May 22nd marks the beginning of a new era for Mark Ambor as he releases the first single, ‘New York Confident’, from what we can probably expect to be his yet-to-be-announced sophomore record, coming after 2024's ‘Rockwood’. Although he released two singles in 2025 - ‘Closer To Me’ and ‘Who Knows’ - he accompanied the new release with the caption “season two has begun”, making it unclear whether those 2025 singles will be included on the upcoming project. 

Lyrically, ‘New York Confident’ is a song that explores the idea of a person’s identity being in close correlation with where someone is from. Ambor (born in Pleasentville, NY) compares different lifestyles and ways of escaping them, to the New York energy: “Some run from themselves, go out west to the plains / Or go north, find a little old cabin in Maine [...] You know I’m from a place where we get kinda loud to prove it / Leave you with an impression that's hard to forget” and words like “I can't change how they raised me, so New York confident” suggest the acceptance of his New York personality and upbringing, even if it may come as too forward for some people.

Musically, the song has an upbeat, energetic indie-pop style, driven mainly by the acoustic guitar, which is something Ambor is mostly known for. The official music video shows Ambor walking through different places in New York and features actress Rachel Zegler, known for her role in Disney’s live-action movie Snow White.

Overall, the track carries a bright and happy vibe - you can hear the smile in Ambor’s vocal delivery. It also leaves the listeners wondering whether there will be an album announcement and, if so, when?

Paulina Pasturczak

@kurczvkontour

Image: ‘New York Confident’ Official Single Cover