11 hours ago
Simon Cowell stops performance of 13-year-old 'America's Got Talent' singer called 'young Justin Bieber' by judges
Chase Varnes, a 13-year-old musician from Vancouver Island in the Canadian province of British Columbia, had a scary encounter with judge Simon Cowell Tuesday on America's Got Talent.
Varnes had just started singing and playing guitar when Cowell, the man who helped Nicole Scherzinger assemble One Direction on the U.K. version of The X Factor in 2010, stopped him abruptly.
"I hate to do this," said Cowell, who has, in fact, stopped acts before. "I didn't love the song; however, I like you. Have you got another song?"
Varnes broke into Ed Sheeran's "Life Goes On," and it was a hit with audiences and most of the judges.
"You know, you remind me of a young Justin Bieber," judge Howie Mandel told Varnes, who lit up at the compliment. Like his fellow Canadian, Varnes has put in his time busking.
Judge Sofia Vergara was also complimentary.
"I know it's nerve-racking to be on this stage, but I thought it was better the second song," Vergara said. "Simon always knows how to stop it and make it better. I think the girls are gonna go crazy for you."
The third judge, Mel B, was more cautious.
"You were great," the former Spice Girl said. "You were a diamond in the rough with so much potential. But I can see your nervousness. You're not quite there yet for me."
Then Mandel started the voting by giving him a "yes." While Vergara did the same, Mel B held out.
"I think, give yourself another year, then come back when you're more confident,' she said. "I have to say no, I'm sorry."
But Cowell saved the clear audience favorite, who only needed one more ally on the panel."Sometimes we have on people your age, and I'm like, 'Okay, I'll be sort of nicer because you're young," Cowell began. "You, I actually do believe, that you have something.... You've got everything going for you. The audience loved you, which is why you're gonna get three yeses."
Later, the show's stage was overtaken with cats — or at least people dressed like them.
A Baltimore artist who goes by Moshow and is known as "The Cat Rapper" rocked a hat that gave him cat ears and lyrics ("Meow, meow, meow") that did not make the judges purr. At Vergara gave him a "yes" vote, she was the only one. Cowell did, however, note that "the kids are gonna love that song."
The very next act to walk onto the stage was also feline-oriented. And none of the members, who were all dressed as cats, would speak.
It was too much for Mel B, who asked, "Is this some kind of joke?"
But it was real. The group of a dozen or so people, called Loco Pop Familia, did a choreographed routine that left even Mel B impressed, just not enough to win her support.
"You all can really dance," she said, "But. You're so annoying! The whole thing is annoying. The song is annoying. The way that you dressed as cats is not my thing."
Cowell disagreed wholeheartedly and called the act "genius." He also gave them the third vote they needed to move forward.
Upon hearing the good news, the contestants dropped to the floor and crawled off the stage.
America's Got Talent airs at 8 p.m. ET/PT Tuesdays on NBC.
Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly
