WATCH: Judges Predict Drake Milligan Will Win ‘America’s Got Talent’ Following Standout Semi-Finals Performance

Sofia Vergara says Milligan has “the whole package.”

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Lauren Jo Black

| Posted on

August 10, 2022

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Drake Milligan; Photo by Trae Patton/NBC

Drake Milligan was said to have “best performance of the night” on America’s Got Talent during the semi-finals on Tuesday (Aug. 9) after he performed an original tune called “Kiss Goodbye All Night.”

The rising country star and AGT contestant earned a standing ovation from the AGT judges, who went on to compliment his stage presence and overall talent. 

Sofia Vergara gushed over Milligan, calling him “the whole package.”

AMERICA’S GOT TALENT — “Quarterfinals 1” Episode 1709 — Pictured: Drake Milligan Band (Photo by: Trae Patton/NBC)

Howie Mandel seemed to agree. “I will predict that tomorrow that song will be No. 1 on the country chart again, I promise you. You have a good chance of winning this whole thing.”

Simon Cowell praised him for returning to the show after his audition created such a buzz online. 

“A lot of people after performing on the auditions and the song goes to No. 1, they would just walk and not compete. The fact that that happened and you still came back to this competition … I was concerned about that,” Cowell admitted. “In my opinion, you are the real deal. You are a great songwriter. You have charisma. I am kind of with Howie here. Based on tonight, let’s forget the cheese thing, this is, in my opinion, the best performance of the night.”

AMERICA'S GOT TALENT -- Season: 17 -- Pictured: Drake Milligan -- (Photo by: Chris Haston/NBC)
AMERICA’S GOT TALENT — Season: 17 — Pictured: Drake Milligan — (Photo by: Chris Haston/NBC)

After the show, Milligan said that he never even thought about skipping out on the show. 

“From the first moment I stepped on that Got Talent stage, all I wanted to do was come back and be in front of that crowd and be in front of the judges again,” he explained during a press conference. “It’s so much fun to feel that energy from the crowd and to know that millions of people are watching. I couldn’t wait to come back.”

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“Kiss Goodbye All Night” is set to appear on Milligan’s upcoming full-length debut album, Dallas/Fort Worth

Arriving on Sept. 15, Dallas/Fort Worth, which is aptly titled after the Texan’s hometown, will feature 14 tracks produced by Tony Brown (George Strait, Reba McEntire) and Brandon Hood. 

“As a lifelong Country music fan, it has been my dream to make a full-length record that pays homage to traditional Country roots, while still bringing new sounds and energy to the genre,” Milligan shared. “As a native son of the Dallas/Fort Worth area, I’ve always been intrigued by the difference between the two cities. First there’s Dallas: a city determined to prove that everything really is bigger in Texas. Then, just 30 miles to the west, there’s Fort Worth: a city that holds true to its Stockyard roots with a taut rope around its cowboy brand. My goal was to bring those same distinctions to the two parts of this album. On Dallas, the songs have a little more polish on their boots. On Fort Worth, there are nods to those traditional Honky-Tonkin’, Western swingin’, cowboy culture roots that I’m based in.” 

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Pre-save/Pre-add Drake Milligan’s Dallas/Fort Worth HERE

See the full track list for Drake Milligan’s Dallas/Fort Worth below.

1. “Sounds Like Something I’d Do” (Drake Milligan/Brett Beavers/Terry McBride) 

2. “Kiss Goodbye All Night” (Drake Milligan/Brandon Hood/ Josh Jenkins/Phil O’Donnell) 

3. “Hating Everything She Tries On” (Drake Milligan/Brent Anderson/Lynn Hutton) 

4. “She” (Drake Milligan/Brandon Hood/John Pierce) 

5. “Bad Day To Be A Beer” (Drake Milligan/Marv Green/JT Harding) 

6. “Hearts Don’t Break Even” (Drake Milligan/Brandon Hood/Liz Rose)

7. “Dance Of A Lifetime” (Drake Milligan/Brandon Hood/Phil O’Donnell) 

1. “Over Drinkin’ Under Thinkin’” (Drake Milligan/Brice Long/Brett Beavers) 

2. “Tipping Point” (Drake Milligan/Brandon Hood/Terry McBride/Josh London) 

3. “Don’t Look Down” (Drake Milligan/Brandon Hood/John Pierce) 

4. “Goin’ Down Swingin’” (Drake Milligan/Brandon Hood/Phil O’Donnell 

5. “Save It For A Sunny Day” (Drake Milligan/Marv Green/Tim Nichols)

6. “Long Haul” (Drake Milligan/Brandon Hood/Bob DiPIero

7. “Cowboy Kind Of Way” (Drake Milligan/Brandon Hood/Terry McBride) 

Milligan is currently on the road performing headlining dates as well as festival dates throughout the United States. See below for a full list of Milligan’s upcoming tour dates.

Aug 12 – Royse City, TX – Southern Junction 

Aug 13 – Katy, TX – Mo’s Place 

Sep 16 & 17 – Los Angeles, CA @ Desert 5 Spot 

Sep 21 – Oxford, MS @ Proud Larry’s 

Sep 23 – Fort Worth, TX @ Billy Bob’s Texas 

Sep 24 – San Antonio, TX @ The Rustic 

Sep 30 – Indianapolis, IN @ Tin Roof 

Oct 1 – Detroit, MI @ Tin Roof  

Oct 7 – Gretna, LA @ Gretna Heritage Festival 

Oct 8 – Sheridan, AR @ Timberfest 

Oct 15 – San Angelo, TX @ The Hangout at Riverside Golf Course 

Oct 20 – Memphis, TN @ Lafayette’s 

Oct 21 – Lexington, KY @ Tin Roof 

Oct 22 – Louisville, KY @ Tin Roof 

Oct 29 – Richmond, VA @ River City Roll

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Lauren Jo Black

Written by

Lauren Jo Black

Lauren Jo Black, a University of Central Florida graduate, has immersed herself in the world of country music for over 15 years. In 2008, she co-founded CountryMusicIsLove, eventually selling it to a major record label in 2015. Following the rebranding of the website to Sounds Like Nashville, Black served as Editor-in-Chief for two and a half years. Currently, she assumes the role of Editor-in-Chief at Country Now and oversees Country Now’s content and digital footprint. Her extensive experience also encompasses her previous role as a Country Music Expert Writer for Answers.com and her work being featured on Forbes.com. She’s been spotlighted among Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. Black also spent time in front of the camera as host of Country Now Live, which brought live music directly to fans in 2021 when the majority of concerts were halted due to the pandemic. During this time, she hosted 24 weeks of live concerts via Country Now Live on Twitch with special guests such as Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Jordan Davis, Brett Young, and Jon Pardi. Over the course of her career, she has had the privilege of conducting interviews with some of the industry’s most prominent stars, including Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson, and many others. Lauren Jo Black is a longtime member of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.