Every so often, America’s Got Talent features similar acts that fill the same niche; it’s inevitable. But this season, who knew that we were going to have not only two similar dance troops, but ones that happen to know each other very well? Last week, the Unreal Crew, a contortion-based dance troupe from Rajasthan, India, was given the final Golden Buzzer of the season by judge Howie Mandel. Now, on the last night of auditions, B Unique Crew, straight from the streets of Jodhpur, India, stepped on the AGT stage, ready to take America by storm.
When asked if they thought they had a chance of winning the competition, Nishant Anand responded, “Yes, but we also know that here was Unreal Crew, and you also had given them a Golden Buzzer.” The judges nonchalantly acknowledged it, only for Nishant to drop the bomb that not only did the two crews know one another, but they had history: performer Jitu Kadela is a former Unreal Crew member. Jitu created B Unique Crew to compete against his former troupe.
Despite having none to receive, B Unique Crew believed that they too deserved a Golden Buzzer. Now, the two crews are battling for supremacy and the judges’ ultimate adoration. B Unique Crew wasn’t just there to move on to the next level; they wanted to prove to Howie that he had made a mistake with a premature Golden Buzzer smash. Thankfully for us, we get an extra-juicy plotline that feels like it’s straight out of a Bollywood epic.
B Unique Crew Turned Heads on ‘America’s Got Talent’
In contrast to their predecessors, B Unique Crew stepped on stage, decked in black, the opposite of the Unreal Crew, who performed in white. When the music began, what resulted was a head-turning performance — literally. Even though there were some similarities between the two groups, B Unique Crew stepped it up through the enhancement of a digital element and a lot of bone-cracking sound effects. Another highly intricate and choreographed routine, what got everyone screaming was the head spinning straight out of The Exorcist. As Terry Crews fearfully said, turning to the camera, “His head turned all the way around!” Mel B screamed, Sofía Vergara leaped out of her seat in pure terror, and Howie began to plead with the producers to give them an extra Golden Buzzer.
Of course, Simon Cowell was the only one who had his doubts; otherwise, B Unique Crew might have been showered in gold confetti. Unreal Crew brought a larger squad, allowing for more unique and expansive formations. Knowing they couldn’t match that, B Unique Crew’s technological aspect set them apart. It’s worth noting, however, that Mel and Sofia didn’t have such dramatic visceral reactions to Unreal Crew.
B Unique Crew and Unreal Will Both Compete as Quarterfinalists on ‘AGT’ Season 20
Now that the 44 quarterfinal acts have been revealed, both crews will be moving on to the live shows. Of course, we can’t have nice things and watch both acts in the same week of performances. Nevertheless, those who are eager to see them face off on the same night later this season are likely to vote for their safety. And who knows? Maybe if the judges get to push some acts through this season, they’ll ensure the battle of the century happens on their stage. It’s going to come down to costumes, song selection, choreography, and being unique and unreal (pun intended).
There will always be acts that occupy the same lane, but watching these two crews and knowing their entangled past makes this season even more exciting. Both crews worked tirelessly to get to this point. B Unique Crew has competed on talent reality shows in the past, including Britain’s Got Talent, which might explain why Simon was not as impressed. Unreal Crew actually appeared in Season 17, but were eliminated during the deliberations. Knowing what the rival crews can do, it’s highly likely they will elevate their performances to new heights, giving the season an extra boost. They will feed off of one another to ensure they do better than the other, and that’s the type of entertainment we deserve!
America’s Got Talent airs Tuesdays at 8:00 pm on NBC. All episodes are available to stream on Peacock in the U.S.