keeps pushing herself, and is the next step in her journey. As a songwriter, she's diving deeper and getting more personal and raw. Sonically she's continuing to explore new sounds and vibes in her electropop world. And visually, she's started taking more control, self-directing music videos (including cute) as part of her overall artistic vision and experience.
In talking about the song, Amanda said, "There are things in this song that I've only ever told to my therapist. It's brutally honest - possibly bordering on being a little too honest - and that's what I love about it. I have a rule when I'm writing that if I stop and go, 'yikes, can I say that?' then I absolutely do." One listen and that becomes clear. She isn't shying away from the hard stuff.
Because she wore the director's hat on the video, Amanda also spoke on that. She says, "I loved the idea of juxtaposing the almost-too-honest, blunt realism of the lyrics with the hyperrealism of the visuals. The video is dimly lit with bold colours and a very stylized aesthetic, switching from a ton of movement to an almost anxious stillness. My goal was to find a sense of balance between these extremes to communicate the feeling that comes along with the highs and lows of this type of a tumultuous relationship." Kudos to Amanda for realizing her vision.
Written, produced, and fully realized during the pandemic, cute is going to be an introduction to Amanda Frances for some listeners, and a continuation of her ride with others. And the song, with its honesty and sad bop style, works either way.
Hit play to check out the official video for cute now and then, dive into the long Q&A session with Amanda Frances!
Amanda Frances - cute
The Amanda Frances 30 Question Q&A
1. Early Mornings or Late Nights: Early mornings. Especially in the summer.
2. Sweet Treats or Salty Treats: Sweet all the way. I have zero interest in candy, but could not say no to chocolate if my life depended on it.
3. Long Walks or Long Drives: Both. But lately long walks by the water are my jam.
4. Leather or Denim: Vintage denim all the way.
5. Boots or Running Shoes: Sneakersssss. Not going to lie, I wear sneaks 99/100 days, even in the dead of winter.
6. City or Country: City. Been in Toronto for 3 years now and I love it.
7. Big Parties or Small Get-Togethers: Small get-togethers. I'm such an introvert.
8. Acoustic Guitar or Electric Guitar: Acoustic. I have a Gibson Hummingbird and I'm so in love with her.
9. Netflix or Disney+: Netflix.
10. Ballads or Bops: Sad bops. Best of both worlds.
11. Coffee or Tea: Matcha.
12. Movies or TV Shows: Movies. Please send reco's.
13. CDs or Vinyl: I feel like I'm betraying my inner 90's kid by saying this, but Vinyl.
14. Cake or Pie: Pumpkin pie.
15. Summer or Winter: Fall. But Summer if I had to choose between those two.
16. Cats or Dogs: My family are dog people 100%.
17. iPhone or Android: iPhone. I actually shot my last two music videos on an iPhone 12 with a Moment Anamorphic Lens (shoutout to Apple and Moment - plz sponsor me.)
18. Coke or Pepsi: Water.
19. Paper Books or E-Books: Paper books all the way. I feel like it adds so much more romanticism back into the art of reading.
20. Handshakes or Hugs: Hugshugshugshugshugs.
21. What was the first song you performed in front of an audience?
I have tried very hard to repress this memory but I'm fairly certain it was a music theatre-style group ensemble performance of Steam Heat ...ugh.
22. Who is the celebrity you'd most like to meet?
Finneas. Obsessed with everything he does.
23. Which TV show you'd most love to hear one of your songs on?
Ohhh good question. Euphoria or Grey's Anatomy.
24. What was the first concert you went to?
Sharon, Lois, and Bram. Yikes. After that.. probably Dashboard Confessional?
25. What is your favourite social media platform to interact with fans?
Instagram. But ya girl is also hopping on the Tiktok train these days.
26. What is your go-to karaoke song?
Heartbreaker - Pat Benetar. Or anything Shania Twain.
27. What is your hidden talent?
I'm actually really good at cooking. I try to keep that one on the DL though, otherwise, you tend to get roped into making some really fancy meals all the time.
28. What is your favourite ice cream flavour?
So Delicious dairy-free Cashew Caramel Cluster.
29. What song always makes you want to dance?
ILYSB - LANY
30. #1 creative outlet, besides music?
Been really into videography and directing/editing my own music videos lately.
Big many thanks to Amanda for all of her answers. Check out cute again now, and stay tuned to see what else she's got coming!
