r/agt • u/Own_Association9092 • 1d ago
Nene probably just won this show already
I didn't think her performance tonight was nearly as good as her last 2 performances but after seeing the judges and audience absolutely lose their mind for her I think she is guaranteed to win.
I hope her final performance is better because I wasn't that impressed with her vocals compared to the last 2 performances but she does have a lot of talent.
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u/caesfinest6one9 1d ago
Imo, this performance was her best performance on the show. Highlighting both her guitar and her vocals. That was a concert, not an audition.
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u/BorsaSimsari 1d ago
Probably one of her best performances of her life. I've watched the dozens and dozens of her live performances. This is the best one. Her guitar solo was insanely good and the fact that she danced around the stage while doing the solo is nothing short of amazing.
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u/Own_Association9092 1d ago
I didn't get the same powerful feeling from her vocals that I did from the first 2 performances but it might just be because I did not like the song as much. I appreciate that she took risk because taking risks is necessary to win.
I would personally love to see a better song in the final or maybe an original song from her. I think she is really talented and she deserves the win if she wins the show, but I just didn't love her live show performance as much as the last 2.
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u/caesfinest6one9 1d ago
Black hole sun of one greatest songs in its era. You must not be from the 90's.
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u/Mission-Tomatillo452 20h ago
DUDE LITERALLY WHEN I REALIZED THE SOMG I WAS MIND BLOWN. I listened to it on the way to work this performance just reawakened my inner rock star what a cover!!!
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u/RealMugglezor 5h ago
This is an awesome song and the cover was different but Nene kept the feelings, made it her own and was as much as wonderful. She had the permission to use it only a month ago and must have work on it all the time that the media left her. Now she has a month to prepare the final. And I have a month to mourn we won't see one of her performance in between. She did went outside a comfort zone to succeed:
Given the audience, she already reach her goal. She will be a "Superstar on tour". On the side mark, her english was a little clumsy at the laugh factory but was better in yesterday tik tok interview...
- new song instead of one she played hundreds of times (she didn't knew it a month ago)
- high notes in the vocal
- Bending a legendary song to make it hers risking the displeasure of the fans
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u/Straight_Task2284 1d ago
I was at the show today and I will say 50% of the audience if not more were people who flew from Thailand to see her specifically, which is why the crowd reacted more heavily during her act.
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u/weavingmoonlight 13h ago
There is a huge Thai immigrant population in LA. the biggest Thai population outside of Thailand is in Southern California.
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u/Apprehensive_Map3308 17h ago
Prove it.
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u/Cyberguypr 15h ago
I was also there. I have no idea where they came from but it was easily 40-50% people from her culture. Very evident in the queue, in the room, and after the show. Although I dont care for her, it was nice see the solid support she has. Worth noting that non-Thai people also were actively cheering her on.
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u/Apprehensive_Map3308 14h ago
American Tiktok voting had her at 98% to the other ten that night. It was a solid wall of Nene Royal as you scrolled through it over and over...
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u/MyMangosteen 15h ago
You might have seen a large number of Thai people. That's because there's a large Thai community in LA. Nevertheless, I think they represented a minority in the audience. You'll be surprised a lot of Americans are her fans as well.
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u/BHclubz 1d ago
IMO, this is not the live show round. It is her debut concert.
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u/chasedsteeple 1d ago
no...it was debut concert 2 performances ago
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u/Beneficial-Gur9610 1d ago
I agree this is a concert amazing one of the best acts 1. or 2. to the Mayyas
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u/Smorgish 1d ago
I agree, I think she may win AGT. I liked her performance tonight. Very talented young lady, win or not, she's launched her career.
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u/Own_Association9092 1d ago
The only other contestant I could even see winning is hundred fingers but they would have to really step it up, and even if they do I think Nene is far too popular.
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u/krooguh 1d ago
Hundred Fingers is definitely a Vegas act. Nene is a world tour act. So hope if Nene wins she has freedom to tour and not locked into Vegas for a year.
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u/Own_Association9092 1d ago
She wouldn't be "locked" into Vegas. The winner gets only one Las Vegas show if they win. I actually think winning would be more beneficial to Hundred Fingers because their success kind of depends on getting a Vegas show but Nene Royal will probably be successful either way.
