‘America’s Got Talent’ Judges Won Over By “Parmesan Cheese” Song in Season 17 Premiere

America’s Got Talent returned on May 31 with a two-hour premiere episode of its 17th season. The expert panel of judges – Simon Cowell, Sofía Vergara, Heidi Klum, and Howie Mandel – welcomed another round of hopefuls, all vying to take home the title and prize money. Among them was singer/songwriter Ben Lapidus who, despite his unusual methods, earned his spot in this year’s competition.

After a string of rejected auditions, the Pennsylvania-born artist took to the stage, performing an original song. What seemed a routine audition soon got turned on its head as Lapidus started wistfully singing about parmesan cheese.

The song, aptly titled “Parmesan Cheese,” walks through Lapidus going to an Italian restaurant and being embarrassed for always wanting more parmesan on his pasta. With the song, he calls for people to defend their rights against “big parma,” humorously rousing the crowd to their feet.

Despite the audience’s approval, the judges handed Lapidus four “X’s,” rejecting his audition. After their decision, the crowd began a coup, chanting Lapidus’ lyrics back to him, I always want more parmesan but I’m embarrassed. Lapidus then broke out unto an encore of the song, this time with both the audience and judges backing the 29-year-old singer. The frustratingly catchy lyrics are impossible to shake – we’re still singing them over here. Watch his full audition below.

The latest season of America’s Got Talent will premiere every Tuesday and Wednesday at 8 pm ET on NBC. If you like Lapidus’ song you can stream it now on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, and Tidal.

Ben Lapidus on America’s Got Talent (Photo by Trae Patton, NBC)