Olé! The latest round of the America’s Got Talent 2025 quarterfinals has come and gone, and one standout musician got the biggest possible stamp of approval from the famously hard-to-impress Simon Cowell thanks to a high-energy performance of the hopeful’s original ode to soccer.
As it turns out, America seemed pretty impressed too, since that singer, Micah Palace, punched his ticket directly to the finals on Wednesday night’s (Sept. 4) results show.
Related
After getting the entire audience involved by asking them to sing “Olé” as he rapped about people from all over the world coming together on a FIFA-coded song called “Rodeo,” Palace earned high praise from the judges on Tuesday. Howie Mandel gave him a standing ovation and Sofia Vergara also had a big thumbs up. Mel B, though, confessed that she didn’t quite “get it,” as Cowell 100% disagreed.
“I think that was such a clever song,” Cowell told Palace. “The World Cup’s coming, maybe that should be the anthem.” Cowell then asked Palace, “What color is the World Cup?”
When the aspiring performer responded, “It’s gold,” Cowell got out of his seat and hit the Golden Buzzer button, sending Palace straight to the final round of the competition. As gold confetti rained down, the young musician teared up on stage.
Palace’s triumph was just one of several memorable moments on the episode, which on Wednesday night’s results show also saw improv rapper Chris Turner, eight months pregnant singer Jessica Sanchez and masked mentalist Mastermind advance to the semifinals. Anna Saranina, Austin Brown, Benn Family Band, Girish and The Chronicles, Jacqueline & Wagner, Maceo Harrison and Messoudi Brothers were sent home.
The last round of the quarterfinals will air on Sept. 9, featuring the Birmingham Youth Fellowship Choir, country girl group The BoykinZ, singer Chuck Adams, musical duos Cole Swensen & Judy and Crash Adams, as well as magician Zak Mirz, dance group Team Recycled and four others. The live semi-final rounds will start on Sept. 16.
Watch Palace’s Golden Buzzer-winning performance above.
The post “Simon Cowell Gives Soccer Fan Golden Buzzer on ‘AGT’ Quarterfinals: ‘What Color Is the World Cup?’” by Hannah Dailey was published on 09/04/2025 by www.billboard.com