LYNN — Lynn singer Amanda Mena will continue her journey to stardom this Sunday as she performs on American Idol’s iconic Hollywood week.
“It was really awesome,” said Mena. “Everyone who is an ‘American Idol’ fan knows that it’s the show for making stars. So I’m very grateful for the opportunity.”
The episode will air Sunday, March 21 at 8 p.m. on ABC.
Mena has held a lifelong interest in American Idol, watching the show since she was a little girl.
Mena’s initial Idol audition aired on February 21, where, after singing “Golden Slumbers” by The Beatles for Lionel Richie, Katy Perry, and Luke Bryan, she was unanimously sent to the next round.
“You are one of a kind,” Perry told Mena.
“Getting to perform in front of Katy Perry who is one of my idols was incredible,” said Mena. “And hearing her say (that) really validated me.”
Born in Salem, Mena moved to the Dominican Republic as a baby. She lived there for four years before returning to settle with her family in Lynn. She graduated from Cobbet Elementary School, attended Breed Middle School for one year, and then enrolled at St. Mary’s.
“Lynn is a huge part of who I am. It’s my home,” said Mena. “It’s a beautiful community, and it gave me the edge I need to stand up and fight for my dreams.”
Mena’s passion for singing began when she was 8 years old, after one of her friends heard her singing in the bathroom and encouraged her to start pursuing music seriously.
“I had really bad stage fright at the time,” said Mena. “But eventually I came to love being on stage.”
Mena first garnered international attention when she won a Spanish-language singing competition, La Voz Kids, in Miami, Fla., in 2014 at just 11 years old.
At age 15, she competed in “America’s Got Talent,” where she was eliminated in the semifinals.
She has released several singles in both English and Spanish including “Soy Latina,” “Alma Gemela,” and “Non-Fiction,” which have garnered hundreds of thousands of views on social media.
Her latest track, “El Destino” a Latin hip-hop single featuring El Fecho RD was released earlier this month.
That song, along with Mena’s other music can be found on Spotify, YouTube, and other social media platforms.
Guthrie Scrimgeour can be reached at [email protected].
