America’s Got Talent 7 broadcast a second hour of Austin auditions on Tuesday, June 5, 2012. Andrew De Leon auditioned with a singing act.
He came out in a goth look and even mentioned Marilyn Manson. So I expected some kind of rock or punk performance. But he pulled out some opera and wowed the crowd. This was a rather shocking song choice, which is a good thing for a show like AGT.
Andrew’s voice was really pretty. He does sing like a girl, which reminds me more of a younger male opera singer than someone of his age.
De Leon said he has never performed anywhere, but he seemed to have natural stage presence. Overall, I was happy with this performance.
Predictions:
Andrew has some competition in this genre with Luiz Meneghin. And while both have pretty voices, Luiz seems quite a bit more polished. And Luiz’s more manly voice seems to be the type that does better on AGT. I don’t think we are seeing a winner here with Andrew De Leon. A lot of people are somewhat put off by the goth look. It is an interesting contrast to the opera genre, but that doesn’t change the fact that America’s Got Talent is also a popularity contest to some degree.
I predict that Andrew De Leon can get through two or three voting rounds if he is chosen for the Top 48 public rounds. But Luiz is the better opera singer if Luiz also makes the Top 48 in Vegas.
Who knows what other surprises Andrew De Leon may have up his sleeve in the future? If Mr. De Leon continues with his ability to sing like a haunted, tortured angel, and demonstrates the internal strength to endure, he may find himself with a much brighter future than he could ever imagine. I wish him the best. But when compared to Luiz Meneghin, whose voice projects the power of an Atlas, I’m not sure which will be more popular- the tortured or the triumphant? It will be interesting to see how this develops.