MARI WILSON RETURNS WITH NEW ALBUM
With a career spanning four and a half decades, 80s pop icon Mari Wilson – the Neasden Queen of Soul and one of British music’s most enduring and versatile artists returns with her brand-new album Girl About Town, out 4 September 2026.
Her first new album of original material in over 10 years, it is a captivating, joyful collection of self-penned songs that reflect the diverse musical influences that have shaped her life and career. Featuring an infectious blend of retro soul, irresistible pop hooks, and richly melodic arrangements, Girl About Town is the record Mari’s long-standing fans have been waiting for and one that should introduce her to a whole new generation of listeners.
“I had such a wonderful time writing and recording this album, and I’m really proud of it,” says Mari. “From the very beginning, I wanted to have a good time, and I think that shines through. It’s very much ‘me’. My fans have been eagerly waiting for new music, and I think it’s been worth the wait. I’m really excited to be releasing new music at this stage in my life.”
The album opens with recent single, ‘Good News’ – Inspired by the Kate Garraway documentary Derek’s Story and the sense that the world is desperately short of positive news right now, it arrives with a warm Beach Boys spirit and the kind of feel-good energy that sets the tone for the whole record. The classic sounding ‘Love Letter’ is a Philly Soul-inspired gem born out of Mari’s love for Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak’s ‘Silk Sonic’. Lyrically it explores the longing of being on the other side of the world from someone you love.
‘Lost on the Dancefloor’ is a glittering disco track echoing back to the glamour of 1980s Camden Palace, when Mari was mixing with the likes of Boy George, the Eurythmics and Visage – a time when dressing up was an art form and the night held real magic. It’s followed by ‘Man About Town’, a harpsichord-driven 60s TV-theme-inspired piece built around a fictitious, unattainable leading man.
‘Because of You’ captures that dizzying, all-encompassing feeling of falling in love – cosmic and groove-led, it features beautiful guitar from Matt Backer alongside longtime producer Adrian York’s astral flourishes. The Dusty inspired ‘Spellbound’ is built around a hypnotic piano riff that gives the track an eerie, seductive quality whilst ‘We Got Something’ is all about the groove; a soul-drenched track in the tradition of ‘Heatwave’. There’s more fun with ‘Kaleidoscope’ which takes a more psychedelic turn – a vivid adventure rooted in Mari’s real-life experiences in New York in 1989. And don’t miss ‘Tomatoes in the Fridge’ – a sonically dramatic but lyrically light hearted look at the small but maddening irritations of a new relationship.
The album closes with ‘Come On Out’, a gently encouraging song for anyone who needs a nudge back into the world – whether they’re nursing a broken heart, recovering from illness, or simply hiding away. In celebrating the simple pleasures that lift the spirit; a blue sky, an ice cream, a swing in the park, it brings Girl About Town full circle, ending exactly where it began: with the quiet, determined belief that good news is always just around the corner.
Mari Wilson first exploded onto the British pop scene in the early 1980s with her skyscraper beehive, a fully choreographed twelve-piece band The Wilsations, and a string of irresistible hit singles. Signed and celebrated, she notched up six chart hits including the classics ‘Just What I’ve Always Wanted’ and ‘Cry Me A River’, both taken from her debut album Showpeople.
In the mid-eighties, after extensive touring across the UK, Europe and the United States, Mari made a bold artistic turn, reducing the band, stripping back the spectacle, and immersing herself in jazz. She went on to perform regularly at Ronnie Scott’s and the South Bank, sharing stages with legends like BB King and Ray Charles. “This is what really gave me my vocal chops,” she says. The result was a singer transformed: technically deeper, emotionally richer, and impossible to categorise.
That vocal authority has since carried her through an extraordinary and wide-ranging career: acclaimed jazz-pop albums, sold-out musical theatre runs (including playing Dusty Springfield in Dusty The Musical and appearing alongside Boy George in Taboo). She has opened for Level 42, guested with Marc Almond and Heaven 17’s British Electric Foundation, and performed her BBC hit version of ‘Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps’ for the globally successful series Coupling.
Along with the new album release, Mari also has a series of live dates scheduled for later this year.
Girl About Town is out 4 September 2026
Preorder via:
https://slinky.to/GirlAboutTown
Live Dates:
4 Oct Cadogan Hall, London
7 Nov Music Room, Liverpool
8 Nov Otley Courthouse, Otley
More details:
https://www.mariwilson.co.uk/tour-dates