We’ve done our best to bring Puddles Pity Party, our favorite sad, baritone-voiced clown, to the world’s attention, telling you about his covers of Blink 182’s “All The Small Things,” David Bowie’s “Space Oddity,” and others. That said, for somebody in his field, there are few bigger platforms than America’s Got Talent, and when he took the stage during last night’s season 12 premiere, he certainly made the most of the spotlight (via Uproxx).

Much to the bemusement of the judges and everybody in the audience, Puddles stepped in front of the mic as he usually does, with his giant suitcase and lantern. When pressed for some background info from the judges, he maintained the silent character he always has, only making a sound when he began his performance of Sia’s “Chandelier” (which he previously covered with Postmodern Jukebox in 2014).

Of course, he nailed the performance as he always does, but this TV appearance gave us something we’ve never really seen from Puddles before: genuine emotion. His singing is always poignant, but his character is just that: a character. He’s a sad clown, but when he heard the enthusiastic applause following his big break, he got actually emotional in a real human way, tears running down his face and everything.

The feedback from the judges was absolutely glowing, with Simon Cowell saying he may have ended his problem with clowns and calling his act “originality at its best.” That’s not a point we’ll argue, that’s for sure.

Check out the performance above, and let us know in the comments what song you think he should perform in the next round.

Featured image: America’s Got Talent/YouTube