Goddess (Banks album) explained

Goddess
Type:studio
Artist:Banks
Cover:BanksGoddessCover.png
Studio:
  • Lion Aboard (London)
  • Young Turks (London)
  • Mixed Management (Los Angeles)
  • Werewolf Heart (Los Angeles)
  • One Yard (London)
  • Sorona (Los Angeles)
  • Golden Touch (Los Angeles)
  • Capitol (Los Angeles)
  • TEED (London)
Genre:
Label:Harvest
Producer:
Next Title:The Altar
Next Year:2016

Goddess is the debut studio album by American singer and songwriter Banks, released on September 5, 2014, by Harvest Records. The album includes songs from her previous extended plays Fall Over and London. The album spawned four singles: "Warm Water", "Brain", "Drowning", and "Beggin for Thread". A companion remix album, Goddess Remixes, was released digitally on March 23, 2015.[2]

Background

In February 2014, Banks mentioned that her then-untitled debut studio album was nearing completion; she commented, "I feel like I still have a few more things to let out so that I'll feel really comfortable and happy with my first album being released."[3] In April, Banks announced that the album would be titled Goddess, and confirmed that it would be released on September 9, 2014 in the United States.[4]

Singles

"Warm Water" was released as the lead single from Goddess on May 27, 2013.[5] "Brain" was released as the second single from the album on January 29, 2014.[6] The album's third single, "Drowning", was released on June 9, 2014,[7] peaking at number 48 on the US Rock Digital Songs chart.[8] On July 22, 2014, "Beggin for Thread" was released as the fourth and final single from the album.[9] The song reached number 11 on the US Alternative Songs chart,[10] reached number 64 in Germany,[11] and number 80 in Australia.[12]

Other songs

"Change" and "Alibi" were released as promotional singles from the album in the United Kingdom on February 9 and September 8, 2014, respectively.[13] [14] "Waiting Game" reached number 16 on the Alternative Digital Songs chart and number 31 on the Pop Digital Songs chart in the United States,[15] while peaking at number 99 on the UK Singles Chart.[16]

Tour

Before announcing Goddess, Banks toured with Canadian singer The Weeknd in 2013, for whom she was the opening act. In May 2014, it was announced that she would embark on her first headlining concert tour, which visited North America during May and June.[17]

List of concerts, showing date, city, country, and venue
DateCityCountryVenue
North America
May 24, 2014VancouverCanadaVenue
May 26, 2014PortlandUnited StatesDoug Fir Lounge
May 28, 2014San FranciscoThe Independent
June 4, 2014New York CityIrving Plaza
June 6, 2014Washington, D.C.U Street Music Hall
June 7, 2014PhiladelphiaUnderground Arts at the Wolf Building
June 10, 2014TorontoCanadaThe Hoxton
June 12, 2014ManchesterUnited StatesThis Tent @ Bonnaroo

Critical reception

Goddess received generally positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 74, based on 22 reviews.[18] Miles Raymer of Entertainment Weekly commended Banks for her "sonic ambition and willingness to risk alienating a pop audience with Goddess gloomy, tweaky beats".[19] Tshepo Mokoena of The Guardian noted that Banks "lays her emotions bare, at times almost embarrassingly so, sounding raw and vengeful when she belts—and a bit like Fiona Apple in the chirr of her upper vocal register", concluding that although the songs "Someone New" and "Under the Table" "sink into nondescript ballad territory", Goddess is otherwise an "accomplished debut".[20] Felicity Martin of Clash expressed that Banks' "Aaliyah-like vocals pour from Goddess, while a gang of bleeding-edge underground producers ... concoct soulful beats to cushion them", adding that "her confessional appeal is not lost ... as ballads such as 'Under The Table' hark back to her humble piano-and-voice origins."[21]

