Just a person and his will to outlive … and make it to subsequent week’s America’s Got Talent finals.

On Wednesday’s semifinal episode of AGT, fan-favorite singer Richard Goodall proved simply how a lot he needed to remain in the competitors by selecting to cowl the final combating music: Survivor‘s “Eye of the Tiger,” the theme from Rocky III.

He rose to the event of the basic monitor — a six-week No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1982 — by squeezing each ounce of drama out of it, choosing a slowed-down a cappella intro earlier than forging into the well-known refrain with a full band behind him. Fiery graphics and pyrotechnics lit up the stage behind him as the 55-year-old singer nailed Jim Peterik’s sky-high vocal riffs for the pumped-up crowd.

And it labored: We discovered on Thursday night time’s (Sept. 12) episode that Goodall is one of six contestants shifting ahead to subsequent week’s finals, earlier than the season 19 AGT winner is topped Sept. 24.

The judges had been in the palm of Goodall’s hand following his Survivor cowl, with Simon Cowell saying, “There’s something ironic about the fact that you’ve chosen a real underdog song, and you are like the underdog in a way, but in a really positive way. And it was like you just got to the top of the steps,” he mentioned, referencing Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky operating up the well-known Philadelphia Museum of Art stairs. “I love that!”

Sofia Vergara added, “I love that you picked such an iconic song. The people love you. It was amazing. I’m so happy for you. Enjoy this,” whereas Howie Mandel praised Goodall’s heat all through this season: “I’m pumped but not as big as the heart this guy has. You have the biggest heart in this whole competition. We feel the love, and we love you.”

But nobody was extra pumped up than Heidi Klum, who merely requested Goodall after the music: “Are you kidding me right now? Epic performance. I thought that you could not top what you did last time, but you topped it. America, you have to vote for Richard!”

America clearly listened, and you may catch Goodall on subsequent week’s closing efficiency episode, airing Sept. 17 at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.

Watch Goodall’s “Eye of the Tiger” efficiency beneath: