Sydney Mack Premieres New Single “Fairly Boy” After Going Viral on TikTok « American Songwriter
Sydney Mack may seem like an overnight hit with the sudden TikTok fame of her latest single, “Pretty Boy,” but she’s been around for a long time. After graduating from Belmont University with a degree in music business, her 14th season appearance on American Idol, and its opening to country superstars like Miranda Lambert and Florida Georgia Line, the way she eventually broke through came as a shock to her.
Originally a casual scroller on the TikTok app, Mack began releasing her music in late January 2021 as she watched other artists’ significant reactions. On February 24th, she released an excerpt from her song “Pretty Boy”, which was viewed over half a million times within 48 hours and gained 27,000 new followers.
The concept for the song came about when Mack flipped through Pinterest and saw a quote that said something like, “We’re so worried about being pretty, but let’s all be pretty smart, pretty nice, pretty funny, pretty strong be. ‘
“It impressed me on several levels. The first was ‘Amen to that’ ”, shares Mack with the American songwriter. “In social media in particular, it’s so easy to compare yourself to everyone else. They say comparison is the thief of joy. So, instead of worrying about how it looks, I thought I’d like to focus more on being pretty smart, pretty nice, pretty funny, and pretty strong. ”
She took the quote and related it to her own experience with a previous friend. She thought, “How can I turn the phrase ‘handsome boy’ into something that won’t completely beat the guy up, but that can come from a point of strength? me as an artist and also for the female audience? “Mack worked from her Nashville home and brought her first ideas to songwriters Wade Kirby and Shane Minor. Together they developed a girl power anthem.
“I’m so proud that this is the one that caught fire,” says Mack. “It is my goal to always write for myself and really for the female audience with one force. I didn’t want this to be some kind of melancholy, woe to me, but rather a “Hey, listen, I’m getting up for myself. I’m leaving.’ I really think the reason it caught on with so many people is because they can relate to it. The connection was just amazing. ”
Coupled with her previous release, Don’t Call, Mack’s talent for connecting with her audience is more evident than ever. The reaction to excerpts from “Pretty Boy” caused messages to be poured out from girls in similar situations, evidence of the message Mack was trying to portray.
“What I really hope the listening person will take away is that they are not alone. I wrote this song because I experienced it – and if I did, I’m sure other people did, ”says Mack. “Self-love is more important than anything else, and there is no one worth devaluing for.”
Listen to Sydney Mack’s new single “Pretty Boy” below.
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