Photo: Steve Granitz/WireImage
XOMG POP!is being showered with praise fromJoJo Siwa.
On Tuesday night, the girl group delivered a colorful and energetic performance atAmerica’s Got Talent’s latest live shows, singing their new original song “Merry Go Round.”
Describing how she felt after watching the young ladies perform, the 19-year-oldDance Momsalum told PEOPLE exclusively: “Unreal, proud mom, proud older sister, proud best friend, proud mentor, all of it.”
“They took what I gave them, took what my mom gave them, and ran with it and made it bigger and better than we could have ever imagined,” she added.
Even though JoJo was impressed with the bunch, not everyone shared that opinion. JudgesSimon CowellandHowie Mandelexpressed their dissatisfaction with XOMG POP!’s song choice but recognized that they weren’t the target audience.
“What I told my mom is, I said, ‘We’re not making a band for Simon or for Howie to enjoy. We’re making a band for 5 and 8-year-olds to enjoy,'” JoJo explained of the feedback. “So it’s okay, you know? I appreciate that they were honest because I teach these kiddos that the best thing you can do is be honest.”
She added: “I don’t think the judges were mean at all. I actually think they were very, very polite, but I think they were honest. And I’ll take it.”
JoJo alsosung the group’s praises on Instagram following the episode, posting two photos along with a supportive caption. “I’m so proud of my sweet, awesome, HARD WORKING, happy, perfect kiddos!! XOMG POP You 7 have no idea how happy you all are gonna make the world!!” she wrote. “You all crushed it on @agt @xomgpop”
JoJo and Jessalynn created XOMG POP! on their show,Siwas Dance Pop Revolution, which premiered in November 2021. The group is comprised of Kiya Barczyszyn, Brooklynn Pitts, Leigha Rose Sanderson, Dallas Skye Gatson, Kinley Cunningham, Tamara “Tinie T” Andreasyan and Bella Cianni Llerena.
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Pitts, 11, told PEOPLE that despite the criticism their song and performance received, she felt great coming off theAGTstage.
“It was amazing because it was like, we just did that. Like, we just got up and performed in front of millions of people,” she said. “I think everybody was like, really proud of us. To see like, the audience would like, jump up and like, some of our like siblings or friends or parents.”
“I think it was just an amazing night,” she added.
Fans will find out if XOMG POP! is one of two viewer-voted contestants to move onto the season 17 finale when theAmerica’s Got Talentresults show airs Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.
source: people.com
