Singer-Songwriter Steps on AGT Stage—Not Prepared for America's Response

Newsweek

18 hours ago

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
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A singer-songwriter has exploded in popularity overnight after acing an audition on the competition show America's Got Talent (AGT).
Recording artist Mama Duke, 37, from Austin Texas, has been "making music and writing jingles for as far back as I remember," including making beats on pencil and paper aged 14, and performing her creations for her classmates.
On June 17, she found herself on the stage of AGT, performing an original track for Simon Cowell, Howie Mandel, Sofía Vergara, and Mel B — and has become an instant viral hit.
She called the AGT performance the "wildest mix of manifestation, hustle, and timing," having been performing and building her brand with the belief that "if I kept showing up as me, the right doors were bound to appear in front of me.
"The moment the first audition opportunity landed in my lap, I knew that something must be brewing. Something as in some force or magic that was starting to surface. I could feel it."
With plenty of songs under her belt, Duke decided on Feels So Good To Be You for her audition because she, like many who have since heard it, "knew I was sitting on a little bop."
Her audition received four yeses and a standing ovation from both the judges and the thousands in the audience, with former Spice Girl Mel B declaring it was "already a hit."
And commenters reacting to the clip on the America's Got Talent YouTube channel, viewed more than 580,000 times, agreed.
Mama Duke speaks during her America's Got Talent audition, and right, Simon Cowell takes part in the standing ovation.
Mama Duke speaks during her America's Got Talent audition, and right, Simon Cowell takes part in the standing ovation.
America's Got Talent/ NBC
"This is not an audition. THIS IS A PERFORMANCE," one wrote, as another asked "how on earth is this not a golden buzzer moment?" referencing the shortcut judges can use to put contestants through to the next round regardless of other judges' verdicts.
"If radio stations start playing this, it will become an instant hit. Very fresh, very catchy, amazing voice," one said, as another agreed Duke is the "complete package."
Duke told Newsweek it "feels like I won the lottery," and that overnight it appears she received "a platform to talk about my ideas and dreams without sounding crazy. That's what things like this do for artists like me. Gives us leverage to push for the things we've always known we deserve."
She revealed that musician and record producer Ester Dean, who has written hits for the likes of Rihanna and Beyoncé, "slid into my DMs to congratulate me," which has been incredible as Duke has "looked up to her pen game for a while."
Mama Duke performs her original track Feels So Good To Be You, as judge Sofía Vergara gets into the music.
Mama Duke performs her original track Feels So Good To Be You, as judge Sofía Vergara gets into the music.
America's Got Talent/ NBC
Ten days after her audition, Feels So Good To Be You has almost 700,000 streams—ten times the number of her second biggest song.
While Duke brought the house down with her track, to the point many are predicting superstardom for her career, she admits that although she appeared "confident and present and very much settled into myself," she almost doesn't remember the experience.
"It's the weirdest thing! It's a feeling that a lot of people won't be able to understand unless you're standing on that stage in front of 4,000 people—and four of those people being the most important folks you'll ever audition for in my life."
"You don't know nerves like these nerves," she said, "but somehow I found my confidence on stage and settled in."
"I'll be chasing that high for the rest of my life, that's for sure."
AGT airs weekly on Tuesdays, and sees the contestants who made it through the auditions battle it out in live shows to stay in the competition, with the winner receiving a $1 million prize.
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