Coming to America’s Got Talent 19, ADEM Show faced a tough challenge with a critical Simon Cowell as the judge. Cowell expressed dissatisfaction with the pre-performances. “When it’s not as good as we’ve had before,… I can’t get excited.” He dismissed in a bored voice, “Way too generic. You’ve got to do something better than people have done before.”
In the midst of Season 14, standing out was no easy task. Cowell, visibly tired, but since the moment ADEM Show appeared as Mortal Kombat characters, Cowell was attracted. The group’s decision not to introduce themselves added a mysterious touch that intrigued the judge.
The ADEM Show took a different approach to America’s Got Talent, skipping the introduction. The performance started with an electric sound, catching Simon Cowell’s attention and breaking his boredom. The dance group, seemingly brought to life by electric charges, showcased perfectly synchronized robotic dancing, leaving Julianne Hough in awe.
As the fast electronic music played, the group revealed their astonishing and slightly unsettling contortion skills. Their contortions included twisted arms and seemingly dislocated heads, eliciting a mix of amazement and discomfort from the judges. Gabrielle Union expressed an “Oh!” with a look of amazement and slight queasiness.
One dancer even twisted his entire torso while clutching his ankles, prompting Terry Crews to squeal and look away in a mix of horror and amazement at the remarkable, albeit slightly disturbing, performance.
The performance ended with a member leaning back on one leg, showing amazing balance. The group returned to their positions with electric shocks.
As it finished, the crowd cheered, and all four judges stood up to applaud. When the group took off their masks, revealing they were human, it was surprising given their incredible moves.
Hough tried to speak, but the crowd was too loud. Eventually, she said, “What you guys created on stage was amazing!” The audience screamed in agreement.
Then, Cowell, their biggest obstacle, spoke. “I always like to see something I haven’t seen before,” he said with gratitude. His frustrations had washed away, and he gave them four yeses to go through to the next round.