"This is definitely the most vulnerable I’ve ever been on a project"
By Tom Skinner 1st December 2025
Ms Banks. CREDIT: Press
Ms Banks has announced her long-awaited debut album, ‘SOUTH LDN LOVER GIRL’. Listen to new single ‘4C’ below.
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The London rapper/singer-songwriter will release the 15-track record on February 13, 2026 – pre-order/pre-save here.
AdvertisementShe explained: “You never really see the words South London and lover girl put together, unfortunately us girls from South have a bad rep. My environment may have a part to play as to why I am so hard and so stern, but deep down inside, there is a girl that wants to love and be loved.
Banks continued: “This is definitely the most vulnerable I’ve ever been on a project and just being honest about how life feels from my perspective, some past, some present.”
She has previewed the forthcoming collection with the empowering ‘4C’ – an anthem celebrating Black womanhood, self-love and authenticity. The swaggering song sees Banks reclaim her pride in natural 4C hair, while exploring beauty norms with witty lyrics. Its sound draws inspiration from rap, drill, grime, and African music.
“I think ‘4C’ is a great lead and start to the story,” Banks said of the track. “It’s very different from anything I’ve done before, produced by the amazing Hargo Productions, known for breaking artists like Central Cee.
Recommended“I was just in the studio with my natural hair out and felt really empowered in that moment. Like yes, I wear extensions and I may even wear wigs but it’s out of choice, cause I want to, not cause I have to. I’m proud of my hair and all the positive rhetoric surrounding it.”
‘SOUTH LDN LOVER GIRL’ will also include the cuts ‘POV’, ‘LIVE FAST’, ‘S.O.S’ and ‘HEALING’, as well as collaborations with Tiggs Da Author, Layyah, Strandz and Zinoleesky. See the official cover artwork and full tracklist below.
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1. ‘INTRO’ 2. ‘NO LOVE’ ft. Tiggs Da Author 3. ‘WHY?’ 4. ‘WORK HARDER’ ft. Layyah 5. ‘POV’ 6. ‘LIVE FAST’ 7. ‘4C’ 8. ‘CATCH YOU LACKIN’’ 9. ‘SOUTH LDN LOVER GIRL’ 10. ‘WAR OUTSIDE’ ft. Strandz 11. ‘S.O.S’ 12. ‘THE ONE’ 13. ‘IDK’ ft. Zinoleesky 14. ‘HEALING’ 15. ‘ME & YOU (OUTRO)’
AdvertisementBanks, who is over a decade into her career, shared her latest mixtape ‘Bank Statement’ in 2022. The project peaked at Number One on the UK Official Hip-Hop and R&B Charts, and iTunes’ Hip-Hop chart. The artist has amassed more than 250million streams overall.
NME spoke to Ms Banks early on in her career, in 2017. When asked about her big plans for the future, she responded: “I feel like I’ve always wanted to just spread my message as far as I can internationally. That’s always been the aim: to take the South London sound global.”
She also opened up about her desire to inspire other women in the music industry, explaining: “There’s so much room for us all. I hope them seeing what’s happening to me and other females really breaking the mould is inspiring them and giving them more amour to know that they can be as great as they want to be, as big as they want to be.”
As for starting music at a young age, she told NME: “I wrote my first bar aged 11 – and it’s been continuous ever since. I come from a very musical family – so I’ve always been hearing different music in my house, and wanting to write.”
