When faced with choosing contestants for their team on America’s Got Talent: Fantasy League, Heidi Klum swiftly selected Enkh-Erdene. Having grown up in rural Mongolia, Enkh-Erdene clinched the victory in Season 2 of Mongolia’s Got Talent, making him a highly sought-after contestant for the show. Upon meeting Heidi with his translator, he confessed to feeling nervous before performing. She offered words of encouragement, urging him to be confident, recognizing his “star voice”.
For his inaugural performance on the show, Enkh-Erdene greeted the judges with quiet politeness as he took the stage. Then, he began to sing, leaving the audience and the other judges awestruck as he delivered a crooning rendition of the country classic ‘Friends In Low Places’ by Garth Brooks. His assured performance and resonant baritone voice caught everyone off guard. Howie Mandel’s astonishment led him to question, “Is that coming out of him?”
Amazed by Enkh-Erdene’s vocals, Howie even queried if he was lip-syncing, to which Heidi cautioned, “Don’t judge a book by its cover!” Despite being surrounded by traditional Mongolian folk music during his upbringing, Enkh-Erdene found his passion in American country music legends like Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson. His success in the genre underscores the notion that one’s background doesn’t hinder aspirations to follow in the footsteps of admired figures.
Despite his limited presence on social media, Enkh-Erdene has continued to release new music since his win on Mongolia’s Got Talent in 2016, reaching a global audience. His YouTube channel features music videos, with his cover of John Denver’s ‘Take Me Home Country Roads’ amassing over 300k views. In 2023, he dropped his debut album ‘Admiral Bayan’, blending his signature country music style with traditional Mongolian influences. Enkh-Erdene made it to the semi-finals of AGT: Fantasy League, where he delivered a soulful rendition of Willie Nelson’s ‘Always On My Mind’, earning another standing ovation. Although he didn’t secure the trophy this time, the enthusiastic response from the audience indicates a strong desire for more from Enkh-Erdene’s unexpected and remarkable vocal talents. With his global appeal and classic country flair, Enkh-Erdene is well on his way to realizing his dream of becoming “a star known worldwide”.
