It’s been less than 24 hours since Banks released her third album, aptly named III and I have been quickly reminded of the various reasons why I love her and the art she puts into this world.
So, I’m gonna be one of those annoying people who states I loved Banks before she made it big. Her EP London was featured on Zane Lowe’s ‘new and noteworthy’ artist list in 2013 and I fell in love. Her amazing vibrato, synth tones, haunting lyrics and vocal range had me hooked and when her first album Goddess was released in 2014 my love for this new female artist was cemented. Banks’ evolution through her music has genuinely felt like a privilege to witness. She, unlike a lot of alternative pop artists nowadays is NOT a celebrity. From what I’ve seen of interviews she keeps her private life private and doesn’t even give much away about her personality through quirky one-liners, sarcasm, banter with interviewers etc. She shares those parts of her with the ones who know her personally and for me, that was completely refreshing. Little is known about Jillian Rose Banks the woman, but we are invited into her life and art through her music in such a raw way that I’ve not experienced with any other musician.
Goddess was a triumph of an album. It was about a woman scorned, wronged, taken advantage of, abused even, one who loves deeply, a fragile woman and yet possess’ the strength EVERY woman has if she believes in herself hard enough. It was about a flawed woman, one who knows she can be selfish and doesn’t shy away from that (particularly through the lyrics in Someone New and You Should Know Where I’m Coming From.) Goddess had magic woven into both it’s lyrics and sound. It’s one of those albums you listen to and every track is as good and complex as the one before. Much like Billie Eilish, Banks does not create throwaway tracks. Her songs are about complex issues, when you listen to tracks like Goddess, Alibi and Waiting Game, you cry with her because every woman has been through these life experiences. Whether it’s that all-important moment a woman realises her self-worth, puts herself ahead of the person she’s in a relationship with, been hurt and used by someone she loved more than they love her. It’s all there, it’s raw, it’s real and more importantly, it’s beautiful.
Needless to say after listening to Goddess on repeat for several weeks (ok months) and realising what a treasure Banks was as a singer and an artist, I couldn’t wait to see what she did next. Cut to two years later and she released her sophomore album, The Altar. Through The Altar we saw Banks go from a relatively shy young girl who had a huge amount of power inside of her partially realised to a strong, independent woman. The Altar represented both personal experiences to her as well as the female experience as a whole from their relationships to the Earth, post-natal depression, child-birth and various relationship experiences, the good, the bad and the ugly. No longer was she just a woman scorned, she was a woman practically telling men to be wary of her because she too possessed the ability to rise up and to some extent, hurt others as they had hurt her. The Altar was dark, gritty and an exploration of self-confidence, sex and the complexities of human emotions and how they change depending on how many times we experience them and wise up against naivety. The messages in The Altar were clear, loud and unapologetic:
- Boys ain’t shit
- Celebrate your flaws
- Own your sexuality
- Enter each phase of your life unafraid and be in the knowledge that you can handle it
Banks released some absolutely beautiful songs in-between her full length records too. Better is one of my favourite tracks by her because of the sheer emotion she presents while singing through the, what must have been painful lyrics for her where she effectively pines over someone she can’t have because they belong to someone else. Crowded Places was an exclusive track for the final episode of the HBO show ‘Girls’ and is a beautiful yet sad song about anxiety and finding comfort in friends and those around you (perfectly fitting given the nature of that entire episode.) Underdog was a more upbeat track, an ode to someone Banks was dating who saw themselves as an underdog. The song is about building his confidence up, and judging from the songs of III, I’m guessing the relationship didn’t end so well. Again though, it goes to show how relatable Banks is. Women have a habit of building men up and putting them on a pedestal to the point where they end up with so much confidence they feel they no longer need us. A blessing to an extent, as it shows the kindness women possess, but also a curse, as we often place mediocre boys higher than ourselves in life and learn it was a mistake far too late in the game.
While Goddess will always be my favourite album (since you never forget your first love), On July 12th, Banks would release her most varied, fascinating and complex record yet with III. III follows a lot of similar themes brought up in The Altar, sexuality, heartbreak and allowing yourself to fall in love again after experiencing hurt and loss. Gimme is a sex positive anthem, it’s essentially saying “hey, i’m a strong, sexy woman, I’ve been good to the world, give me what I want, give me what I deserve to have, and right now, that’s some really good sex”. It’s about a woman taking control and asking for what she wants, instead of simply waiting for it. That’s what this album is, a women in control.
This album definitely relies on those synth tones we have seen in previous albums more than ever, but the layers in every song are there, perhaps more so than her previous work. I’m certain if you listen to isolated versions of these tracks there would be at least 5 different layers on each one. Banks’ voice is stronger than ever, in the chorus and bridge of ‘The Fall’ she practically shouts at us, that powerful vibrato in full force. She’s angry at the people who have wronged her, she forgives, but she doesn’t forget. Those emotions are still there, woven within every single aspect of these songs. It’s a sight to behold (and hear). Banks is no longer naïve, she knows exactly what these people did to her and she’s here to remind them. Til Now and Stroke are about these people trying to take advantage of her, about how they used her to build themselves up before cutting ties with her. There’s an angry power mixed in there with the beauty of the songs themselves. Contaminated is about having an affair with a married man. Brave, for a young woman to admit such a thing and risk people labelling her on the wrong side of the moral coin, but that’s Banks. She’s real, she messes up, she sings about things that make others uncomfortable because guess what, women aren’t there to make you feel comfortable anymore. We aren’t there to shield your eyes from the nitty gritty, we aren’t there to stroke your egos or be sexually unsatisfied in a relationship. We aren’t there to represent one thing, purity or sin, good or bad. We are out here representing ourselves and Banks is at the forefront of that feminist movement.
Despite the heartbreak and experiences with people that quite frankly sound like the worst, she’s hopeful. She’s not about to let it stop her from living life to the full. What About Love is about starting over and trying again when it comes to love. While Banks is firm in that she belongs to no one, it’s clear she’s willing to open her heart to others again and perhaps that’s the strongest thing possible. Fans of Banks feel as if they have been on this journey with her every step of the way and feeling that bond with an artist that doesn’t actually share that much with her fans outside of the music is a hard thing to do but Banks has completely succeeded in it. I no longer get the impression she holds back from anyone as I felt she did in the early stages of her career. She’s excited for us to hear her music, her thoughts, her feelings. It’s a beautiful thing to witness a woman become completely self-realised and to watch someone do it solely through amazing music, well, that’s a blessing indeed.
Go listen or download III now, available on iTunes, Spotify, Amazon Music, you know the drill.
Ramblings of a gayby 