“MAD” by Amanda Stewart

Amanda Stewart has been waiting for this for a long time. The artist spent a decade and a half on the live circuit honing her craft and soaking in a huge variety of cross-American influences, and now she’s ready to put all that she has learned to good use.

Her debut album ‘Miss American Lie’ is a taste of everything Stewart took in across those 15 years, a country-influenced collection of emotionally charged stories that demand the listener’s attention. The single “MAD” offers a perfect capsule of what listeners can expect.

Stewart’s vocals have an instantly appealing quality that calls to mind Taylor Swift and Miley Cyrus, but shot through with the wisdom and self-awareness that all her preparation time has brought her. Like the best of those two artists, “MAD” turns painful experiences into memorably cathartic pop – heartbreak is a little easier when it’s shaped into a catchy chorus.

On the song, she says, “‘MAD’ is about being driven crazy in a relationship. Am I insane or am I just I love? Why do I keep coming back to this person?”