The past couple of years have been tricky for young up-and-coming female artists. First there was Lana Del Rey, shrouding herself in mystery and hiding behind her incredible single “Video Games” before ultimately bombing multiple high-profile performances, and releasing two albums most would consider letdowns. Then Lorde emerged on the pop scene. This time though, the anticipation following her single, “Royals,” was more than met when her album, Pure Heroine, shot to the top of the Billboard 200, taking two Grammys with it. Yet even in its success, the album was ceaselessly compared to similar and less successful albums from artists like Del Ray, Rihanna, and Miley Cyrus.

So, when twenty-four year old Jillian Banks (known professionally as “Banks”) released her first EP, it was safe to say that the odds were stacked against the young singer. However, almost as soon as she released her first album, R&B performer, the Weeknd, took interest and asked her to be the warm-up act on the North American leg of his world tour. It’s not hard to see why. To say the least, Banks’ style is a polished and captivating compliment to The Weeknd’s dark, drug-addled style of R&B. Her lyrics are reminiscent of rapper Drake’s soft side — only softer, with crooning vocals to match her personal and introspective subject matter. On most songs, the vocals are accompanied by spare, hazy instrumentals that have drawn many comparisons between Banks and her tour-mate.

Her music’s mysterious atmosphere has also been inevitably compared to Lorde’s stripped-down “Royals” and Lana Del Rey’s femme-fatale persona. But based on the success of Banks’ newest EP, she may be rising faster than either of her predecessors. The EP, London, boasts a meager four songs but made the end-of-the-year lists of MTV, BBC, Shazam, iTunes, Vogue, Spin, Spotify, The Boston Globe, Fuse, and The Huffington Post. The album’s lead single, “Waiting Game” was even featured during last year’s Victoria’s Secret Fashion show and in commercials for the brand.

This year, the singer has announced her own tour beginning in March. Ellie Goulding and Katy Perry have already commented on their excitement to see Banks perform and watch her career grow. At this point, even in the difficult climate of today’s pop music scene, it seems more than likely her career will do just that.