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Artist: Mercedes
Title: A Woman's Work
Genre(s): New Wave, Indie Pop, Indie Rock, Punk Pop, Rock
Length: 49:26
Writers: Mercedes Payne, Riley Hamilton, Erich Hess
Producers: Mercedes, Riley, Jack Dunn, golightly, Amala & The Rose
Executive Producer: Mercedes
Format(s): LP, CD, Cassette, Streaming, Digital Download
Label: Pesky
Management: Pesky Management
Singles: No Guts, No Glory [#1], Makeshift Chemistry [#1], The Horse You Rode In On [#1], China Patternzzz [#1]
•BACKGROUND & INFORMATIONA Woman's Work is the debut album by British singer-songwriter, Mercedes. It is set to be released in February 2026 via Pesky Records. Payne formally announced the album on November 30th, 2025 alongside the option to pre-order and pre-save the project. "A Woman's Work" marks Mercedes' first official full length release, arriving a lengthy 14 years after signing her first ever recording contract. The album was written and recorded largely by Mercedes herself on board
The Duke of Winchester, the famous vessel upon which she resides with
Erich Hess, her boyfriend and frontman of
Atomic War Bride. Departing from the pop and R&B sounds of her earlier work in the 2010's, "A Woman's Work" boasts a "raw" and "lively" feel, dabbling in various alternative genres from Indie Rock, to New Wave, to Pop-Punk. The album's campaign has thus far spawned four official singles;
"No Guts, No Glory",
"Makeshift Chemistry",
"The Horse You Rode In On" and
"China Patternzzz", all of which peaked at #1 on Chart Heat's Hot 20 Singles, respectively.
Mercedes first rose to prominence in 2012, following a high profile signing to
Hot Eye Records and multi-million dollar launchpad. Throughout this time, Mercedes released the singles
"Shine On" and
"Bounce" to critical and commercial success, as well as appearing on tracks alongside female rap and R&B stars
Allura Silk and
Foxxxy, respectively. Poised to become a breakout star with the impending release of a hotly anticipated debut album, Mercedes' career suddenly stalled when
Hot Eye Records unexpectedly closed its doors and contractual negotiations amidst a move to a new home for her music reached a stalemate. Payne also entered a five year legal battle against her former management company, citing poor treatment, impact on her mental health, along with failure to protect by related corporate entities. Throughout the 2010's Mercedes continued to perform live, appearing at festivals and serving for an opening act for both
topLADS and
Deneil, respectively.
In 2023, Mercedes quietly signed with
Pesky, the major record label founded and overseen by
Weekend - close personal friends of Payne. Following her signing, Mercedes gradually began to work on new material after over a decade away from a label. Working in a "non-committal" fashion, with her new bosses allowing her leeway in regards to deadlines, Payne gingerly pieced together some material amidst her growing struggles with anxiety and self-doubt. A visit from close friend and label co-owner
Riley Hamilton resulted in a sporadic writing session that "ignited" a newfound energy and confidence in the approach to her new material. The brainchild of this impromptu creative get together was the track
"No Guts, No Glory", which would go on to become Payne's comeback single and first chart-topper as well as a sonic blueprint for
"A Woman's Work", seeing her delve into more punk and rock soundscapes for the project.
The album era has been cited as a successful comeback for Mercedes, with the singer achieving new career highs and peaks. Payne has thus far achieved four #1 singles amidst the album campaign, a feat she never achieved throughout her previous attempts in music. Mercedes also lifted the award for
"Female Artist of the Year" at the
Universal Music Awards 2026. Mercedes has promoted the album through various public appearances and live performances. Payne guest starred on an episode of the popular music podcast
"Off The Record with Maliah Aguilar" as well as appearing alongside Riley Hamilton at the
Universal Music Awards 2026 for a much lauded performance of
"No Guts, No Glory". Mercedes is also set to serve as an opening act on
Ryan Ross Hernandez's "Welcome Home The World Tour" throughout 2026 and 2027 alongside collaborator and close friend
Jack Dunn.
Mercedes serves as executive producer on the album, handling production herself across numerous tracks.