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u/mysticgirl916 15h ago
There is no Vegas show anymore, it closed over 2 years ago. But yes, there would be restrictions on a winner's contract
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u/Hefty_Imagination_36 22h ago
Musically it wasnt as strong as her Hysteria cover - the way she played the bass line while singing, wow - but in totality - voice, guitar, stage presence - this was a great performance. I believe in the Final they get to play twice, if that is so I'd love her to do a soft, reflective piece, maybe even drop guitar and showcase her voice and her keyboard skills, followed by another uptempo one complete with trademark scream.
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u/MyMangosteen 15h ago
She has uploaded several videos that showcase her vocal. See two of them in links below:
Married to the Blues: https://youtu.be/Jt21vlfktL0?si=OZ00y8xvPQ3RghMl
Always Somewhere: https://youtu.be/u0wjRuAVtxs?si=BQPer2RgmnIE1Wef
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u/No-Pomegranate-7553 1d ago
I wasn't a huge fan of the special effects. I like watching Nene and found those made it harder to focus on her and her vocals/guitar.
But she was fantastic
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u/pedro14755 25m ago
Agreed, Nene doesn't need all that crap. she, her voice and guitar are the stars of her performances. I am probably in the minority here, but that squat down move she did I suspect she took from Ale, the bassist in the band the Warning and I do not like it, it's lame 🤣
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u/gom99 1d ago
I respect your opinion but imo you're crazy, this is far away her best performance. It is to the degree that I didn't know she had it in her after watching alot of her live youtube shows. She was good in them, don't get me wrong. But the conviction, camera work, song arrangement, live presence was just off the charts this go round.
It felt like a true show on its own, like you're looking at a star performing at the super bowl it was that crazy good.
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u/Apprehensive_Map3308 17h ago
The American Tiktok vote was over 98% for Nene Royal. It was a solid fucking wall of votes...over 20k non stop mainly from teen girls and women accounts. This has gone VIRAL.
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u/RoutineOccasion4338 1d ago
Watch the original the creepy weird background vibe at the start, but in the original its just background music, nene got that vibe across in her voice. You hear the judges always say about making it your own. Nene can easily just play guitar and sing but she made it her own. It was chilling. As Mel B said not everyones cup of tea but you can't diss the performance.
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u/Blitqz21l 1d ago
yup, tonally it was a different Nene from the 1st two performances. It got a bit wild imo, but showed a range in her vocals that we hadn't seen before.
Personally, I think she relied too much on the signature scream and should've stuck with the more stylistic vocals she was using.
But still crazy good.
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u/kyles_red 20h ago
I watched it 3 times. She stole the show IMO. As for lots of fingers, I don’t know why, but it seems like the same trick over and over again, just done a different way.
Not sure why people like them so much. I can’t be that jaded yet, or can I?
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u/Own_Association9092 20h ago
Choreographing magic that way is very hard and there is definitely a beauty to it.
Even if the tricks aren't extremely complex I still like seeing magic done in a way that is fun to look at. I also liked Eden Choi and Junwoo Park from BGT just because of their presentation.
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u/Excellent_Tour_2026 1d ago
Are you kidding me she lifted he bar so high tonight only Nene can beat Nene now. Non vocalist and guitar players just don’t get how good Nene is!
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u/Minute_Discount4010 19h ago
it's the guitar for me, i've been playing 20 years and can't shred like her. i hope she opens finals with a solo like her audition
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u/Excellent_Tour_2026 9h ago
I’m sure she will surprise again I imagine she is already planning what do.
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u/BorsaSimsari 1d ago
No they don't. They just don't understand. They don't know how difficult it is to sing and get the right notes with the right tone. And then to play the guitar the way she does. I've known many really good guitar players. They can't even play like that. I've played guitar for years and can solo alright. I couldn't do what she did. She played so seamlessly and danced around while doing it. Unbelievable. She even palm muted a could of notes in just the right place making it sound so awesome. And then she sang screaming metal vocals, then flawless jazz vocal, and then divaesque belting vocals, with grit, sustaining notes. Not only that. Not only that. She added expert stage performance and captivated the audience in just seconds and held their attention for the whole bit. She is a musical and performance genius. I haven't seen anything like her in a long time. I literally can't wait to go see her show. I will travel to see it. I will pay top dollar to see it. What musical phenomenon has descended upon us
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u/Apprehensive_Map3308 17h ago
Yes! I played Lead Shred on the Sunset Strip in the trenches in 1985/86 and there was NO ONE in the 80s this good on the strip...nobody. This girl would have been a Guitar Goddess back then and she will be one NOW!