El Hunt of DIY called the album a "bewitching, and surprisingly diverse debut" and stated that "it looks like Jillian Banks more than lives up to the hype."[22] Will Hermes of Rolling Stone found that the album "confirms a beguiling, diaristic voice that echoes avant-pop forebears (Aaliyah, Fiona Apple, Kate Bush) and a taste for gloomy, synth-centric productions."[23] Slant Magazines Sal Cinquemani viewed Banks' "attempts at balladry" as "generally forgettable", but opined that she "excels ... at fusing her pop sensibility with imposing synth pads and hip-hop beats".[24] The Observers Kitty Empire described the album as "slow-burning, fidgety, attractively troubled" and wrote that it "offer[s] up a more conventional take on [minimal R&B] than Banks's British counterpart, FKA Twigs."[25] Despite praising songs such as "Brain" and "Beggin for Thread", Rhian Daly of NME felt that the album is "good, but not up to the standard its title suggests."[26] In a mixed review, Andrew Ryce of Pitchfork commented that "there are moments where [Banks] sounds unpretentious and charming", while dismissing her aesthetic as "all trendy misery assisted by equally fashionable producers, without any substance to hold it all up." He continued, "Banks could certainly go places—but Goddess doesn't, and instead seems content to wallow in the same depressive rut for an exhausting 59 minutes."[27]

Accolades

Slant Magazine placed Goddess at number eight on its list of "The 25 Best Albums of 2014", with Annie Galvin commenting, "The alt-pop landscape in 2014 was crowded with sultry female singers backed by über-hip electronic beatscapes, yet Jillian Banks managed to rise above the fray with her debut."[28] Rolling Stone named it the 17th best R&B album of 2014, and the magazine's Cady Drell wrote, "More than just an Internet sensation with on-the-nose Nineties R&B throwback hooks, L.A. native Jillian Banks can go from gloomy trance cuts one minute to lyrically explicit soul jams the next—all with an impressively modern gothic touch."[29] It was also listed as the 24th best album of the year by The Guardian.[30]

PopMatters ranked the album number 28 on its year-end list and concluded, "[Banks] is no Beyoncé, but her failures are her strength and our gain, and her scars give Goddess a beauty and a feminist wisdom that the platinum features of Beyoncé will never have."[31] Jessica Goodman and Ryan Kristobak of HuffPost included the album on their list of "The 23 Best Albums of 2014", stating, "While exhilarating in bits, as a full listen, [the album is] a little hard to stomach. However, in the comedown, 'Brain' demonstrates what happens when Banks is at her spiciest, and 'You Should Know Where I'm Coming From' removes the ooze for a clear look at just how capable her voice is on its own, giving us hope for a more explorative follow-up."[32]

Commercial performance

Goddess debuted at number 12 on the US Billboard 200, selling 25,000 copies in its first week.[33] By September 2016, it had sold 120,000 copies in the United States.[34] The album debuted at number 20 on the UK Albums Chart with first-week sales of 3,977 copies.[35]

Track listing

Notes

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of the deluxe edition of Goddess.[36]

Musicians

Technical

Artwork

Charts

Year-end charts

Chart (2014)! scope="col"
Position
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[37] 47

