Amanda Barise’s “Cute and Deadly” Marks a Post-Idol Power Move
Amanda Barise doesn’t tiptoe into the room; she slides in and hits a note that makes your spine recalibrate, then leaves a trail of goosebumps for good measure. Amanda has shown musical talent since she was barely out of kindergarten. Now, in 2025, she’s steamrolled her way into the Top 14 on American Idol Season 23, garnering gold-standard fanfare from the judges and quite a few fans across the country.
Before Idol fame flicked its spotlight her way, Amanda was already seasoning her sound behind the curtain. She laid background vocals for R&B vet Joe, putting gloss on tracks with TimaLikesMusic, and casually dropping a Splice pack that cracked the Top 10 without breaking a sweat.
Right now, though, Barise is riding high on that post-Idol momentum. She’s bringing us a three-track number called Cute & Deadly, an EP that doubles as a musical middle finger to anyone who said she wouldn’t make it, to anyone who tried to stand in her way. Co-produced by Max Faigen, the tracks are autobiographical, unfiltered, and smoother than a late-night espresso in Chelsea.
Right at the heart of that momentum is the title track, Cute & Deadly, a slow-burn confidence anthem dressed in jazz fringe and R&B bite. It opens with a sly scat flourish that’s all charm before sinking into a groove that’s half smirk, half strut. The beat glides as smoothly as her vocals, but there’s a steely, sardonic tone underneath, as Amanda’s delivery flips past doubt like it’s old news.
Lyrically, it’s a flex disguised as autobiography, sharpened with attitude but delivered with polish. Lines like “I’m feminine, I’m cute and deadly” are a deeper statement about identity in an industry that likes to chew people up and spit them out without a second thought. In just a few minutes, Amanda turns every snub, shrug, and sneer into fuel. If this is her opening move, the naysayers might want to buckle up.
26 is the soul-searching, deep-breath kind of ballad you play when life hits pause and you’re not sure whether to cry or level up. Spoiler: Amanda does both. It’s stripped-back, introspective, and exactly the kind of track that sneaks up on you at 2 a.m. Then there’s Girl Like Me, a sultry, self-to-self anthem where vulnerability walks hand in hand with quiet fire. Barise calls it a “self-call to action,” and it feels like stepping into her private thoughts, if those thoughts wore heels and carried a mic.
Whether you caught her belting Aretha on Idol or stumbled upon her on a rain-soaked TikTok, Amanda Barise is officially one to keep on your radar, preferably in neon, with the volume up.
FOLLOW AMANDA BARISE: Instagram | Spotify | YouTube | Twitter | TikTok