5 Facts About ‘American Idol’ Hopeful Amanda Mena
ABC/Christopher Willard Reading Time: 3 minutes
Singer Amanda Mena will appear on this season of American Idol on ABC. If her name sounds familiar to you, it’s probably because you’ve seen her on another talent show in the past.
This isn’t Amanda’s first time competing on television. Read on to find out where you might have seen her before, and what she’s been up to in the time between her talent show appearances.
Who Is ‘American Idol’s Amanda Mena?
Amanda Earned The Golden Buzzer On ‘AGT’
In 2018, Amanda auditioned for America’s Got Talent at 15 years old. She shared her experience being bullied when she was younger, saying music helped get her through it.
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For her audition, Amanda sang “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman.” She showed off a powerhouse voice that impressed the judges. Simon Cowell said she had “natural soul.” Mel B was so blown away, she hit the Golden Buzzer.
Amanda made it to the semifinals, where she sang “Happy” by Pharrell. She was unfortunately eliminated from the competition.
Amanda Lived In The Dominican Republic
Amanda was born in Salem, Massachusetts, but she was raised in the Dominican Republic by her grandmother until she was four years old. She said on AGT that she didn’t know any English when she moved back to the United States.
Amanda said she got “tough skin” from the bullying she endured. “My parents left their life behind, their family behind, to come to this country to build a better life for me and my siblings,” she told the Boston Globe. “If it wasn’t for them, I would never be where I am today,”
Amanda Won ‘La Voz Kids’ In 2014
Before she appeared on America’s Got Talent, Amanda competed on La Voz Kids, the Spanish-language version of The Voice for young singers. She was 11 years old when she appeared on the show, which she ended up winning.
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Amanda has since released several Spanish-language singles, including “Alma Gemela” in 2015 and “Soy Latina” in 2020. Last year, she also released her first English-language track, “Non-Fiction.”
Amanda Has A Photographic Memory
People who have worked with Amanda say she has an incredible ability to remember lyrics, which will definitely come in handy on American Idol — especially if she gets to Hollywood Week.
“Amanda could read song lyrics once and have immediate recall thereafter,” Audrey Jimenez, executive director of the YMCA where Amanda joined the after-school music program, told Northshore magazine.
David Quade, who helps Amanda coordinate events, also told the magazine, “Her intelligence, her recall, is just amazing.”
Amanda Mena Is Studying Music
Amanda is serious about music, and it goes beyond competing on talent shows. Now 18, Amanda reportedly won a scholarship to Berklee College of Music in Boston.
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As of last October, she was taking a course at the school while finishing up her senior year at St. Mary’s High School. “I’m learning to be a better performer,” she told Northshore magazine. “I want to grasp as much as I can because I want to perfect my craft. I want to be able to understand music on a deeper level.”
You can catch Amanda’s audition on Season 19 of American Idol, and follow her on Instagram and YouTube.