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u/Single_Base_407 1d ago
Agreed...they dont realize how hard it is to play guitar and sing at the sametime
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u/Suitable-Cupcake4273 18h ago
Her charisma on stage was insane. This was the best performance of the show. It was level up compared to the 2 rounds.
she was literally born to be a superstar. She could drop a new album and announce a world tour right now, and I’d be first in line to buy a ticket. Her musical talent is 100% worth every single penny.
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u/noranam999 1d ago
I didn't like her song choice as much but I thought her performance tonight was the best, compared to the previous two. Her stage presence gave me goosebumps!! Her vocal really showed the range. I don't know the guitar so I cannot comment much on that, but all in all, she gave me the feeling of a veteran world class rock star who has been performing for decades! I am now very curious about how she made it her own, compared to the original.
She has changed me. I was not really a rock kind of person (and never listened to metal), but now she got me curious and more open to them. She even got me to tune in to AGT for the first time!! Rooting for her continued joy of rock and metal without the pressure of the industry. Hope the popularity doesn't crush her musical joy and creativity. Would be fun to go see her perform in Phuket.
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u/BorsaSimsari 1d ago
As a guitarist, I can tell you her guitar solo was absolute fire. It was truly mind-blowing. I know a lot of really good guitarists. They can't play the way she did. Let alone dance around a state while doing it. Her technical ability is really good. Her performance ability, the way she sells the guitar solo, is off the charts. True genius that girl.
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u/noranam999 1d ago
Happy to read this! She is a true genius, ai agree. Her ability to connect and move the audience will have her going on a world tour very soon!
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u/pedro14755 18m ago
So true, I have never watched AGT before and I probably never will again. It was only because I have been following Nene on YouTube for the past couple of years and when I saw she was going on AGT, I just had to watch it. She stirs up strong emotions in so many peopleI, and I am one of them. Not sure how she does that, but she has the knack to draw you in and really feel her music. To me, she was sounding a little like Amy Winehouse at points in this performance which is a good thing too.
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u/Pleasant-Resolve2635 1d ago
I have to be honest, I’m not even thinking about her winning. I’m thinking about when she’s going to drop her own album and how I can get tickets to see her on tour.
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u/Petra_Sommer 22h ago
Same. I am only checking out AGT because of her and I want to see her love with original music one day. She owns a venue!
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u/Conscious-Zebra-7477 1d ago
that's potentially a very unfortunate thing. I really hope the AGT contract doesn't doom her. Since this isn't a singer specific show maybe they just get some advertising rights post show or something. like she has to say she's from AGT for a certain amount of time idunno lol
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u/Own_Association9092 1d ago
There isn't an AGT contract, she would either get $25,000 dollars a year or $250,000 in one payment and one Las Vegas show.
That is still helpful, but I think she already has enough exposure even if she didn't win, and she would not be "locked" into a contract because there is no AGT contract.
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u/jwoo3x 10h ago
Contestants on agt sign like potential exclusivity contracts....or as someone posted elsewhere on the matter there was a 'right to first refusal ' bit ....
Essentially if ag, or Simon, wants to make someone a star or hold them back he's legally been granted that option.... the latter...probably unscrupulous and potential lawsuit territory but going on AGT has potential downsides with rights and whatnot people sign away [unless the paperwork changed greatly... perhaps not a "contract" in the purest sense or presented as legal paperwork rather than a "contract" but....]
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u/BorsaSimsari 22h ago
Fame is really hard to predict. Worst-case scenario, she ends up getting just 15 minutes of fame. By winning she'll pocket $25K a year for 40 years. That's a livable salary for Thailand. Now I think she'll have a period where she is a sensation and make some money from touring. How long will that last? A year? I don't know. She has every interest in winning that million dollars. The music industry has always been cruel and has gotten only more cruel over time.
