Puddles Pity Party returns to the America's Got Talent stage in this sneak peek from Tuesday's new episode, and the perpetually sad clown proved he's got a golden voice.
When Puddles auditioned for America's Got Talent earlier this season, the tragic jester won over the skeptical judges with a shockingly powerful performance of Sia's "Chandelier," and for his follow-up act, he upped the ante with a moving power ballad to showcase his range.
Simon Cowell, who has been very vocal about how much he dislikes clowns, said what was on everyone's mind as the wordless jester took the stage with his lone briefcase and unsettling makeup: "Okay this is going to be quite an uncomfortable conversation again."
"You were very good the first time we saw you, but you were very sad, and you still look sad. But you are happy to be here though, a bit?" Cowell asked.
Puddles, who never utters a work except for when he's singing, shrugged and gave an unenthusiastic silent nod, eliciting laughter from Howie Mandel, who was one of Puddles' biggest supporters during the audition rounds.
This time around, Puddles chose a tune that really played into his persona of sadness and isolation, while still being touching and immediately familiar: Eric Carmen's 1975 single "All by Myself," famously covered by Celine Dion in 1996.
Before Puddles burst into song, it was clear that special guest judge DJ Khaled -- who wasn't present for Puddle's impressive audition -- had no idea what to expect from the clown. However, as soon as Puddles opened his mouth and let his unexpectedly big voice shine, Khaled was floored.
While Puddles obviously has a beautiful voice and some real singing talent, fans will have to tune in tomorrow to see if his sad clown act helps or hurts his chances at moving on to the next round of competition.
After Chris Hardwick sat down at the judges table last week, Khaled is lending his experience as a music producer and artist to the show, and he couldn't be more thrilled to be a part of the series.
"Man, it's exciting. I'm a big fan of the show and to see somebody's life change? It's amazing," Khaled marveled in a promo for the coming episode. "I really had a good time, and now I'm seeing new stars [who are] the future!"
The next batch of hopeful performers face off the next round of Judge Cuts when America's Got Talent airs tomorrow at 8 p.m. ET/PT, 7 p.m. CT on NBC.
Check out the video below for a look at the seven talented performers who made it through after the first night of challenging competition last week.