Release history

Region! scope="col"
DateFormatEditionLabel
AustraliaSeptember 5, 2014Harvest[38] [39] [40] [41]
GermanyUniversal[42] [43] [44] [45]
LPStandard[46]
IrelandVirgin EMI[47] [48] [49] [50]
FranceSeptember 8, 2014CDStandardCapitol[51]
Digital download[52] [53]
United KingdomVirgin EMI[54] [55] [56] [57]
LPStandard[58]
United StatesSeptember 9, 2014Harvest[59] [60]
Digital download[61] [62]
CDDeluxe (Target exclusive)[63]
FranceOctober 13, 2014LPStandardCapitol[64]
JapanFebruary 4, 2015CDJapan standardUniversal[65]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Hutchinson . Kate . Banks: The Altar review – an unconvincing 2016 pop moodboard . . September 29, 2016 . July 25, 2017.
  2. Web site: Goddess (Remixes): Banks: MP3 Downloads . . United States . July 22, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150415052609/http://www.amazon.com/Goddess-Remixes-Banks/dp/B00UMIKYQ0 . April 15, 2015.
  3. Web site: Rachel . T. Cole . Q&A: BANKS On Her Burgeoning Success, Debut Album, And Giving Her Phone Number Out To The Entire World . . February 4, 2014 . May 26, 2014.
  4. Web site: Keeble . Edward . Banks streams new track 'Goddess', announces album . . April 29, 2014 . May 26, 2014.
  5. Web site: Warm Water: Banks: MP3 Downloads . Amazon . United Kingdom . July 22, 2018.
  6. Web site: Brain: Banks: MP3 Downloads . Amazon . United Kingdom . September 7, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140907124911/http://www.amazon.co.uk/Brain-Banks/dp/B00HYEE6HS . September 7, 2014.
  7. Web site: Drowning: Banks: MP3 Downloads . Amazon . United Kingdom . September 7, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140907125405/http://www.amazon.co.uk/Drowning-Banks/dp/B00KVQ2RBI . September 7, 2014.
  8. Banks Chart History (Rock Digital Song Sales) . . December 8, 2021.
  9. Web site: Beggin For Thread: Banks: MP3 Downloads . Amazon . United Kingdom . September 7, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140907122617/http://www.amazon.co.uk/Beggin-For-Thread-Banks/dp/B00LXF4X22 . September 7, 2014.
  10. Banks Chart History (Alternative Airplay) . Billboard . December 8, 2021.
  11. Web site: Banks – Beggin For Thread . de . Offizielle Deutsche Charts . June 3, 2015.
  12. ARIA Top 100 Singles – Week Commencing 10th November 2014 . . 1289 . 3 . November 10, 2014 . July 20, 2020 . . https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20141112014700/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/23790/20141112-1247/Issue1289.pdf . November 12, 2014.
  13. Web site: Change – Single by Banks . . United Kingdom . October 5, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20141027131644/https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/change-single/id783576442 . October 27, 2014.
  14. Web site: Alibi – Single by Banks . iTunes Store . United Kingdom . October 2, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140911092028/https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/alibi-single/id912986283 . September 11, 2014.
  15. Banks Chart History (Alternative Digital Song Sales) . Billboard . December 8, 2021.
  16. Web site: Banks full Official Chart History . . July 22, 2018.
  17. Web site: Geslani . Michelle . Banks announces 2014 U.S. headlining tour . . May 25, 2014 . December 31, 2021.
  18. Web site: Reviews for Goddess by Banks . . September 1, 2014.
  19. Raymer . Miles . Goddess . . September 3, 2014 . July 22, 2018.
  20. Web site: Mokoena . Tshepo . Banks: Goddess review – an accomplished debut . The Guardian . September 4, 2014 . September 7, 2014.
