Brooklyn-based singer/songwriter Mackenzie Shrieve’s newest single “So Damn Pretty” is a refreshingly optimistic take on living life in a big city. Having nothing to do with vanity, “So Damn Pretty” tackles feelings of self-assurance and how difficult it can be to muster the courage to overcome imposter syndrome. She asks, did I get to where I am because of luck, or because I worked hard – and am I the only one who feels like this? Shrieve questions her own path, narrating her inner thoughts and admitting to trying really hard to “make it feel good / To have it down for once,” referring to this life and the choices we make each day.
“So Damn Pretty” begins with Shrieve’s vocals and an electric guitar and as she progresses in her first verse, we hear drums and another guitar. The line, “Maybe we’re all thinking the same damn thing” is followed by silence as the instrumentation picks up at the chorus. The tempo change and build-up after the second verse along with the introduction of the brass horns and electric guitar bend was a fun way to top off the song.
“I wrote ‘So Damn Pretty’ after a period of time where I felt like everyone was doing ‘better’ and ‘cooler’ things than me. I can get in my head and be melodramatic, but it always passes. I had to learn to turn that part of my brain off and just make the most of being in one of the best cities in the world,” Shrieve shares.
Shrieve’s sound is a blend of pop and indie with a touch of jazz. Her ability to be candid in her songs lyrically while meshing different instrumentals, as demonstrated in “So Damn Pretty” is an advantage to listeners as everyone will find something for their tastes in Shrieve’s music. Her upcoming EP, and the final installment in her EP trilogy, In The After will be out this fall on October 20, 2023. Listen to the new single here and keep up with Mackenzie Shrieve below!
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