Pop icon Britney Spears‘ 2004 single “Toxic” was made into an a capella death metal cacophony on Tuesday’s (June 28) America’s Got Talent.
The brutal operatic version of the hit was performed on the TV talent show by the Dremeka Choir, a Canadian singing collective called one of the only metal choirs in the world.
The group’s Britney Spears rendition closed out their America’s Got Talent audition on the sixth try-outs episode of AGT Season 17 on Tuesday. The Dremeka Choir’s performance began with the medieval number “O Fortuna” and segued into the death metal “Toxic” choral.
But before blowing away — and seemingly scaring and confusing — the show’s celebrity panel, Dremeka Choir conductor Pierre-Luc Seneca introduced the group to Got Talent creator Simon Cowell and fellow judges Howie Mandel, Heidi Klum, Sofia Vergara, and host Terry Crews.
“My name is Pierre, and we are the Dremeka Choir,” he said. “If there’s one thing we’re passionate about, it’s music and sharing the music, so [if we won AGT], we’d use the money [to] do this full time. … ‘Dremeka’ is a very ancient word that means ‘dream machine.’ And we are here to make you dream.”
Ever heard 13 death metal vocalists singing at once? It appears to be something of a rarity. But for the Dremeka Choir, making death metal chorals out of otherwise un-metal selections is an endeavor that’s truly unique. Watch the clip below to see for yourself.
Cowell, the English TV personality and record exec known for being an exacting critic, seemed to love it. “It’s like demons in a choir singing the song from The Omen,” he said. “It was so fantastically creepy. I’m all for going over to the dark side eventually, so I get it.”
However, Klum “didn’t particularly love it,” as USA Today reported. Mandel disagreed with her, telling the choir, “I think you’re opening the eyes and ears of America on our stage.”
The judges’ reaction was good enough for the Dremeka Choir to proceed to the next round of America’s Got Talent auditions. Catch AGT when it airs Tuesdays on NBC.
The Dremeka Choir, “O Fortuna” + “Toxic” (Britney Spears Cover)
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