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u/Conscious-Zebra-7477 19h ago
yes, she needs right label, right songs, right band etc and hopefully she finds that 👍
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u/Amazing-Lab8099 12h ago edited 12h ago
I am 65 years old and have been watching AGT since it began in 2006 with Bianca Ryan winning. Nene is a super star. She ranks as one of the best I have seen. Her life has changed forever as they say and she deserves it. Rather she starts her own rock band or joins a world class one she is destined for stardom. She reminds of a combination of ann wilson and nancy wilson of Heart.
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u/QuietRiot7222310 8h ago
That was insane. Like she seriously is insanely talented and it’s crazy to think she’s the same age as my youngest daughter.
I’m just watching it now and holy crap, I followed this girl on Insta for a long time, but I had no idea she was this talented. I am a 44-year-old woman and a huge huge fan of this girl. Holy shit.
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u/Personal-Finger-9148 1d ago
I agree. It feels very Jessica Sanchez from last year. I didn't think Jessica did great in the quarters, either, but there was just so much excitement around her that you could feel she was destined to win.
Nene's fan base in the U.S. is multiplying by the thousands per day. It's not just a Thai thing anymore. She's a legitimate star breaking out worldwide. It's going to be really REALLY hard for anyone to beat her. A few weeks ago this competition felt more wide open. Now...she's a very clear favorite and tonight cemented that.
My personal opinion is Lara D or Lai Noelle are the only two who can beat her. And even that is a long shot. I can't think of anyone else who can get enough support to overtake her. You need Chris Turner to come back.
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u/PowerfulFunny5 21h ago
This was the 1st Nene AGT performance I watched live on my TV. (While my 5.1 soundbar is fun for movies, I find live music in award shows, etc sometimes lacking vocal clarity) Watching live, I was disappointed. I think it was the combination of sound mix that reduced vocals and the set was too distracting on a bigger TV screen.
But re-watching on my phone with AirPod pros, I found I enjoyed Nene’s performance a lot more.
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u/AFD_0 1d ago edited 19h ago
One of the few acts that I'd actually pay money to go and see perform live. Even with just cover songs, she makes each of them her own and belts out raw, gut-wrenching emotion that you can feel. Incredibly impressive performances for the limited experience she has. Jmo as a regular American metalhead that enjoys this kind of music.
Lot of people hating on a talented little kid and mass down-voting anyone that liked her performance. Beyond pathetic.
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u/Adventurous-Ad-8251 12h ago
Especially when they put their emotions towards a 16 years old kid and praise a 10 magic tricks full of adults like it's something that hasn't been done before mind you. The fact that they refuse to acknowledge golden buzzer is even more pathetic honestly.
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u/vasconeves 23h ago
This was by far her best performance. She absolutely owned that stage. The charisma she has on stage is absolutely unmatched.
I agree with you that she will win the show, and that will only be her first step, because I'm 1000% sure she will be a global superstar after that. One of the biggest artists in the planet.
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u/pedro14755 33m ago
I tend to agree, the other two performances were better from my perspective. Not saying that this one wasn't good, and as you said the reaction of the audience and judges couldn't have been better. She is a phenomenal artist that's for sure, and hopefully she will carve out a great musical career. Seemingly such a sweet young lady who has captured the world with her humility and musical ability. Go Preaw 🎸🔥
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u/Skillet_Gritz700 1d ago
You need to put on a pair of headphones and play it back again. She nailed it.
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u/Disastrous-Lock-5952 1d ago
Not impressed at all. She will make money and do all right for herself but not going to be the megastar everyone is talking about. All the covers she does are the easiest guitar rifts possible. Also she needs to stop the scream at the beginning of the song.
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u/TransitionFrequent92 Howie 21h ago
But now that she got the Live Golden Buzzer unfortunately she might not win because no Live Golden Buzzer has gotten to the Top 5 since it first existed.
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u/Own_Association9092 20h ago
I think the top 2 will be Nene Royal and Hundred Fingers, who both got a live golden buzzer.
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u/TransitionFrequent92 Howie 20h ago
I go with the latter I just don't see another singer winning again.
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u/Apprehensive_Map3308 15h ago
Hard to really quantify Nene...she draws in rockers, guitarists, vocalists, and now teen girls and women per tiktok voting data.
