As the halfway point of the show approached, XOMG POP graced the stage as the fifth act of the night. A group made up of girls ages 10 through 15, XOMG POP is ready to be America’s next biggest girl group. With a combination of singing, dancing, and gymnastics, the girls pack quite the punch, especially with their youngest member being only ten years old. After performing an original song during their audition, the girls were back with another authentic (and very sparkly) performance.
Their act started with 10-year-old Bella Cianni Llerena doing backward handsprings across the stage, as 11-year-old Brooklynn Pitts began singing an impressive riff into the mic. Despite the grand opening, no amount of glitter and hairbows could distract from the dramatically off-pitch singing. Their strong intro quickly lost its steam, however, the dance crew didn’t lose their energy- which was most likely the downfall of their vocals. While bouncing all over the stage makes for a great performance, it’s hard to maintain strong vocals when you’re out of breath and also focusing on choreography. Nonetheless, their act was clearly targeted at a younger audience, who most likely wouldn’t notice whether a note falls flat or not. The focus of the group was definitely on the entertainment factor, which they pulled off through incredibly crafted choreography and a super catchy song they wrote themselves. The act was definitely one of the most fun to watch all night, and seeing JoJo Siwa cheering them on in the audience was adorable.
“In terms of preparation, rehearsals- amazing. Energy- amazing. I personally didn’t like the song.” Simon Cowell told the girls over a booing crowd. “But that’s just me. Connect you to the right song, I think you’re unstoppable.”
“Well it um, it hurt.” Howie blatantly stated after Simon’s critiques. “The tone hurts me… But, I gotta say, it’s not for me. And my seven-year-old granddaughter Abby says this is the best act of the season.”
