First Listen: Sissy Ford 'Streets'

London-based and Cambridge-raised, Sissy is an artist whose sound is poised to echo across playlists and stages alike. With a musical journey rooted in a childhood surrounded by music, she’s now stepping into the spotlight with her latest single, ‘Streets’, a track that’s already igniting buzz after months of teasing on TikTok. Recently, we had the chance to sit down over Zoom and talk about the track, diving into how the track marks a bold new chapter in her evolving sound, blending old-school R&B sounds with pop.

“I grew up in a little village in the middle of nowhere, basically,” Sissy shares, reflecting on her roots. “Moving to London at 17 was massive—Cambridge didn’t have that buzz, that energy. Here, there’s so much happening, so many people to meet, and it’s opened up everything for me musically.”

Photo Credit: April Rene

The Initial Reaction

Streets hits you with an old-school rap intro which blends seamlessly into pop and R&B hybrid. It’s a song about arrival, about stepping into your own, and Sissy delivers it with a confidence that feels both raw and polished. Born from a week of sessions in Sweden, the track captures her pushing boundaries while staying true to the melodic soul she’s carried since her ballad-writing days as a kid.

“It’s different from my other stuff,” she admits. “I wanted to start with ‘step through easy’—I’d had that line in my head for ages. It’s got this rap vibe at first, then flips into something more commercial, more R&B-pop. I love that mix. It’s me figuring out what I can do.”

Inspired by the greats like Michael Jackson, Amy Winehouse and Whitney Houston it’s clear that Sissy is a student of the game - showing off her attention to detail in the sound she’s only recently started to explore, “I didn’t grow up with R&B,” she explains. “Discovering it, especially the UK scene, felt like finding my sound.”

Artistic Perception

‘Streets’ isn’t just a vibe—it’s a statement. “This feels like the start,” Sissy explains. “I’ve got songs out, like the Bedroom EP, but that was me in my room, over YouTube beats. This is the first time I left a studio feeling so gassed, like, ‘This is it.’” The track, with its rap roots and R&B polish, showcases her carving out a space that’s distinctly hers. “I’d had this idea for a while—starting with ‘step through easy’—and it just clicked. It’s me figuring out what I can do.”

The song’s journey to release wasn’t without its hurdles—eight months of convincing her team to let it fly. “I rinsed the demo nonstop,” she laughs. “They were like, ‘Maybe not,’ but I was like, ‘Nah, it’s going out.’” That persistence paid off, and now it’s here, a bold marker of her arrival after tripling her Instagram following since late last year. “It’s about saying I’m here,” she adds. “With all these new eyes on me, it’s go time.”

Visuals

The video matches the laid back vibe of the song. With Sissy seen roaming the streets of London sporting a white tee with the lyric “he wanna take me out but I already ate.”.  The visuals lean into the song’s old-school rap roots with sharp cuts and a raw, DIY feel, before shifting to smoother, dance-driven moments that nod to her R&B-pop evolution. “I dance too, and I haven’t shown that yet,” she says. While not a full-blown choreography spectacle—she hints at wanting “Tate McRae-style choreo” down the line—the video captures her energy and hints at her performance roots. “I used to gig all the time as a kid—weddings, everything. I want that energy in my visuals eventually.”

Final Thoughts

‘Streets’ is Sissy’s bold statement of growth, blending the foundation of her early bedroom ballads with a richer, more cohesive sound that’s unapologetically hers. “I want people to feel empowered, have fun, and vibe,” she says. “But I also want them to see that I came from nothing and put in the work to get here. If I can do it, they can too.” With 120 songs in her vault and a promise of no more long gaps between releases, this is just the beginning. Keep an eye out—Sissy’s got plenty more to come.

Listen here!