Spoilers ahead for the third week of AGT quarterfinals.
The quarterfinals of America’s Got Talent Season 19 continued on August 27, and the latest batch of hopefuls returned to the stage to perform live. Some, like singer Dee Dee Simon, blew the judges away as much as the first time around, while others didn’t really outshine their auditions. The Reklaws were back for another shot at the grand prize, and the brother-sister country duo’s fate is now in the hands of voters. Watching them perform their latest original song had me flashing back to Drake Milligan, who won the hearts (and votes) of many during AGT Season 17. As I dwell on it, though, I’m wondering if that comparison is a good thing.
At first, I honestly wasn’t sure why The Reklaws reminded me so much of Drake Milligan other than that Stuart Walker and Milligan actually look a lot alike. After all, Stuart Walker and Jenna Walker are a duo who share the spotlight; Milligan sang solo in front of a band. But whatever the reason, as the siblings performed their original song – called “Long Live the Night” – live, I found myself wanting to rewatch one of Milligan’s first performances. First, take a look at the latest from The Reklaws:
I don’t think the audio was great compared to Drake Milligan back in the day, but I’ve found a lot of AGT’s audio in the Season 19 live shows to be somewhat lacking and I don’t hold it against The Reklaws in the slightest. As somebody whose country music expertise basically begins and ends with acts I like on AGT, perhaps there’s no deeper explanation for The Reklaws reminding me of Drake Milligan than that both are country acts who connected with the crowd to amp them up.
But I did rewatch Drake Milligan’s audition performance of “Sounds Like Something I’d Do” from Season 17, and I kind of wish I hadn’t because I know which one I prefer between Milligan and The Reklaws. Check it out:
I originally wanted to rewatch Milligan’s live quarterfinals performance so that the comparison to The Reklaws would be entirely fair, but that unfortunately is no longer available on YouTube or even streaming with a Peacock Premium subscription. Back in 2022, his audition was such a hit that Simon Cowell expressed surprise that Milligan didn’t just quit AGT and ride the wave of popularity without continuing the competition. He also stuck with “Sounds Like Something I’d Do” for his live finale performance rather than changing to a different song.
Opinions may differ on whether The Reklaws or Drake Milligan were better on AGT, and viewers who are year-round fans of country music certainly have more expertise than I do. But seeing The Reklaws motivated me to rewatch a performer whose America’s Got Talent act I preferred, which may not be great for them. It’s also worth noting that despite Milligan’s popularity in Season 17, he came in third behind pole dancer Kristy Sellars and dance group Mayyas, and he wasn’t successful in his AGT: Fantasy League return when he performed a cover rather than an original.
My takeaway from all this? Everything depends on the rest of the AGT audience’s feelings about The Reklaws against the rest of the Season 19 competition, and if they continue, they might want to continue sticking with originals rather than covers. If you want to vote for The Reklaws or any of the others from the latest round of quarterfinals, you can do so via the AGT app or the official website until 7 a.m. ET on August 28.
Keep tuning in to NBC on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET for new America's Got Talent performances and Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET for the results. For some upcoming viewing options as AGT wraps its latest season, check out our 2024 TV schedule.