  21. Web site: Martin . Felicity . Banks – Goddess . . August 28, 2014 . September 1, 2014.
  22. Web site: Hunt . El . Banks – Goddess . . September 4, 2014 . November 25, 2014.
  23. Hermes . Will . Will Hermes . Goddess . . September 9, 2014 . July 22, 2018.
  24. Web site: Cinquemani . Sal . Review: Banks, Goddess . . August 28, 2014 . December 31, 2021.
  25. Web site: Empire . Kitty . Kitty Empire . Goddess review – Banks is slow-burning, fidgety and attractively troubled . . September 7, 2014 . September 8, 2014.
  26. Web site: Daly . Rhian . Banks – 'Goddess' . . September 7, 2014 . September 9, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140909010421/http://www.nme.com/reviews/banks/15615 . September 9, 2014.
  27. Web site: Ryce . Andrew . Banks: Goddess . . September 9, 2014 . September 9, 2014.
  28. Web site: The 25 Best Albums of 2014 . Slant Magazine . December 11, 2014 . December 22, 2014.
  29. 20 Best R&B Albums of 2014 . Rolling Stone . December 15, 2014 . July 22, 2018.
  30. Web site: The best albums of 2014 . The Guardian . November 26, 2014 . December 22, 2014.
  31. Web site: The Best Albums of 2014 . . December 8, 2014 . December 22, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150221011619/http://www.popmatters.com/feature/188860-the-best-albums-of-2014/P5/ . February 21, 2015 . live.
  32. Web site: Goodman . Jessica . Kristobak . Ryan . The 23 Best Albums Of 2014 . . December 15, 2014 . December 15, 2014.
  33. Web site: Kaufman . Gil . Lecrae Makes History With First #1 Album . https://web.archive.org/web/20140922014233/http://www.mtv.com/news/1933622/lecrae-first-1-album-anomaly/ . dead . September 22, 2014 . . September 9, 2014 . September 18, 2014.
  34. Web site: Upcoming Releases . . October 1, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20161001180342/http://hitsdailydouble.com/new_album_releases . October 1, 2016.
  35. Web site: Jones . Alan . Official Charts Analysis: Sam Smith retains No.1 album slot in busiest week of the year . . September 15, 2014 . July 22, 2018 . subscription.
  36. Banks . Banks (singer) . Goddess . deluxe edition liner notes . . 2014 . 0602537871575.
  37. Independent Albums – Year-End 2014 . Billboard . December 15, 2014.
  38. Web site: Goddess . . June 3, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150604011809/https://www.jbhifi.com.au/music/browse/pop/goddess/582332/ . June 4, 2015.
  39. Web site: Goddess (Deluxe Edition) . JB Hi-Fi . June 3, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150604011738/https://www.jbhifi.com.au/music/browse/alternative/goddess-deluxe-edition/620979/ . June 4, 2015.
  40. Web site: Goddess (Explicit) (2014) Banks . . June 3, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150604030859/https://www.zdigital.com.au/artist/banks/release/goddess-explicit-1 . June 4, 2015.
  41. Web site: Goddess (Deluxe [Explicit]) (2014) Banks ]. zdigital . June 3, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150604030931/https://www.zdigital.com.au/artist/banks/release/goddess-deluxe-explicit-1 . June 4, 2015.
  42. Web site: Goddess: BANKS . Amazon . de . Germany . August 10, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160911064200/https://www.amazon.de/Goddess-Banks/dp/B00K0ZZQ3G . September 11, 2016.
  43. Web site: Goddess (Deluxe Edition): BANKS . Amazon . de . Germany . August 10, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160911084459/https://www.amazon.de/Goddess-Deluxe-Banks/dp/B00LG92GBA . September 11, 2016.
  44. Web site: Goddess [Explicit]

