Amanda Koci’s musical career will begin in 2017 when she is allowed to participate in Clap Your Hands, a single by American DJ and producer Le Youth. Her first song was followed in 2018 with My Way, Not Your Barbie Girl and Slippin, after which Sweet But Psycho became her big break.

Following all the Scandinavian countries, the track also became a number 1 hit in the UK and Germany before taking the top spot in our country. Ava Max herself feels that she has success in her hands: “Everything happened in a month. It was getting loose and crazy because I never thought it would happen so quickly. We knew the song was special but not this one,” she told Idolator in 2018. Sweet But Psycho seems to attract a lot of people. The song is about a girl who is misunderstood in a relationship and is told she is distracted and out of her mind. “But in the end she let her feelings speak and she’s an outspoken girl. And that’s how I am in real life.”

The song was produced by Henry Russell Walter from Canada who is known in the music world as Cirkut. He has worked as a writer and producer with, among others, Britney Spears, The Weeknd, Shakira and Rihanna and has contributed three times to Dutch number 1 hits through Timber (from Pitbull and Ke$ha in 2013), Dark Horse (from Katy Perry and Juicy J in 2014) and Starboy (from The Weeknd and Daft Punk in 2016). Ava, in turn, has worked with the producer for about three years and learned a lot from him: “He really helps my production sound real. So much in the foreground and in your face that it used to be more in the background.” Max wasn’t used to it because in previous years he mainly went to the studio to sing demos for writers and producers who then started with the record. After he put the first song on SoundCloud with Circut, he was offered a recording contract via email. He was eager to make another song with Bruno Mars because of the quality and energy that his songs express. Bazzi and Cardi B are also on his wish list.

Meanwhile, Ava has learned to be patient. “When I make a song in the studio, I want to immediately share it with everyone. I’ve learned that it has to be given time.” He also needed time to conquer first place because Sweet But Psycho had been ‘waiting’ for second place for six weeks.