Last May, Abi Carter became the first woman in four years to win American Idol, and Amanda Barise is now hoping to follow in her footsteps. The New Jersey native is already generating buzz ahead of the season 23 premiere for her masterful audition of James Brown’s “It’s a Man’s, Man’s, Man’s World.” Here are three quick facts about Amanda Barise, the American Idol hopeful Carrie Underwood has already labeled “perfection.”
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1. She’s Got Millions of Views on TikTok
Amanda Barise has been at this since long before her “epic” American Idol audition. Per Arts Global, she began singing at the age of 5. By 13, she was performing pieces from the Great American Songbook, including selections from Ella Fitzgerald, Michael Bublé, Marvin Gaye, and Lady Gaga.
Growing her following on social media, the 26-year-old alt-jazz crooner shares her performances of both original and cover songs. One particular video of Barise performing Radiohead’s “Creep” at a June 2024 house show in Brooklyn has amassed 3.6 million views on TikTok.
Barise added a smoky, sultry quality to the 1992 alt-rock hit, and clearly, viewers were here for it. “I just know sitting in that room listening would heal me,” one TikTok user commented.
Another added, “sounds like a voice I should hear while being wine drunk in france laying on a beach.”
2. She’s No Stranger to Winning Singing Competitions
American Idol is far from Amanda Barise’s first rodeo. Three years in a row — at ages nine, 10 and 11 — she won the Solo Vocalist category in the Star Power National Talent competition. Per Arts Global, she has also won the Future Stars Competition at the iconic Apollo Theater twice.
3. She Has More Than 600K Streams on Spotify
Amanda Barise blew the American Idol judges away with her cover of a James Brown song. However, the New York resident is just as capable of writing and performing her own music. With songs like “Money Problems,” Barise racked up more than 600,000 streams on Spotify in 2024.
“12-year-old me wouldn’t believe this moment if I told her,” Barise wrote on social media, adding, “It’s unreal to see my music traveling across the world like this.”
Featured image via Amanda Barise / Instagram)
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