.”
Allen really brought the house down with his America’s Got Talent debut. He received a huge standing ovation from the audience and judges, and then he knelt on the stage for a moment to collect himself. Simon Cowell was a big fan, saying, “You’ve got amazing energy, I’ve gotta tell you. And I like your voice as well, I think you’ve got a great tone.”
Howie Mandel was also really impressed, saying, “From the moment you walked up, your smile was electric. And you walked up with such exuberance.” Mandel built up his speech over a couple of lines before climbing onto the judges’ desk and giving Allen his golden buzzer. Mandel clearly read the room right as the audience was 110% behind that big call, and celebrated big time with the young singer. If you’d like to see more from this multi-talented performer, follow Joseph Allen on Instagram.