‘AGT: Fantasy League’: Is Darci Lynne moving in a new direction?

It’s been seven years since Darci Lynne Farmer made her debut on “America’s Got Talent” singing George Gershwin’s “Summertime,” with the help of her sassy rabbit puppet named Petunia.

That audition racked up 67 million views on YouTube and cemented the ventriloquist as the “AGT” contestant to beat that season. Farmer ended up winning the contest at the age of 12, the youngest winner in the show’s history.

Farmer is now 19 years old and in her return to the “AGT” franchise, competing on the spin-off “Fantasy League,” she wanted to make a couple things clear: She is not the little girl she was when she first competed on the show. , and she is more than a ventriloquist.

“I think people have frozen me at 12 years old,” Farmer said recently. The Oklahoman. “So, I’m trying to get out of it.”

It’s an effort that garnered mixed results from the “AGT: Fantasy League” judges. Although Farmer earned enough audience votes to secure the last remaining spot in the semi-finals, her time in the competition ended following her semi-final appearance on Monday night, a surprising performance in which she completely abandoned her puppet Petunia .

Here’s a look at Farmer’s run on “Fantasy League” and what the judges had to say about the artist’s attempt to forge a new path.

Darci Lynne Farmer competes on ‘AGT: Fantasy League’

Farmer didn’t completely abandon Petunia, at least at first. For her “Fantasy League” debut, she brought out the beloved rabbit for a duet of “I’ve Got The Music In Me,” the Deseret News reported. But after the first verse, the ventriloquist let Petunia go, strapped on a guitar, and took the lead in the song, though Petunia still managed to sing something from time to time.

The crowd seemed to enjoy the performance, which has more than 2 million views on Youtube. But the judges were not so convinced. All of the judges believed that Farmer was straying from a tried and true recipe for success.

“I’m glad you didn’t abandon Petunia completely, because that’s how we fell in love with you,” Judge Heidi Klum said, according to the Deseret News.

Simon Cowell added that Farmer’s combination of singing and ventriloquism is her “unique selling point” and claimed that this new direction detracted from what she does so well.

The criticism makes what Farmer did next in the competition even more surprising.

Before her appearance in the semifinals, Farmer reiterated in an introductory package that she is trying to take her career in a new direction: “I was a very shy girl who had just started practicing ventriloquism when I first came to ‘AGT.’ , but that’s definitely not who I am now. “I’m not 12 years old anymore.”

To reinforce that message, Farmer took the stage without puppets to perform her debut single, an original country-rock song she wrote called “Push our luck.” It’s the latest effort in the Oklahoma City native’s attempt to pursue a full-time music career: She starred in the 2022 film “A Cowgirl’s Song” and wrote and recorded the song.Just breathe”for the soundtrack, according to American composer.

“Ventriloquism connected with so many people and I felt like puppets really connected with people, but now, with music, I want to connect with people,” Farmer said in his “AGT” introduction package.

While the judges still seemed disappointed that Farmer did not adopt ventriloquism in the competition, this time they praised her for sticking to her conviction.

“I think as an artist you have to follow your own instinct,” Klum said. “At some point you have to stop listening to the noise and just do what you have in your gut. And that may be a risk, but this is what you wanted and you did it.”

“A couple of weeks ago, Darci did less ventriloquism and more singing, and we said we thought it was a big mistake. And then you completely ignored our advice, threw away the puppets and decided to go out and do it yourself,” Cowell added with a laugh. “But you know what? I have always believed that the most successful people in life are those who make their own decisions and don’t listen to others. Good for you for continuing with your weapons.”

While judge Mel B noted that she believed Farmer should have respected the competition by sticking to the talent she is known for, she said that if Farmer is happy with what she did, then “that’s all that matters.”

The performance ended up marking Farmer’s final appearance in the competition, as she was eliminated before the final round. But the singing ventriloquist regrets nothing.

“My mantra is that I don’t want to be pigeonholed or limited in any way,” he said recently. People. “Singing always came first. Singing is what I grew up doing for as long as I can remember. And then came ventriloquism. Now I can go out and be more confident in my own skin without the puppet. I think he was always destined to follow this path. … It is important that I show this side of myself and that now I can hold my own as a soloist, singing with my mouth open.”

Is Darci Lynne Farmer done with ventriloquism?

Although Farmer is considering a full-time music career, this doesn’t necessarily mean he’s moving away from ventriloquism entirely.

“I’m not going to throw that away or close the door on him at all. But now I’m opening another door, another path,” Farmer said recently. The Oklahoman. “I hope to find a really cool way to bridge the gap between my puppets and my music and maybe go on tour with that. But I’m not sure. … I’m still trying to figure it out.”

When is the end of ‘AGT: Fantasy League’?

The top 10 artists will compete in the finals of “AGT: Fantasy League” on February 12. The show will reveal the winner of the $250,000 grand prize on February 19.