The America’s Got Talent season 17 auditions continue during the July 19 episode, and Amanda Mammana will be taking the stage. The singer’s audition was released ahead of the episode, giving fans a glimpse at this incredible performance.
After her amazing audition, you’re going to be asking: who is Amanda Mammana? The 19-year-old’s audition makes her a force to be reckoned with as the show nears the finals. HollywoodLife has rounded up 5 key things to know about Amanda.
1. Amanda sings an original song for her audition.
Amanda tells the judges that she’s chosen an original song to perform for her AGT audition. She explains that the song is about “hard times and if I could go back and change those things I wouldn’t because they made me… me.” She cries a little before her performance, but it doesn’t hold her back whatsoever.
All the judges give Amanda a standing ovation. She admits that there were times when she was a kid that she felt like she “could never do anything like this.” Sofia Vergara and Heidi Klum tear up over Amanda’s emotional performance. “I thought that was so authentic. Thank you for having the guts to follow your heart,” Sofia tells Amanda.
2. Amanda has a speech impediment.
Amanda tells the judges before her performance that she has a speech impediment. “It was definitely something that caused me to shy away and to hide, but I found that I don’t stutter when I sing,” Amanda says. On her official website, Amanda reveals that she developed a speech impediment when she was 10.
“Once an outgoing kid, I became very shy and insecure. I picked up guitar as a way to escape and singing a couple months later. Music became my safe place,” she said.
3. Amanda has a single that’s out now.
Amanda’s single is titled “Prove You Wrong.” She noted that her song is about “dreaming big. Some people might think you’ll fail. Some might think you’re not good enough. Some might try to tell what’s best. They might tell you no. What you do after, speaks volumes. Will you give up on your dreams or will you prove them wrong?”
4. Amanda now writes songs about the “human condition.”
Amanda initially sang covers, but she wrote on her website that she soon began writing her own material. “I was able to take the pain and turn it into something real and beautiful. Because of the struggles I went through, I was given inspiration to write songs about the human condition,” she said.
5. Amanda is from Connecticut.
Amanda hails from Trumbull, Connecticut. She’s currently a student at Liberty University, according to her LinkedIn profile. She’s majoring in music production.