When Amanda Barise auditioned for Season 23 of “American Idol,” the New York singer said she went in with “zero expectations.” But once she earned a golden ticket, Barise arrived in Hollywood with the goal of winning the entire competition.
“I want to be the next American Idol because I want to show that underdogs can win,” she said during Monday night’s episode, which marked the beginning of Hollywood week.
The episode also revealed the return of the “Idol arena,” an intimidating elimination round where contestants are called to perform before judges Carrie Underwood, Lionel Richie, and Luke Bryan — plus their competition — without warning.
“Being a full-time vocalist and musician is very hard,” Barise noted. “In the music industry, you’re not always judged off of your voice and off of your talent. The world and environment around me constantly demanded change – to change my sound, to straighten my hair, to lose weight. And part of the reason why it took me so long to come on ‘American Idol’ is the ‘no’s that I’ve received.”
Onstage at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles, Barise belted “All I Could Do Was Cry” by Etta James.
“You are not an underdog,” Bryan said after the performance. “Quit feeling that way. You need to feel like a queen. You need to feel like a diva.”
“It meant a lot to be embraced by my peers, by the judges,” Barise said. “Is it all going to change after one performance? No. It’s something that I’m going to pay attention to going forward, and when those thoughts arise, I’m going to shut it off.”
The performance ultimately secured Barise a spot in the “showstoppers” round of the competition, which will air next week.
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