From the second Nene Royal took the stage for her America’s Got Talent Auditioning, it was clear that she was going to be totally different from most of the candidates. She stood up shyly, explaining that she was a 16-year-old Thai girl, while her electric guitar rested on her hips. Then she picked it up and started shredding as she launched into a raging, melting version of The Cranberries’ “Zombie.” Within minutes, she received a standing ovation and a wildly viral moment on her hands: The audition clip currently has 21 million views and has quickly made Royal a fan favorite on the show.
“I was really, really nervous,” says Royal rolling stoneremembering that first audition. “It was my first time in America; it was also my first AGT performance and I had no idea how people would react. But once I started playing, I stopped thinking about everything else, I just focused on myself and enjoyed the moment. And seeing the audience stand up and sing was something I will never forget.
It was only the beginning. Royal has been on a daring journey throughout the season, consistently stunning the AGT judges with renditions of rock songs like Soundgarden’s “Black Hole Sun,” Muse’s “Hysteria” and the White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army.” She also wowed the artists themselves: The Cranberries responded to a snippet of their performance of “Zombie” with a lot of heart, Muse reposted their version of “Hysteria” and Royal says she heard about Chris Cornell’s wife, Vicky Cornell, after covering Soundgarden. (“I don’t know about ‘Seven Nation Army’ yet!” Royal jokes, signaling that we need Jack and Meg White to step in.) For the finale, she sang “Emptiness Machine” with Linkin Park, swapping vocals with singer Emily Armstrong. It was all enough to achieve a massive victory: On Wednesday, she was crowned this season’s winner and took home the $1 million prize, becoming the first Thai winner of the competition series.
“When Terry Crews announced my name, I was shocked. I fainted. I’m going to fall. I don’t know what I’m doing,” said Royal, still a little out of breath from the victory. She received so many messages – from artists, fans, and even the Thai government, who called her “an inspiration to anyone who dares to dream big” – that she didn’t even have time to go through it all. “My school watches America’s Got Talent and my friends, they’re all happy and they keep texting me and I can’t read it all because I’m busy!” she said, laughing.
For Royal, the moment is especially huge because of her huge fan of rock and music. She started playing guitar in Phuket when she was just seven years old and was playing in bands like Avenged Sevenfold when she was in primary school. “My tastes are pretty broad,” she shares. “I have always been drawn to music with wonderful guitar, strong vocals and lots of energy.”
She began performing on stage around the age of 12, performing with her bands OZONE Band and Miniheart in Thailand. Her family supported her when she decided to take a chance AGT; his father can be seen going wild during his audition for “Zombie.” “My dad doesn’t know how to play music at all,” she says, laughing. “But he supported me since I was so young, taking me to shows, competitions, rehearsals, etc. and always encouraged me to keep going. Seeing him let loose during my audition made me really happy because I knew how proud he was. Having my family support me through this whole experience meant a lot to me.”
Her favorite moment of her AGT running, she said, was about creating the “Seven Nations Army” for the world. “I knew it was such an iconic song, so I wanted to respect the original, but also have it sound very, very me,” she explains. “I wanted to make it heavier and introduce more guitar, and I wanted to add my own energy and my own style to the performance. I didn’t want to feel like I was just covering the songs. I wanted people to hear it and think, ‘Okay, you know, that’s a Nene Royal version.'” She also got to perform with the Mexican band The Warning, of whom she was a fan before the show. “I really admire them as musicians and as a rock band, so having the chance to connect with them was a little surreal. I especially love seeing these three Mexican women who are absolutely killing it in rock music,” she says. “I would really love to play with them one day.”
And even though she just won, her two big goals are to release music and go on tour. She has a pretty clear idea of what her album would sound like: “Rock!” she roared. The list of people she wants to collaborate with is also long. “System of a Down, Metallica, Limp Bizkit, AC/DC, Linkin Park, Slipknot,” she rattles off. Avenged Sevenfold remains one of his greatest inspirations; she’s actually planning to open for them at a show in Singapore on October 13.
But first, more immediate projects await us. She is planning a big trip to Disneyland or Universal Studios with the OZONE Band, made up of three teenagers from Phuket. After a hectic 24 hours, she can’t decide what she wants to do first. “Maybe the theme park,” she said. “Or sleep.”
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