Lady Zamar has always had a gift for turning real-life feelings into pop anthems that stick. Whether she’s scoring the soundtrack to road trips, capturing the thrill of first love, or offering comfort when heartbreak hits, the award-winning singer—born Yamikani Janet Banda and now 31—has built a catalog that feels personal to listeners. Her music doesn’t just entertain; it travels with people through major life moments.
Her newest release, First Class, continues that emotional mission, but with a noticeable shift in tone. Instead of leaning into sadness, she leans into brightness, framing the track as a celebration of joy.
At its core, the song explores the moment you finally recognize someone’s worth only after they’ve stepped away from your life. Still, the emotional focus isn’t on bitterness. Lady Zamar centers appreciation, hope, and the idea that love can create happiness even after things change. For her, the single signals more than a new chapter musically—it also reflects the woman she’s become.
“First Class is about feeling good,” she shares with Drum. “It’s joy, it’s movement, it’s romance, and it’s possibility. I wanted to make music that people can actually live with—dance to, sing along to, and use as the backdrop for memories.”
Although the emotions in First Class feel drawn from lived experience, Lady Zamar says it wasn’t built around one specific relationship. In her view, the message is widely relatable.
“I feel like it’s an experience that almost everyone goes through at some point,” she says. “Sometimes we don’t truly appreciate what we have until it’s gone.”
Rather than writing another heartbreak-heavy anthem, she intentionally chose a path toward hope.
“I’ve definitely been there myself,” she explains, “but the song comes from watching relationships—including my own—and noticing how often we only realize someone’s value after the fact. I wanted to share that story with honesty, but also with warmth and joy instead of regret and sorrow.”
Over time, her understanding of love has evolved.
“Love isn’t just about loss or longing,” she says. “It’s also about hope, excitement, curiosity, and believing that amazing things are still possible.”
With First Class, she wanted listeners to hold onto the good parts—the smiles—rather than fixating on pain.
“I wanted to create a song that brings back what it feels like to smile when you’re thinking about someone,” she says. “That feeling deserves to be recognized and honoured.”
She also notes that relationships often deliver their biggest lessons only once they’re over.
“Sometimes you only understand the real value of a connection once you’ve had time to reflect,” Lady Zamar adds. “Instead of centring regret, I wanted to centre appreciation and the possibility of doing better in the future.”
Since beginning her solo journey around 2017, Lady Zamar has watched musical trends shift again and again, but she’s kept faith with the pop sound that defines her. “There’s always pressure to follow trends,” she says. “But I’ve learned that trends fade, while the artist I am doesn’t. Authenticity lasts longer. Creating only makes sense when you create from truth and conviction. I never want to chase something just because it’s popular.”
That same commitment to sincerity shows up in how she writes, too.
“If being honest helps someone feel seen and understood, then it’s worth sharing small pieces of myself,” she says.
When she looks back on the last nine years, she says her proudest moment has always been watching people connect with her music. Still, she’s been honest about the difficult times as well—especially when she felt misunderstood.
“Every time I’ve had to fight to be understood by management, by society, or by producers, it’s left me drained,” she admits.
Outside the spotlight, Lady Zamar finds joy in everyday routines and real relationships. She credits happiness to simple time with family and friends, cooking, travelling, and having conversations that feel meaningful rather than performative.
“Those normal, ordinary moments are incredibly grounding,” she says. “They remind me that joy doesn’t always have to be loud or expensive.”
For her, the biggest reward isn’t chart positions—it’s the impact her songs have on people’s lives. She recalls hearing from fans who used her music during every kind of season: grieving, celebrating achievements, falling in love, or trying to push through tough days.
“Fans have told me they played my songs while grieving, celebrating milestones, falling in love, or just trying to get through difficult days,” she says. “Once a song leaves the studio, it belongs to everyone else. Love is more powerful than anything else on earth. I want people to never lose hope. If my music encourages someone to feel more hopeful, more joyful, or a little less alone, then I’ve done what I set out to do.”
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