It is almost a rite of passage to have dreams of stardom as a young child, but few people can actually pull off writing a song about such wishes. New York native Amanda Ayala details the attractive cliches of fame in her new pop anthem “Rags to Riches.”
The single seems to be a manifestation of success that Ayala found as a contestant on the Voice in 2015, where she received compliments on her vocal tone from the likes of Blake Shelton, Pharrell Williams, and Adam Levine. Ayala also competed on the Amazon Prime show Who Will Rock You? with celebrity judges such as Dee Snider and Kerri Kasem. Competing on the second season of the show, she placed in the top 12 as a quarterfinalist.
This goes to show that to both the trained and untrained ear, Ayala has what it takes to make her dreams come true–as well as ours. The enthralling hint of vibrato present in the song’s chorus hypnotize the listener, while relatable and lighthearted lyrics permeate our souls, getting right to the hope for greatness that we all hold inside.
Additionally, the arrangement contains paparazzi shutter clicks and other chaotic noises associated with fame, which immerse the listener ever further into Ayala’s world. Such effective imagery can be hard to come by, and “Rags to Riches” draws similarities to Olivia Rodrigo’s “Driver’s License” in the sense that the sound effects fit in so effortlessly they almost go unnoticed.
Stream “Rags to Riches” on Spotify and Apple Music.
