PHUKET, Thailand – A 16-year-old Thai guitarist has brought a fresh burst of rock energy to the America’s Got Talent 2026 stage, winning a roaring response from the audience with her performance of The White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army.” Nene Royal, Rattikan Amloy, delivered an explosive version of the 2003 rock classic, turning the familiar guitar riff into a high-energy performance in her own style.
The song has a special connection to the young musician. Long before appearing on the international talent show, Nene regularly performed “Seven Nation Army” at the Naka Market busking stage in Phuket. Videos of her playing attracted attention online, with international viewers praising her precise guitar work and wanting to know more about the young Thai performer.
“Seven Nation Army” has since become a global sporting anthem, with its instantly recognisable guitar riff regularly heard in football stadiums around the world. Yet beneath the famous riff, the song deals with rumours, pressure and the feeling of being judged by people who do not truly know you. Its lyrics about fighting back against forces trying to hold you down have taken on a new resonance for Nene as she pursues her dream of becoming a rock star.
Her America’s Got Talent performance brought that determination to a much bigger stage, with the audience responding with loud cheers and applause. From a busking stage in Phuket to one of the world’s best-known talent shows, Nene has now given “Seven Nation Army” another international moment — this time through the guitar of a Thai teenager determined to make her own mark.
