"Inspired by R&B soul music, “Sideline Girl” is a testament to Amanda’s unique blend and sound. It features soft, engaging chords that make for an almost hypnotic listening experience, and its fingerpicked guitar and faint drum arrangements are accompanied by a choir that reinforces the mournful tone of the track.
“Sideline Girl” deals with messy emotions and intricate feelings, but Amanda doesn’t seem to be afraid to let her music speak for her. She has stated that she “approaches songwriting with an open heart,” and it shows.
A somber sense of vulnerability hangs over this new recording, which speaks volumes to all those who feel they are a secondary character in someone else’s love story.
In this case, Amanda tells us the story of a girl who has been cast aside by her best friend, who she has fallen in love with. The track deals with the emotions involved in the process of understanding that the person you love does not reciprocate that feeling.
It’s heartbreak in the flesh.
Amanda delivers that sentiment in an astonishingly expressive way, showing how much it hurts to be the second choice and to let go of someone you love for their own sake.
However, “Sideline Girl” walks the fine line between pain and hope. While it mourns the loss of a love that never came to be, it also conveys the idea that moving on is possible. So, although the lyrics might be screaming heartbreak, the music whispers hope."
- Hope Davis from Music In Minnesota