NEW<\/span>You can now listen to Fox News articles!\n <\/p>\n<\/div>\n A hopeful country singer sparked an unusually divided reaction from the “America’s Got Talent” judges after performing an original song during Tuesday night’s auditions.<\/p>\n Elsie, a 32-year-old singer-songwriter and mother from Mississippi, took the stage with a self-written country anthem, hoping to launch the music career she said she had long put on hold while supporting her family.<\/p>\n While all four judges praised her vocal ability and star potential, they disagreed over whether her original song was the right choice.<\/p>\n COUNTRY STAR GABBY BARRETT SAYS SHE ‘SLEPT IN THE CAR’ BEFORE ‘AMERICAN IDOL’ CHANGED HER LIFE<\/strong><\/p>\n “America’s Got Talent” judges were at odds over a contestant’s song choice. <\/span> (Trae Patton\/NBC via Getty Images; Chris Haston\/NBC)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Former Spice Girls singer Mel B was the first to weigh in, complimenting the singer’s voice but suggesting the original track didn’t fully showcase what she was capable of.<\/p>\n “You’re clearly an amazing singer, but I think, for me personally, you should have done a different song,” Mel B said. “I think your voice is so much bigger and better than what you just showed us.<\/p>\n “You\u2019re beautiful. You\u2019re vocals were on point. But I think you\u2019ve got a lot more in the tank.”<\/p>\n “America’s Got Talent” contestant Elsie faced criticism from Howie Mandel.<\/span> (America’s Got Talent; NBC)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n TAYLOR SWIFT’S VIDEO TRIBUTE TO ALAN JACKSON DIVIDES CROWD AT COUNTRY LEGEND’S FINAL SHOW<\/strong><\/p>\n Howie Mandel’s comments drew loud boos from the audience after he delivered the night’s lone “no” vote.<\/p>\n “From the moment you walked out, I went, ‘This is a star,'” Mandel said. “You look like a star, you sound like a star. But I don’t know if it was the song or the production. … I want to know who you are. I have no idea who you are yet.”<\/p>\n Sof\u00eda Vergara, however, wasn’t ready to let one song define Elsie’s future in the competition.<\/p>\n Sof\u00eda Vergara says she thinks Elsie has the potential to do well in the competition. <\/span> (Gilbert Flores\/Variety via Getty Images)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n SOFIA VERGARA SIZZLES IN RED BIKINI WHILE CELEBRATING 54TH BIRTHDAY ON YACHT IN ITALY<\/strong><\/p>\n “I do think you have it,” Vergara said. “I think it was just a wrong choice, a little bad luck today. I’m gonna say yes because I want to give you another chance.”<\/p>\n Simon Cowell also saw promise in the aspiring country artist, arguing that her biggest mistake may have been trying too hard.<\/p>\n “I think what happened today is that you over-prepped,” Cowell said. “It’s about letting go of some of the stuff and being a little bit more raw. You have star potential. You have a glow about you.”<\/p>\n Despite Mandel’s “no” vote, Mel B joined Cowell and Vergara in voting “yes,” sending Elsie through to the next round.<\/p>\n CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER <\/u><\/strong> <\/p>\n Backstage, host Terry Crews asked whether she’d be willing to make adjustments moving forward. The Mississippi native didn’t hesitate.<\/p>\n “Listen, I’m from Mississippi,” she said. “I’ll go out there and stomp and clap and sing with no music, OK?”<\/p>\n Last year, Cowell revealed how he can predict a singer\u2019s success or failure within the first 10 seconds of an audition.<\/p>\n Simon Cowell previously opened up to Fox News Digital about his ability to spot talent in the early stages of a competition. <\/span> (PG\/Bauer-Griffin\/GC Images)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n During an interview with Fox News Digital, Cowell explained why he sometimes stopped singers mid-performance during his past shows as he shared the green and red flags that he looks for in auditions.<\/p>\n “If you’ve got an audience behind you, you feed off an audience’s energy,” he said. “Everything changes.<\/p>\n “When someone’s not great, the audience is very quiet,” Cowell continued. “When an act is fantastic, it can either get really loud or you have that perfect silence. So, I’ve always learned to read an audience. Or certainly when you’ve got people around you. So, when I was auditioning on the show, we had a lot of people in the room with us. And when someone did walk in, the whole energy changed.”<\/p>\n While speaking with Fox News Digital, Cowell shared what continues to drive his passion for star-making. <\/p>\n CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP<\/strong><\/p>\n “I’ve always been a fan of finding people who normally don’t have an opportunity, for whatever reason,” he said. “You know, people who don’t come with managers or don’t have any connections, the people you go and search for.<\/p>\n “That’s why we started these shows years ago for that reason, because I always believe there’s always somebody out there with tremendous talent, tremendous potential, who, for whatever reason, just hasn’t got a break.”<\/p>\n <\/p>\n![\"America's](\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1200\/675\/americas-got-talent-5.jpg?ve=1&tl=1\")
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