Sydney Mack Premieres New Single “Pretty Boy” After Going Viral on TikTok

Sydney Mack may seem like an overnight success with the sudden TikTok fame from her latest single “Pretty Boy,” but she’s been at this for a long time. After graduating from Belmont University with a degree in music business, appearing on Season 14 of American Idol and opening for country superstars such as Miranda Lambert and Florida Georgia Line, the way she finally broke through was a shock to her. 

Initially a casual scroller on the TikTok app, Mack began posting her music at the end of January 2021 when she observed the significant responses other artists received. On February 24, she released a snippet of her song “Pretty Boy,” and, in 48 hours, it had over half a million views, gaining her 27,000 new followers.

The concept for the song came about when Mack was scrolling through Pinterest and saw a quote that said something along the lines of, ‘We get so worried about being pretty, but let’s all be pretty smart, pretty kind, pretty funny, pretty strong.’ 

“It resonated with me on a few levels. The first one was ‘Amen to that’,” Mack shares with American Songwriter. “It’s so easy, especially with social media, to compare yourself to everybody else; they say comparison is the thief of joy. So, I thought instead of being so worried about what it looks like, I’d like to focus more on being pretty smart, pretty kind, pretty funny and pretty strong.” 

Taking the quote and relating it to her own experience with a previous boyfriend, she thought, “How can I turn the phrase ‘pretty boy’ into something that’s not going to completely bash the guy, but that can come from a point of strength for me as a female artist and for the female listeners as well?” Working remotely from her Nashville home, Mack brought her initial ideas to songwriters Wade Kirby and Shane Minor, and together, they crafted a girl-power anthem.

“I’m so proud that this is the one that caught fire,” Mack says. “My goal is to always write from a point of strength for myself and really for the female listeners. I didn’t want this to be a kind of melancholy, woe is me song, but more of a ‘Hey listen, I’m standing up for myself. I’m leaving.’ I really believe that’s why it struck a chord with so many people, because they can relate. The connection has just been absolutely incredible.” 

Along with her previous release, “Don’t Call,” Mack’s gift for connecting with her audience is more evident than ever. The response to snippets of “Pretty Boy” caused an outpouring of messages from girls in similar situations, a testament to the message Mack was aiming to portray. 

“What I really hope for the person listening to take away from it is, they’re not alone. I wrote this song because I’ve experienced it, too— and if I’ve experienced it, then I’m sure other people have experienced it,” Mack shares. “Self-love is more important than anything, and there’s nobody worth devaluing yourself for.”

Listen to Sydney Mack’s new single “Pretty Boy” below.