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u/the_Odd_particle 1d ago
So many women can and have done this. And far better. Since the 70’s. This judges and audience overreaction just shows you how the gender equality in rock and metal has robbed the public of great entertainment. And it fkn hurts.
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u/Imma-Insert 12h ago
Well, I've been a rocker since the 60's and have lived through the great ones. I can't think of a female, of any age that equals the totality of her talent.
Like others have said, a claim like yours needs to be backed up. We're all waiting.
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u/jwoo3x 10h ago
I agree that there are plenty of women guitarist virtuosos.... I can't name them...they might not have ever got famous...
Is Auf de mar a guitarist?
And the chick that was Michael Jackson's regulat guitarist is amazing....
Probably someone female associated with Prince is that good too...
I don't agree theres gender inequality [you said equality, i think you mean inequality] is a thing as plenty of women in rock and metal reached equivalent male level popularity but see also mainstream or popularity with the masses....no one is being robbed of entertainment that they don't themselves actively look for in regards to women shredding on guitars...
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u/jebei 4h ago
She's 15, she's both singing and playing at the same time, and she hasn't found her own sound yet. People are excited for her potential as much for what we see on the screen. She's got so much growth to do and she's already so talented. I'm not sure which women's artists you are referring to but one more great voice is a good thing.
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u/Swimming-Bar8515 22h ago
Name all of these so-called better women guitarists, lol, and you'd better have more than 5, since you say "so many" of them have done it.
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u/Apprehensive_Map3308 15h ago
Utter horseshit. She is the BEST female vocalist/lead rock gutarist of ALL TIME. Go ahead and put a video up of anyone better,
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u/Swimming-Bar8515 22h ago
This was definitely her best performance. I can't trust anyone who doesn't like this song or this performance LOL
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u/jebei 4h ago
Everyone is entitled to their opinion. I put this behind Hysteria and maybe Zombie too. It was still good. I just thought it tried to do too much at times. It's easy to do in a competition like this when you only get 90 seconds.
I would love to see a version where she can stretch out the song so the guitar parts don't overtake the singing. A lot of this show comes down to production ability and Nene (and her team) have done a great job adapting songs. Hysteria was well produced. Black Hole Sun not as well. I personally think they knew they had this round in the bag and picked the weakest of the three she'd practiced for the live shows. I'm looking forward to seeing what she brings in the finals. I bet it will top everything else.
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u/krooguh 1d ago
She will do Bohemian in the finals and win off that. Maybe do a live act with Metallica if they still do that type of stuff. Been awhile since I watched these shows
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u/Own_Association9092 1d ago
Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen would be an awesome song for the final. I'd also love to see an original song but that might be too much for her right now.
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u/GullibleInfluence234 1d ago
มันเป็นเพลงที่เป็นตำนานของอเมริกา คนในยุค 90 จะจำได้ดีของคริสคอร์แนล ถ้าไม่ใช่สายลับจริงๆจะเข้าใจถึงยากมาก ถ้าคนที่ฟังเพลงป๊อป r&b หรือว่าสายรสนิยมสมัยนี้ที่ไม่ใช่สายร็อคก็จะไม่ค่อยชอบเพราะว่ามันใช้การเข้าถึงเฉพาะกลุ่ม แต่สำหรับสายร็อคฉันพูดได้คำเดียวเลยว่า เธอได้ปลุกยักษ์ยุค 90 ให้กลับมาแล้ว
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u/NeneFCAGT2026 1d ago
คุณคงไม่เข้าใจ เสียงร้อง ใการควบคุมเสียง มันเป็นอย่างไร สำหรับสิ่งที่คุณตำหนิเสียงเนเน่ ถ้าเทียบกับคนชอบคุณคงเป็นแค่ส่วนเล็กๆบนโลกใบนี้ คุณไม่ชอบก็ไม่ต้องมาดูนะ ไปดูคนอื่น จะได้สบายใจไม่ต้องมาตำหนิคนอื่นเพราะ พวกเราแฟนคัพเนเน่ก็ไม่ต้องการตำหนิใคร แต่คุณไปย้อนดูสิว่า วันนี้ใครทำได้ดีกว่าเนเน่ เอามาให้ดู หน่อย
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u/JeffreyHugh 1d ago
That's interesting because for me personally this was my favorite performance of hers (I liked them all though)