Crowned one of Australia’s best new pop acts, Sydney-based artist Kota Banks expands her growing collection of singles currently reshaping the country’s pop scene, with a surprise release of her self-assured, beat-heavy mixtape PRIZE out today via NLV Records.

Following the recently applauded “Fiorentina” added to rotation on Sydney's FBi Radio and featured on Spotify's New Music Friday playlist - the ten-track body of work encompasses Banks’ fierce work ethic and fearless approach to mixing genres. Written mostly across home studios, entirely with NLV Records' Swick, PRIZE is a powerful first statement. Opening the mixtape is the feisty hype-song “Prize”, celebrating feminine strength and empowerment with the infectious melodies Banks knows best. These sentiments soon mellow out in the second previously heard track, “Fiorentina” feat. Capo Lee, praised by Banks as her favourite featuring a tribute to her Italian heritage with its quintessential laidback, effortlessly cool vibes.

The catalogue of genre-pushing lyrical triumphs continues with dance invigorator “Child”, showcasing Banks’ tenacity in producing empowering and utterly relatable tunes inspired by her own experiences. Whether it’s the serenade to blossoming friendships in “New Friends”, the tension behind “Toy”, “Insomnia’s” sleepless, all-consuming wanting of a far away friend, or the relationship confusion painted by “U Changed”, Banks has the sugar coated recipe to transform any frame of mind with her confident vocal prowess, accompanied by collaborator Swick’s addictive beat-making. Body rolling all the way to the end of the tracklist are self-love anthem “I’m It”, vocally driven tune “Backstage”, and the wildly experimental “Dangerous” with its inventive mix of sounds and expression of Banks’ darker side.

PRIZE arrives following the thriving success of Banks’ recent releases "Fiorentina" and “Zoom”, the latter a confident and flirtatious pop banger that has achieved full rotation on triple j following its Good Nights premiere in March this year. The sweet and slick track came hot on the heels of her first infectious gem with NLV Records, “Holiday”, which since its release in late 2017 has amassed over 1 million streams on Spotify, garnered major support from radio, Junkee, Pilerats and Acclaim, and been hailed as “one of the best pop songs of the year”. Since the success of her single “Empty Streets” ft. MOZA, which has collected over 18 million streams and saw Banks appear on the Top Five Global Viral Spotify charts, the artist has also climbed the ranks to be named Apple Music’s New Artist of the Week in April this year.

At just 23-years old, Kota Banks has toured nationally with Nina Las Vegas as part of the FOMO Festival trail, alongside securing a publishing deal with Mushroom, signing with the esteemed New World Artists and co-penning Australia’s song for 2017 Junior Eurovision. 

After a recent run of debut live shows at NLV Records parties in Sydney and Melbourne with her partner in crime Swick and label namesake Nina Las Vegas, supporting Southern LA rapper Duckwrth and now on tour with What So Not for his national run this month, Banks is continuing her campaign with a string of shows throughout September. Kicking off at Brisbane's BIGSOUND, she will make her way to Adelaide's Cats @ Rocket Bar, before hitting the Workers Club in Melbourne and OAF Gallery in Sydney. Kota Banks is in the business of breaking boundaries and rethinking the Aussie pop genre and PRIZE is the perfect tribute to that.