Thai singer and guitarist Nene Royal impressed the judges and audience with a performance of The White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army” on the America’s Got Talent Season 21 finale.
Nene Royal, whose real name is Rattikarn Amloy, took to the AGT stage for the live finale in the United States, performing her own version of the classic rock song.
For her finale performance, Nene chose “Seven Nation Army”, originally released by American rock duo The White Stripes, consisting of Jack White on guitar and vocals and Meg White on drums.
The song is one of the most recognisable rock songs of the 21st century, largely because of its distinctive seven-note guitar riff. The riff later became a familiar chant at football matches and other sporting events around the world.
The story of “Seven Nation Army” began during a White Stripes soundcheck at the Corner Hotel in Melbourne, Australia, in 2001.
Jack White came up with the famous riff while warming up on guitar. He later said he initially thought the riff could work as a James Bond theme. White used an octave pedal and tuned his guitar to produce the low sound associated with the song.
The song’s minimalist arrangement relies heavily on the repeating riff. Rather than following a conventional pop structure with a prominent chorus, the riff itself carries much of the song’s identity.
The title does not refer to seven countries or a military force. White explained that, as a child, he misheard the name Salvation Army as “Seven Nation Army”. He later used the phrase as a temporary name for the riff before keeping it as the song’s official title.
The lyrics also have little connection to a literal army. White said the song was inspired by gossip and people talking behind his back. He described a character who leaves town after hearing rumours about himself, becomes lonely and eventually wants to return.
The song can therefore be understood as a metaphor for an overwhelming force of people or opposition standing in the singer’s way.
“Seven Nation Army” was released in 2003 as the lead single from The White Stripes’ fourth studio album, Elephant.
The song reached number one on Billboard’s Alternative chart and number seven on the UK Singles Chart. It later won Best Rock Song at the 2004 Grammy Awards, while Elephant won Best Alternative Music Album.
Its distinctive riff eventually took on a life beyond the original song. Football fans at Club Brugge are widely credited with first turning the riff into a chant after hearing the song during a 2003 UEFA Champions League match against AC Milan.
The chant later spread through Italian football and became particularly associated with Italy’s national team during the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
The melody is easy to sing without knowing the lyrics, allowing thousands of fans to perform it together. It has since become common at football matches and sporting events around the world.
Nene brought the iconic riff to the AGT stage for the Season 21 finale. Following her performance, the judges stood and praised the Thai singer, with Howie Mandel even going into the audience to hug Nene’s father.
The winner of Season 21 of AGT, as voted for by fans online, will be announced on Wednesday night in the US. The broadcast will be shown from 8am to 10pm Thailand time on Thursday.
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