Spoilers ahead for Episode 5 of America's Got Talent Season 19.
As usual, America's Got Talent is packed full of talented singers and musicians in Season 19, with performers like Dee Dee Simon with Dreamgirls and – most recently – golden buzzer-winner Pranysqa Mishra in particular standing out. In the latest episode of the 2024 TV schedule on July 2, a boy band took the stage with a goal of impressing Simon Cowell, a.k.a. the man behind One Direction. Results were mixed, although they made a better impression after Cowell insisted they switch songs as is his wont... but Howie Mandel's feedback indicated he only thinks one of the five boys has the makings of a star, and it's kind of brutal to watch.
The boy band is the latest incarnation of the Puerto Rican group Menudo, with roots going back to the 1970s and once featuring none other than Ricky Martin. The five current members introduced themselves to Cowell on AGT as Ezra, Ale, Andrés, Gabriel, and Nicolas. They didn't really have a nostalgic backstory as a group, as they explained they met during nationwide auditions, but they selected a song called "Amnesia" to perform in Spanish for the judges.
That plan changed before they got too far into their song, as Cowell asked them to change to a different number and they sang "Feelin'" instead. After they were able to finish that number, they got their feedback from the judges, with Howie Mandel powering through the boos from the audience to say this:
Here's what I think. When these groups are put together, and there's nothing wrong with being put together. Simon put together One Direction. All those people came as single artists, but in all honesty, this didn't make me go 'wow.' It didn't hook me, but I believe that Nicolas is a star. It didn't excite me, but I like Nicolas.
Now, while I'm all for honesty from the judges, Howie Mandel's feedback clearly made standing on that stage pretty awkward for all five boys. Nicolas said "Thank you, Howie, I love you," but it was uncomfortable as the other four had to stand there. Even host Terry Crews seemed to be cringing a bit when the camera cut to him! Nicolas admittedly did show the most personality during Menudo's time on stage, but the feedback was rough to watch.
The group did get a "yes" from all of the judges other than Howie Mandel, although Sofia Vergara suggested that they still have a lot of work to do and Simon Cowell told them that they'd need to "radically, radically change" from their first time on the AGT stage. If you missed the performance or just want to take a second look, check out the video below:
They didn't get ringing endorsements from everybody and certainly won't be on the list of golden buzzer winners who become AGT champions even if they do win, but they will likely be back later in Season 19. Call me a millennial, but seeing the five youngsters each dressed to fit a boy band archetype had me flashing back to the '90s heyday of the Backstreet Boys, particularly when they started harmonizing. Success a la the Backstreet Boys is undoubtedly a long ways off, if they can reach it, and I just hope Howie Mandel's feedback doesn't affect them negatively.
Keep tuning in to NBC on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET for new episodes of America's Got Talent Season 19, and/or stream next day with a Peacock Premium subscription.
