Amber Mark (2021)

One Liner: Soul pop and R&B like Norah Jones tried to make modern pop

Wikipedia Genre: R&B, Alternative R&B

Home: NYC

Poster Position: Late addition
Weekend One Saturday at 12:50 on Lady Bird Stage.

Weekend Two Sunday at 1:45 on the Miller Lite Stage.

Thoughts:  I'm sure that, somewhere, there are people who come to this festival and they are freaking pumped about seeing up and coming R&B artists.  Just deeply jazzed about hearing the next Sade or Alicia Keys before they hit the big time.  I have never met that person, or those people, but maybe they exist?  All I know is that it feels like I just did this when I reviewed Raiche yesterday.  I need more grimy rock and roll who want to come into the mainstream, and less pretty voices singing innocuous lyrics about being "worth it" while generic hip hop beats spool out in the background.

And that rant is totally unfair - this music has a nice groove, her voice is great, etc. etc. etc. etc. etc.  But it really feels like we have received a bumper crop of this particular thing this year.  Lots of Travis Barker clones and lots of female R&B.

And on top of that, SHE WAS JUST HERE!  I'm even more annoyed now.  Here is my review from 2018.

Thoughts: Reading this 2017 article about her, she seems like a lovely person and her sole album, 2017's 3:33am, sounds like a cathartic (and slightly depressing) experience everyone should enjoy.  I have to say it missed me.  Nothing on here is bad, just more like not my style of music - alt-R&B or soul pop are the two best ways I could describe it.  Got some danceable stuff to it, but nothing overtly party-centric.  That article says that her sister called it "tribal soul," so OK.  That means nothing to me.  How I about I give you something for you to taste test it yourself.

She had an "album," that is only 7 songs long, from 2017, and then an EP from 2018 called Conexao. Her most listened to track is from that album, this is "Way Back" with 7.5 million streams.

Has a British feeling, like uh, who was the lady who came to ACL a year or two ago with all the sassy dance tunes?  Jess something.  Jess Glynne.  Good voice, kind of generically basic 90's Brit dance track.  Not bad, just not something I'm going to keep listening to by choice.  Her currently most popular track, and second most-listened to, is "Love Me Right" from that new EP.  6.5 million streams.

Again, pretty plain jane track and very nice vocals over the top.  Again, not my thing.  If you are into this modern day Sade type stuff, then go get some.  Not for me.

Since then, she has not released a new album (4 years ago!) but has released a few new singles.  Just to be completist before I move on to something else, here is that most recent single - "HEAT," with 12 million streams (which is surprisingly good!)

The track is with someone named Paul Woolford - which may explain the streaming numbers because he's some hotshot DJ who has worked with Sam Smith and Lana Del Rey among others.  Don't care for it.  I hope she has a great crowd.