Mackenzie Sol delivered the most emotional performance of America’s Got Talent 2026 with his cut of “You Broke Me First.” The 25-year-old singer had fans tearing up with his display of raw emotion and vulnerability here. Tate McRae sang the original song in such a quirky style that it’s very much a bold choice to try and cover it. Mackenzie went straight for the heart with his interpretation, singing it in his own style, giving a very genuine energy to what he was putting out to the audience.
It has to be said that it’s not just about the feels though, as Mackenzie really delivered the goods when it came to his dynamic delivery of the vocals. He really built up the tension with a slow burn verse over a lone piano part. He then opened up the taps to bring the thunder in the chorus. The Music Man has to say that falsetto on the main hook was just sublime! The way Mel B opened the judges’ comments with a long sigh of satisfaction and appreciation really said it all.
Mackenzie performed “You Broke Me First” on August 26, 2026, drawing an impressive 512,000 views on YouTube. Viewers appreciated what he delivered and added comments such as “I felt so much feeling and emotion in it. It was absolutely amazing I literally had tears” and “One of the best live performances I have ever seen in my 45 years on this planet. Unbelievable.”
Mackenzie Sol has an interesting story behind his run on America’s Got Talent. As he shared in his audition in June 2026, the English singer actually auditioned for Simon Cowell when he was just four years old. Mackenzie returned 21 years later on AGT to get another shot at it, performing Somb’r’s “Back to Friends.” He immediately connected with the audience and judges with his heartfelt style and gorgeous falsetto. This golden buzzer audition scored him some big-time attention, drawing 2.9 million views.
Although Mackenzie gave a strong performance with his quarterfinals performance of “You Broke Me First,” it didn’t quite pan out the way he had hoped. The judges’ reactions started off well, with Mel B saying, “That was so good. That was everything – the feelings, the trills, the voice.” Both Sofía Vergara and Howie Mandel were also complimentary, although Howie noted Mackenzie had a rough slot, going after Thai teen sensation Nene Royal. The Music Man has to say that it was unfortunate that Simon Cowell was not present for the comments, as Mackenzie’s connection with Simon was part of why his audition was such a success. The end result was that Mackenzie was eliminated at the end of the quarterfinals, after going up against some tough competition.