BANKS sounds more intense than ever on ‘Better’
After a long string of singles and EP’s, Jillian Banks, mainly known by her stage name BANKS, finally released her debut album Goddess in September 2014. It was hands down one of the best records of the year and her seductive and hypnotic mix of progressive R&B and electronic pop painted a beautiful soundscape that soon became seen as her signature sound. With outstanding songs like ‘Waiting Game’, ‘Brain’, ‘Warm Water’ and the more poppy ‘Beggin For Thread’ she managed to create a dedicated fan base that is definitely ready for the next era in her career and that is what is about to happen. BANKS just released her brand new single ‘Better’, probably the first taken from a sophomore album.

She wrote ‘Better’ together with Peder Losnegård. It’s not miles away from the sound of Goddess, but at the same time there is definitely a progression hearable. Where her first record was mostly filled with smooth and sultry vocals, on ‘Better’ she goes all in during the second chorus with a raspiness we hadn’t heard before. She sounds more intense than ever. The verses are mainly built from piano and the sampling of her own voice as backing vocals. She keeps us at the edge of our seats with long and dramatic notes. In the chorus the heavy bass and dark synths are back and she hypnotically repeats the sentence: ‘I can love you better than she can’. Truly intense and dark, but a glorious return!

BANKS recorded a video with director James Mountford who quite literally wrapped her in gold, intertwined with scenes of a naked woman crawling on the crowd in vulnerability. It matches the intensity and pure emotions of the song, so once again well done!