Watch ‘America’s Got Talent’ Contestant Argue With Simon Cowell, Walk off Stage

On Tuesday’s America’s Got Talent, a contestant argued with Simon Cowell, got multiple chances to impress him, walked off the set and still moved on to the next round. Lamont Landers went through a roller coaster of emotions in only a few minutes during his audition. He survived Cowell showing flashes of what made him famous on American Idol.

Landers first took the stage with his guitar to sing Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together.” Cowell stopped him halfway though, telling Landers he picked a “very safe wedding song.”

Landers decided to perform a different song, tackling Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Goin’ On?” This also did not impress Cowell.

“Your problem is you don’t take risks,” Cowell said as the 27-year-old performer shrugged.

“Lamont, I wouldn’t shrug to that. I wouldn’t. So you want to come back this afternoon with another song? It’s not me, it’s you,” Cowell warned. “You think ‘What’s Goin’ On’ is what we want? I think you should come back later because right now we’re not understanding each other.”

Landers then suddenly asked the audience for their opinions, which really tested the limits of what Cowell can put up with on his show.

“Lamont, you are getting on my nerves right now because I actually like your voice so I would suggest you think about what I’m saying and am going to give you another shot,” Cowell said, before warning, “Don’t be cocky.”

For his second audition, Lamont picked Robyn’s 2010 hit “Dancing on My Own,” which he said he learned in only 30 minutes before taking the stage.

Landers got one word in before Cowell stopped him again. “Shake yourself out, you’re too tense,” Cowell advised before Landers went on to perform a slow rendition of the dance hit.

“You’re like an egg right now and we’re cracking it open slowly but surely,” judge Julianne Hough said.

“We literally threw everything at this young man, plus the kitchen sink,” judge Gabrielle Union chimed in. “You went backstage, learned a song you never heard before, played before, nothing and the guitar and sang it. He came out here and blew us all away.”

In the end, Cowell said Landers earned his respect, but still had some words of wisdom to deliver.

“I think you have to let yourself go a little bit. There’s nothing wrong with looking emotional or happy or sad,” Cowell said, notes PEOPLE. “I know what it’s like, it’s frustrating to be criticized when you think you’re right but something’s getting in the way and you get frustrated. Sometimes someone gives a little bit of advice and it opens the door. I think the door just opened for you here.”

In the end, Landers got four yes votes and will move on to the next round.

Landers previously appeared on Fox’s Showtime at the Apollo, where he performed Bill Withers’ “Use Me.” His band also appeared on The Steve Harvey Show.

New episodes of America’s Got Talent air Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.

Photo credit: Trae Patton/NBC