Anna Clendening

An emotive singer and songwriter recognized for her sincere, guitar-driven pop, Anna Clendening first reached a wide audience through her appearance on America’s Got Talent during its 2014 season. She had already cultivated a sizable online presence before the contest and strengthened that connection with listeners after reaching the quarterfinals. While competing, she disclosed her recovery from a debilitating anxiety disorder that had once confined her to bed, a struggle she later chronicled in the 2016 single “To My Parents.” Her artistic direction shifted with the 2019 release Waves EP and its 2020 successor Evolve, both of which leaned into concise, catchy pop marked by a darker tone.

Born in Chapel Hill, North Carolina in 1993, Clendening started performing as a child. At fourteen she received a diagnosis of anxiety disorder that temporarily halted her musical ambitions. Around 2013 a friend encouraged her to upload a clip of herself covering Sage the Gemini’s “Gas Pedal” on the platform Vine. The post spread rapidly, prompting her to share additional performances. At the same time her condition worsened, leaving her housebound after she withdrew from the University of North Carolina. Resolved to confront the illness, she auditioned successfully for America’s Got Talent’s 2014 season with a rendition of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah.” She discussed her experiences candidly on the program, attracting considerable encouragement and ultimately placing in the quarterfinals.

Following her television stint she continued expanding her digital audience and released multiple singles, among them 2016’s “To My Parents,” which directly addressed the disorder’s impact on her daily life. She secured a contract with Asylum and delivered the EP Waves in 2019, featuring the tracks “Boys Like You” and “Bend & Break.” A second EP, Evolve, arrived the next year and highlighted her turn toward crisp, melody-focused pop. After issuing the spare 2021 acoustic ballad “I Love Myself,” she collaborated with singer John K on the single “Love Song.”