Amber Mark has always been an emotional alchemist – the kind of artist who can turn heartbreak into 24-carat gold. Co-signed by Sade and blessed with a voice that bends time, the New York-born singer has long been tipped as R&B’s next great auteur. Since her 2017 debut EP ‘3:33am’ – a grief-soaked tribute to her late mother – she’s used music as a diary of transformation: 2018 EP ‘Conexão’ flirted with bossa nova and neo-soul as she rediscovered joy, while her 2022 debut album ‘Three Dimensions Deep’ shot her into a cosmic headspace about love and self-realisation.
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Now, on her second album ‘Pretty Idea’, she surrounds herself with a team of writers and producers who’ve helped shape pop heavyweights – Julian Bunetta (Gracie Abrams), John Ryan (Olivia Dean) and Two Fresh (Duckwrth) – to craft a record of cinematic scope and pristine execution. Every inch of it glows.
Opener ‘Oooo’ thumps to life with funk-flecked bass and silken harmonies, a pop-R&B gem that finds Mark in her cockiest form, seducing her muse with a playful smirk: “You’re thinking too much, falling too hard / Breaking your own heart.” She’s the prize and she knows it, making that clear on this sultry ode to feminine confidence that kicks the album off with delicious swagger.
Beneath all the serene tones, Mark navigates flirtation, confusion, heartbreak, and eventual self-affirmation – and this is the true strength of this album. For every part of the pursuit of love, she has a song to soundtrack that coming-of-age twenty-something exploration.
If ‘Oooo’ is all about that excitable rush of having a crush, and ‘Too Much’ is about the consequential limbo when you’re nearly in a relationship, then ‘Let Me Love You’ captures yearning and the subtle regret of being obsessed with someone who could never match your energy. ‘Don’t Remind Me’ featuring Anderson .Paak – who brings his soulful know-how in a fun duet – is the soundtrack to your fourth drink as you try to forget that horrible stain on your dating record. That bittersweet longing that lands heavily transforms into triumph and acceptance as Mark narrates a brand new girl by the latter end of ‘Pretty Idea’.
Broken and rebuilt, the power-pop nostalgia of ‘Doin Me’, uplifting ballad ‘Problems’ and the groovy ‘No Good At Goodbyes’ become a trio to soundtrack that moment when you wipe away the tears, silence the confusion and reclaim oneself. ‘Problems’ in particular is full of witty quotables that are so relatable, they might as well be your next daily mantras. “Turn problems into Prada because that’s what I deserve,” she manifests, “It’s heavy holding baggage, no refunds, no returns.”
It’s in these moments that Mark’s artistry – her ability to distil the nuances of desire, rejection, and self-reconstruction – shines brightest. Yet this is all buried under perfect production – strings sigh, harmonies glisten, and her voice is decadent as ever – all causing a hazy distraction from the tiny crack into her soul we’re allowed on this record. None of it allows her to really bite.
As the titular track closes the record, Mark admits the love she’s been chasing was only ever a “pretty idea”. It’s a poetic ending, but an ironic one too. ‘Pretty Idea’ is itself a gorgeous illusion – stunning, flawless, and technically exquisite. It’s a masterclass on pure indulgent escapism in under 40 minutes – but its transformative narrative is easily lost amid the record’s dreamy abyss. It’s hard not to get swept away by it and gloss over Mark’s emotional alchemy at work, leaving her lightness feeling like both Mark’s weapon and her weakness.
Details:
- Record label: A Big Family Music/Interscope Records
- Release date: October 10, 2025
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