RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 1 sourcesNene Royal might be only 16 years old, but she knows how to rock like a pro. During the America’s Got Talent quarterfinals on Tuesday (Aug. 25), the young competitor blew the judges, audience and Soundgarden fans away with an incredible cover of “Black Hole Sun,” earning a coveted golden buzzer in the process.
Despite performing alone with just her powerhouse voice and an electric guitar, Royal dominated the stage as she effortlessly switched back and forth between vocal styles — including heavy-metal scream-singing — and shredded on her axe. As red and white lights strobed and fireballs heated up in the background, the teenager interacted with the camera and flipped her hair like a seasoned rock star.
After she was finished, judges Howie Mendel and Sofia Vergara were both eager to praise her. “I know I’m not supposed to say this: NBC, give her the million right now!” Mendel cheered.
Mel B then weighed in with, “I’m a ’90s girl, I’m into pop music,” earning wary groans from the audience, which seemed to expect that the Spice Girl was about to criticize Royal. “This kind of music is not my vibe.”
“But your vocals are on point, your guitar’s on point, your look, your energy, your vibe,” she continued. “How could I not do this?”
Mel B then slammed her hand down on her golden buzzer, automatically advancing Royal to the show’s finals. As confetti rained down, the teenager broke into tears, sobbing as she hugged her family, who ran onto the stage to join her.
Later, Vicky Cornell — who was married to late Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell — praised Royal’s tribute on her Instagram Story. “I have never heard anyone do [such] an incredible rendition — INCREDIBLE! YOU DID HIM PROUD!!” Vicky wrote. “What an incredibly talented young woman truly just WOW!!”
Royal reshared the post on her own Story and replied, “OMG!!!!!!! THANK YOU!”
“Black Hole Sun” is one of the core songs in Soundgarden’s discography, dropping in 1994 as a single from the band’s Billboard 200 -topping fourth album, Superunknown. Following Chris Cornell’s death in 2017, the track entered Billboard ‘s Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart for the first time, debuting at No. 5.
Judge Simon Cowell was absent from the panel the night of Royal’s cover of “Black Hole Sun,” having stepped back from the show in order to undergo routine back surgery. The news was announced a couple of days prior, with AGT noting that it was in the process of locking in celebrity guests to fill in for Cowell — who broke his back in an e-bike accident in 2020 — during the weeks he’s away.
Watch Royal’s unforgettable Soundgarden cover during the AGT quarterfinals above.
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