“Are you the singer with the really incredible, powerful voice that I’ve heard?” is what Mel B asked Travis Garland at the start of his America’s Got Talent audition. The voice of Dancing with the Stars decided he wanted to make his own name in the music biz, and his viral show-stopping cut of Aerosmith’s “Dream On” was just the way to do it! Mel B and Sofía Vergara were BIG fans of Travis’s mesmerizing falsetto, but Howie Mandel was quick to pour cold water on his dreams.
The Music Man has to say there’s no doubt that Travis brought the soul, and that rasp in his voice was just delectable. And he certainly knew how to work the room – the reaction from the crowd was electric. He got the whole room on their feet after that closing falsetto. The judges’ comments quickly devolved into controversy, as Howie said it was “a little schmaltzy” and suggested it was not authentic enough for the AGT stage. This got a big rebuttal from Mel, and the crowd as well, who were on team Travis.
Travis’s audition hit 557,000 views within a week of its July 8, 2026, upload. Viewers had very strong opinions about the audition and added comments such as “Oh the judges were crazy on this one! All of a sudden they care about ‘uniqueness’? Glad Mel B had a strong push for him. His voice is INCREDIBLE.” and “I’m so confused they’ve given worse singers the golden buzzer but they’re so conflicted about him?!”
Travis captured listeners’ hearts on a few occasions with his previous recordings. One of his most viral moments came when he covered One Direction star Zayn Malik’s debut solo hit “Pillowtalk.” Zayn was famously the One Directioner with the biggest and most versatile voice, so taking on his solo hit is definitely not for the faint of heart. 2.2 million viewers seemed to find that Travis hit the mark with his rendition, though.
Travis Garland’s audition was one of the most contentious moments among the judges on the 2026 season of America’s Got Talent. Mel B advocated hard for Travis while Howie rubbished his performance for being overly theatrical and insincere. Sofía seemed like a massive fan in the moment of the performance. However, she later rolled that back somewhat, saying, “I’m a little bit in the middle. I love you, I think your voice is amazing. But I did wish that you picked a different song.” Simon Cowell acknowledged both sides. The boss noted that “there’s no question” that Travis can sing, while suggesting he could have worked harder to bring a fresh angle to the Aerosmith classic. In the end, Travis got three yes votes, with Howie being the only hold-out, and the crowd clearly backing the yes vote.