‘American Idol’ singer proves the best talent can just be across the street and we’re glad she auditioned
Amanda Barise, a young hopeful, appeared on the 'American Idol' stage in season 23 auditions. And the moment she belted out James Brown's powerful cover of 'It's a Man's World', the room shifted. Her voice was so powerful that all three judges were standing even before Barise finished the song. As Barise opened her eyes and caught sight of a standing ovation, her face lit up with joy, flashing a big smile, she simply said, "Ok." Carrie Underwood, still in awe of the performance, barely blinked, and Luke Bryan couldn't help but say, "It’s so fun watching her (Underwood) watch this!”
Lionel Richie remarked, "That's what we call a possession." He added, "Every once in a while, a possession comes along..." Then, taking a deep breath, he added, "That was amazing! I don't know what to say to you, that was great!" Underwood regained her composure and said, "Nothing was rushed. Every line you delivered just took us on its little journey; that was perfection." Bryan also impressed, commenting on Barise's soulful performance, "It was like you were shooting me with a paintball gun... um, one of the best I've heard. Ever."
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Fans also flooded the YouTube comment section with praise, one wrote, "She needed a PLATINUM TICKET...Her voice, her performance..... OMG TOP 5 if not winner. Unless the public takes it in another direction.. So Flawless." Another added, "Girrrllllll, I just threw my phone, picked it up and put it on repeat then threw it again!!! You sang that song ma'am!!! Whewwww!!!" The third chimed in, "She SANG that, and I'm here for more!!! Such Sass, I loved it."
Having come "literally from across the street," one would wonder where Barise has been all this time. In a heartfelt interview with People, Barise revealed what delayed her journey to the 'American Idol' stage, "Being a full-time vocalist and musician is very hard. In the music industry, you're not always judged by your voice and for your talent." She explained further, "The world and environment around me always demanded change. To change my sound, to straighten my hair, to lose weight." She admitted, "That's why it took me so long to come on American Idol." But when she appeared on the stage, it wasn't a plan to win or impress the judges; it was rather a leap of faith, "I was going into that audition really with zero expectations," she told the outlet.
In the recent episode of the show, Barise performed on Michael Jackson’s hit song, 'I Can’t Help It'. The judges couldn’t stop raving. Bryan said her “stage presence went to another level” and that she “crushed it.” Richie even declared, “Michael Jackson couldn’t sing like that.” And Underwood was just as impressed, calling Barise’s performance “incredible.” But in a shocking turn, that powerhouse performance wasn’t enough to keep her in the competition. According to Yahoo, Barise was voted out of 'American Idol' on April 27, proving once again that sometimes, talent alone isn’t enough to stay ahead in the contest.
