'AGT': Amanda Mammana, a Singer-Songwriter With a Speech Impediment, Blows Away the Judges

A 19-year-old from Connecticut is about to make her debut on Season 17 of America's Got Talent.

Amanda Mammana is a singer-songwriter who discovered a while ago that she can sing without having to manage the symptoms of her speech impediment. A talented composer and guitar player, Amanda is now ready to show the world just how skilled she is on America's Got Talent.

Amanda will make her first appearance in Season 17, Episode 8 of America's Got Talent, alongside a large group of seasoned performers. As a promo released ahead the episode airing on Tuesday, July 19, 2022, suggests, it took Amanda less than the span of seconds to impress the judges, proving that she has everything it takes to become a real star.

During the initial interview, Amanda told judges Simon Cowell, Sofía Vergara, Heidi Klum, and Howie Mandel that her speech impediment caused her to feel ashamed — and then she discovered singing.

"As you can probably tell, I have a bit of a speech impediment. And, it was definitely something that caused me to shy away and to hide. But I found that I that I don't stutter when I sing," Amanda told the judges before she performed.

She later added: "I will be singing a song that I wrote. It's just about some hard times and if I could go back and change those things, I wouldn't, because they made me me."

For the audition, Amanda chose a song recounting the ambivalent experiences she has had because of the speech impediment. With the lyrics, she alludes to the complications she has managed to overcome. The lyrics include metaphors like opening a door and losing the keys to a box, for instance. With the song, she celebrates her ability to tackle self-doubt, among other things.

"I still remember that kid wanting to be more. But now she knows she is worth more than what she has been told. She tried her best to be the best and just forget the rest," Amanda sang. "But the rest is the best and it's what you get, so just let go. But what if I could go back in time and change the way I felt about my life? Oh but then would I, still have inside, everything that brought me back to life?"

"There were times when I was a kid when I was like, like I can never do anything like this, like I'm not good enough," Amanda told the judges.

"Good enough doesn't explain what we've just heard," Howie said. "It's not only good, it's great. Look how you are moving this audience. I believe you are moving millions of people, right now."

Amanda impressed every one of the judges. She received four yeses, allowing her to join the competition. Just how far will she go? Catch new episodes of AGT Tuesdays at 8 p.m. EST on NBC to find out.