    Banks: MP3-Downloads ]

    . Amazon . de . Germany . August 28, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150601050155/http://www.amazon.de/Goddess-Explicit-Banks/dp/B00JZLMVR0 . June 1, 2015.
  45. Web site: Goddess (Deluxe): Banks: MP3-Downloads . Amazon . de . Germany . August 28, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160305233523/http://www.amazon.de/Goddess-Deluxe-Banks/dp/B00JZLN6TW . March 5, 2016.
  46. Web site: Goddess (Limited Edition) [Vinyl LP]

    BANKS ]

    . Amazon . de . Germany . August 10, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160911063201/https://www.amazon.de/Goddess-Limited-Vinyl-LP-Banks/dp/B00K6D1YR4 . September 11, 2016.
  47. Web site: Goddess – Banks (CD) . . June 3, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150604011711/http://www.hmv.ie/Goddess-Banks/movies-games-entertainment/pd/108663 . June 4, 2015.
  48. Web site: Goddess – Banks (Deluxe) (CD) . HMV Ireland . June 3, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150604011736/http://www.hmv.ie/Goddess-Banks/movies-games-entertainment/pd/108664 . June 4, 2015.
  49. Web site: Goddess (Explicit) (2014) Banks . . Ireland . June 3, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150604030852/https://ie.7digital.com/artist/banks/release/goddess-explicit/ . June 4, 2015.
  50. Web site: Goddess (Deluxe [Explicit]) (2014) Banks ]. 7digital . Ireland . June 3, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150604085240/https://ie.7digital.com/artist/banks/release/goddess-deluxe-explicit/ . June 4, 2015.
  51. Web site: Goddess – Banks – CD album . . fr . August 28, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180722100010/https://musique.fnac.com/a7568046/Banks-Goddess-CD-album . July 22, 2018 . live.
  52. Web site: Goddess [Explicit]

    Banks: Téléchargements MP3 ]

    . Amazon . fr . France . November 25, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160305193342/http://www.amazon.fr/Goddess-Explicit-Banks/dp/B00K1H6KZQ . March 5, 2016.
  53. Web site: Goddess (Deluxe): Banks: Téléchargements MP3 . Amazon . fr . France . November 25, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160305184600/http://www.amazon.fr/Goddess-Deluxe-Banks/dp/B00NABIHX8 . March 5, 2016.
  54. Web site: Goddess: BANKS . Amazon . United Kingdom . August 10, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160820111016/https://www.amazon.co.uk/Goddess-BANKS/dp/B00K0ZZQ3G . August 20, 2016.
  55. Web site: Goddess (Deluxe Edition): BANKS . Amazon . United Kingdom . August 10, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160820114811/https://www.amazon.co.uk/Goddess-BANKS/dp/B00LG92GBA . August 20, 2016.
  56. Web site: Goddess [Explicit]

    Banks: MP3 Downloads ]

    . Amazon . United Kingdom . August 28, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150425135715/http://www.amazon.co.uk/Goddess-Explicit-Banks/dp/B00JZD1SSG . April 25, 2015.
  57. Web site: Goddess (Deluxe) [Explicit]

    Banks: MP3 Downloads ]

    . Amazon . United Kingdom . August 28, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150509040120/http://www.amazon.co.uk/Goddess-Deluxe-Explicit-Banks/dp/B00JZY1WAE . May 9, 2015.
  58. Web site: Goddess [VINYL]

    BANKS ]

    . Amazon . United Kingdom . August 10, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160820103157/https://www.amazon.co.uk/Goddess-VINYL-BANKS/dp/B00K6D1YR4 . August 20, 2016.
  59. Web site: Goddess [Explicit]

    BANKS ]

    . Amazon . United States . August 10, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20151217124107/https://www.amazon.com/Goddess-Explicit-Banks/dp/B00K0ZZQ3G . December 17, 2015.
  60. Web site: Goddess [2 LP][Explicit]

    BANKS ]

    . Amazon . United States . August 10, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150826031537/http://www.amazon.com/Goddess-2-LP-Explicit-Banks/dp/B00K6D1YR4 . August 26, 2015.
  61. Web site: Goddess (Deluxe Version) by Banks . iTunes Store . United States . May 26, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150212233421/https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/goddess-deluxe-version/id866276916 . February 12, 2015.
  62. Web site: Goddess by Banks . iTunes Store . United States . August 28, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150122214528/https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/goddess/id866261752 . January 22, 2015.
  63. Web site: Goddess . . December 12, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20141213040011/http://www.target.com/p/goddess/-/A-16358890 . December 13, 2014.
  64. Web site: Goddess – Banks – Vinyl album . Fnac . fr . July 22, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180722095813/https://musique.fnac.com/a7568047/Banks-Goddess-Vinyle-album . July 22, 2018 . live.
  65. Web site: ゴッデス . Goddess . ja . . June 3, 2015.

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