Nene Royal’s ‘Zombie’ Brings a Cranberries Classic to America’s Got Talent

A teenager from Phuket stepped onto the Pasadena Civic Auditorium stage last week and didn’t simply perform The Cranberries’ “Zombie” — she tore through it. Nene Royal, 16, had never played a room anywhere near 3,000 capacity before. By the end of her audition, that crowd was singing every word.

The song she chose carries its own weight. Written during the Troubles and released as a single in 1994, “Zombie” marked a deliberate, jarring turn for the Irish band. “A lot of people were very surprised at the dramatic change from ‘Dreams,’” guitarist Noel Hogan later reflected in an interview with MusicRadar. “But look — it worked.” The track has since accumulated over 1.8 billion Spotify streams and become an unlikely global standard, one that Royal, shredding on guitar with remarkable control, made feel entirely her own.

Judge Howie Mandel called her a rock star. Simon Cowell noted her voice’s “authentic” tone, adding that the messiness sharpened the audition. Mel B praised her vocal and instrumental command. The verdict was quick: four yeses.

Royal travelled from Thailand with her father for the opportunity, her stated ambition being to tour as a superstar. Within a day, the performance video collected over two million views. Whether the AGT platform can translate a raw talent-show moment into a lasting career is never certain. But for one night, the connection between an old song, a young musician, and a full auditorium was undeniable.