"A Woman's Work" features guest appearances from
Riley,
Jack Dunn,
Erich Hess,
Mariko and
Ashford York.
MUSIC & LYRICS"A Woman's Work" is a sonically eclectic album, rooted in New Wave and punk stylings which generates an alternative, DIY and "throwback" soundscape akin to an era of prominent female rock musicians of the 1970's and 1980's. Payne has cited acts such a
Blondie,
Joan Jett,
Poly Styrene and
The Go-Go's as sonic inspirations while claiming that the lyrical stylings of modern day acts like
Ryan Ross Hernandez,
Atomic War Bride,
Jack Dunn and
Layla inspired her to channel sincerity and honesty in her penmanship. The album is an overall up-tempo affair and was recorded between 2024 and 2025. "A Woman's Work" encompasses a variety of alternative genres such as electronic rock, doo-wop, indie rock, punk pop, garage punk, New Wave and spoken word.
Commentators have noted the album has a feminist and female empowerment tone at its core, branching out into "people power" throughout the album as Mercedes tackles a multitude of societal issues. "A Woman's Work" boasts Payne's left-wing political beliefs as she navigates, decries and rebels against many of today's current affairs and the opposing mindsets of those in power. A progressive and feminist voice, Mercedes discusses many topics close to her heart as she leads a crusade towards achieving the utopia which she envisions. Subjects such as sexual assault, bodily autonomy and the rise in right-wing fascism are tackled within the record's runtime. Themes of sexism, abuse, power, jealousy, love, confidence, body image, bravado, politics, sex and nostalgia are visited throughout the album.
While the majority of "A Woman's Work" is observational and conversational, focusing on many of Payne's ideologies and societal commentary, the closing tracks
"The People's Princess" and
"What Kind of Fuckery is This?" are more introspective and self-reflective. The album sees Mercedes function as both a caricature; leaning into a superwoman persona and making light of her internet based image, as well as stripping it all away and revealing a deeper, more personal side to the listener.
COMMENTARYMercedes wrote:"Throughout "A Woman's Work" I hope to make you; laugh, dance, cry, reflect, rebel and, most importantly, question things. That was the launchpad for the bulk of this album - holding a mirror up to myself and the world and asking; "what the fuck...?". I want it to double as both a cathartic release of anger when the world has pissed you off as well as a means of escapism, hoping it can make light of a few things when it's all getting rather heavy."
"When I signed my first record deal and stepped into that recording booth back in 2012, I would have never envisioned that the release date for my first album would be 2026. It's safe to say that a few monkey wrenches were thrown into the works along the way, my lovelies. Although it may appear to be over a decade in the making, I consider most of that time as just fodder and stuff sent to test me. I like to believe that there is good reason why previous attempts at releasing a project proved fruitless. It was all because I had to follow a specific path and journey. A road that lead me to creating "A Woman's Work", a body of material which I am so incredibly proud of. My Lovelies know me very well by this point. I'm a perfectionist - possibly to the annoyance of many of those around me, even myself at times! You know that I wouldn't attach my name to something unless I am 100% behind it and happy with the results. I truly believe that I've said everything that I want to say and presented it how I wish to present it on this album. You only get one shot at a debut album and I now have the confidence and belief in myself to share mine with the world."
"Although not an ideal road to go down, I am grateful for everything that has happened over the last 14 years. It has been a true blessing to work on my craft in the shadows, whittling away in silence in order to prepare for something greater. Being given the gift of time and privacy to make mistakes and learn from them, to grow as a woman and find my voice as an artist without the world's gaze has been beneficial in so many regards and while I may wonder how certain things could've gone had events transpired differently, I can't say that I'd wish for my path to have turned out any other way."
"I want "A Woman's Work" to be for everyone and to serve as a beacon, a reminder. It's the amalgam of hard work paying off. It's the empowerment for any individual who is feeling suppressed. It's the collective middle finger we want to flip. It's the release for when we want to cry. It's the smug grin when we finally feel vindicated. It's the resistance when the enemy pushes. It's the persistence when it all feels futile. It's growing, ongoing and the fight that's never ending. It's a woman's work."
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