America's Got Talent Confirmed Season 18 Finalists (Including A Last-Minute Save), But Reba McEntire's Guest Performance Just Has Me Hyped For The Voice

Spoilers ahead for the September 20 results episode of America's Got Talent Season 18! 

The very last round of America's Got Talent Season 18 performances are officially just days away now that the NBC show revealed the eleven finalists still in the running for the $1 million and Las Vegas stage show grand prize. The competition is stiff with a handful of golden buzzer winners still in the mix, and AGT golden buzzer winners historically have top odds of becoming champions. Still, it's anybody's game with these final eleven competitors... but I honestly can't stop thinking about Reba McEntire's guest performance in the latest episode, and that bodes well for her upcoming coaching debut on The Voice!

America's Got Talent Season 18 Finalists

First things first! The September 20 episode had to have time to narrow down the most recent eleven performers to the two who'd gotten enough votes to make the finals, as well as announce the winner of the Instant Save. Each of the four judges were able to choose one eliminated contestant to bring back for one last shot at winning votes from viewers. 

For the Instant Save wildcards, Howie Mandel chose Avantgardey, Heidi Klum supported Herwan Legaillard, Sofia Vergara gave her golden buzzer pick Gabriel Henrique a second chance, and Simon Cowell chose host Terry Crews' golden buzzer pick Chioma & the Atlanta Drum Academy. After the voting was tallied, the list of eleven finalists was settled into this lineup: 

• Murmuration (golden buzzer winner)
• Ahren Belisle
• Putri Ariani (golden buzzer winner)
• Lavender Darcangelo (golden buzzer winner)
• Ramadhani Brothers
• Anna Deguzman
• Chibi Unity (golden buzzer winner)
• Mzansi Youth Choir (golden buzzer winner)
• Adrian Stoica and Hurricane
• 82nd Airborne Division Chorus
• Avantgardey (Instant Save)

I'd be surprised if there's not a little bit of controversy about Avantgardey winning the Instant Save, but not because they were an unworthy choice by Howie Mandel. AGT viewers only had five minutes to vote for the Instant Save, and only those who were able to watch live rather than in PST or streaming via Peacock Premium subscription. I might be more frustrated by that brief window if AGT didn't fill those five minutes with a performance by AGT alum Sofie Dossi and country music queen Reba McEntire, just days before The Voice fans get to see her debut as a coach.  

Reba McEntire's Performance

Reba McEntire had a history on AGT even before coming on in Season 18 to promote her arrival on The Voice. She was a guest judge in Season 11, where she selected contortionist Sofie Dossi to advance with a golden buzzer. In this 2023 episode, they joined forces for an incredibly unique act that combined country with contortion for a live performance of McEntire's "Can't Even Get the Blues No More." It's safe to say that NBC viewers shouldn't expect anything quite like this on The Voice, but I'm officially hyped! Take a look:

I'm not sure who looked like they were having the best time with Reba McEntire singing while Sofie Dossi soared and stretched: the judges, the audience, or McEntire herself, who couldn't stop smiling. In fact, she even responded on X (formerly Twitter) to the AGT post of the performance with a message that summed up her experience:

Now, Reba McEntire may not be performing her classic hits weekly in her role as a coach on The Voice, but she certainly has the experience and talent to fit in well with the rest of the panel, comprised of John Legend, Gwen Stefani, and Niall Horan for the very first season not featuring Blake Shelton. I may not get my AGT wish to see a certain rodeo queen singer on NBC's singing competition, but I'm now more optimistic than ever about what McEntire will bring to The Voice. 

Tune in to NBC on Monday, September 25 at 8 p.m. ET for the Season 24 premiere of The Voice featuring Reba McEntire, and Tuesday, September 25 for the final round of America's Got Talent Season 18 performances. You can also find some upcoming viewing options on our 2023 TV schedule.