Overview
- Mackenzie Sol’s slowed R&B cover of Sombr’s “Back to Friends” drew a standing ovation and Mel B hit her Golden Buzzer, automatically advancing him to AGT’s live rounds after his audition that aired June 23.
- Judges lauded the reinterpretation of the song, with Simon Cowell calling the performance “brilliant,” and the buzzer moment immediately raised Sol’s television profile beyond his social channels.
- Sol has built a massive online audience—more than 12 million TikTok followers—while trying to shift public perception from prankster to singer by posting music and performing live in Las Vegas.
- His AGT push follows earlier televised turns: a childhood X Factor audition for Simon Cowell and a run to the Top 20 on American Idol in 2024, showing a long-running effort to break into mainstream music.
- Sol’s recent openness about anxiety, ADHD and his mother Nicki’s 2025 breast cancer diagnosis and recovery has shaped his public story and could deepen fan support as he returns for AGT’s live shows scheduled to begin in mid-August.