Eleven-year-old Maya Neelakantan has set a new milestone on “America’s Got Talent” by performing Metallica’s iconic track, ‘Master of Puppets’. This performance marks the first time the legendary metal band has ever allowed their music to be featured on the show.
During the quarter-finals of the competition, Maya Neelakantan, an Indian-American, took to the stage to deliver a captivating rendition of Metallica’s classic. She fused her classical Indian music background with the heavy riffs of the metal anthem, tuning her electric guitar to mimic the sound of a sitar and adding a unique cultural twist to the track.
This is brilliant! A carnatic twist on Papa Roach’s Last Resort, by 11 yo Maya Neelakantan, on America’s Got Talent. She’s based her carnatic improvs on #natabhairavi raga ig. And she’s a student of (who else but) Guitar Prasanna! Hope she goes on to do great things 🙂#raagtag pic.twitter.com/5oTuP6eD6j
— MusicAloud (@MusicAloud) June 28, 2024
Before the performance, Neelakantan shared her excitement and the significance of the moment: “I’m the first act Metallica have ever given permission to play on AGT. I really want to make Metallica proud.”
The judges were thoroughly impressed by Neelakantan’s performance. Simon Cowell praised her talent, saying, “You’re just one of these people who’s got a god-given talent… this is something you’ve got to do for the rest of your life because you’re so good at this.” He also expressed gratitude to Metallica, noting, “I gotta say a big, big thank you to Metallica for giving you that song. That doesn’t happen very often.”
Following her performance, Maya Neelakantan expressed her gratitude, saying, “It was just amazing. I’m so happy I had the honor of playing ‘Master of Puppets’ by Metallica for the first time on AGT. So thank you Metallica and thank you to the Cliff Burton family for making this possible.”
Neelakantan’s path to the America’s Got Talent stage began earlier this year with her audition. Since then, she has been refining her skills with guidance from prominent figures in the metal genre. She met with Gary Holt of Slayer and Alex Skolnick and Eric Peterson of Testament, who helped her hone her guitar techniques.
Metallica’s music has seen a resurgence in interest, particularly among younger audiences, partly due to its feature in the Netflix series “Stranger Things.” Last year, Metallica’s drummer Lars Ulrich commented on this renewed interest, highlighting the show’s role in introducing their music to a new generation of fans. The band’s recent album, “72 Seasons,” has also contributed to their ongoing popularity.
Neelakantan’s groundbreaking performance on “America’s Got Talent” not only highlights her exceptional talent but also reflects the growing influence of Metallica’s music across different audiences.
