Kota Banks Explained

Kota Banks
Birth Name:Jessica Mimi Porfiri
Birth Date:1994 10, df=y
Birth Place:Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Origin:Italy
Genre:Pop
Instrument:Vocals
Years Active:2005–present
Associated Acts:Nina Las Vegas, Ninajirachi

Jessica Mimi Porfiri (born 13 October 1994), who performs as Kota Banks, is an Australian pop singer-songwriter and musician.[1] She signed to Nina Las Vegas's label, NLV Records, in May 2017, which released Banks' ten-track extended play, Prize (styled as PRIZE), as a mix tape in mid-2018.[2] [3] Banks has co-written songs for fellow Australian artists.[4] She supported What So Not on his national tour.[5] By November 2017, her music had accumulated over 20 million plays on Spotify.[1]

Early life

Kota Banks was born in 1994 in Sydney, Australia, as Jessica Mimi Porfiri,[6] in Sydney. She spent her late childhood and teens in Florence, a formative time that shaped her identity and connection to her heritage. Banks has been singing since the age of 9.[7] She returned to Sydney.

Personal life

Banks is a Christian.[8] She prays every time she writes music.[8] In an article with The Daily Telegraph, she said:

"I just feel like it [praying] gives me more depth to my songwriting and opens my mind."[8]

Career

Banks' debut single, "N.F.F.A.", was issued in 2016 and was co-written by Banks with Lee Chew (or Toby Chew-Lee) and Cameron Nacson.[9] It was produced by the duo as MOZA. Troy Mutton of Pile Rats described how she, "dabbles in some seriously fun electronic-pop", and described her single as a "bold track both production-wise and lyrically, catchy as and slotting right alongside artists such as Nicole Millar, Jess Kent and Danish artist MØ."[10]

Her second single, "Holiday", appeared in 2017, which was co-written with Danny Omerhodic,[11] who produced the track for NLV Records, as Swick.[12] "Empty Streets" featuring MOZA, was her next single in that year, which was also co-written with Chew and Nacson.[9] [13] [14] [15] For the Junior Eurovision Song Contest of 2017, Banks, Chew and Nacson, with Chloe Papandrea, co-wrote Australia's entry, "Speak Up".[16] It was performed by Isabella Clarke in Tbilisi, where Clarke finished third.[17]

For the FOMO Festival in Adelaide, Banks joined Nina Las Vegas (a.k.a. Nina Agzarian) on-stage to perform "Holiday" in January 2018.[18] The pair co-wrote "Alibrandi" with Omerhodic, which Las Vegas performs using Banks on vocals.[19] In March her single, "Zoom", was premiered on Triple J's Good Nights and subsequently received high rotation on the national youth radio station.[20] Triple J's Al Newstead declared, "this [track] has grown on us hard. It's a fun, flirty mix of dancehall and pop elevated by the fanciful production."[21]

Banks released her debut extended play, Prize (styled as PRIZE), in mid-2018, as a ten-track mix tape.[22] [23] It was produced by Omerhodic, who shared the song writing with Banks on most of its tracks.[20] [22] AltMedias Jamie Apps rated it at three-and-a-half stars and explained, "[she] is not just a one hit wonder though as throughout the remainder of the record Banks carries the momentum forward as she celebrate feminine strength and empowerment."[24] Following the release of PRIZE, Banks announced her debut national headline tour, selling out her hometown show.

From July 2019, Banks began releasing her music under Sony Music Entertainment Australia.[25] From 2019, she shares her life through TikTok and tries to get more attention through extended play (EP).[26] [27]

Discography

Mixtapes

List of mixtapes, with release date and label shown! Title! Details
Prize

Extended plays

List of EPs, with release date and label shown! Title! Details
Sweet and the Spice

Singles

As lead artist

List of singles as lead artist, with year released and album shown! Title! Year! Album
"N.F.F.A"2016rowspan="4"
"Holiday"2017
"Empty Streets"
"Zoom"[29] 2018
"Fiorentina"
[30] 		Prize
"Child"
"I'm It"[31]
"20 Missed Calls"2019rowspan="4"
"Big Bucks"
"Feel Again"[32]
"Italiana"
[33] 		2020
"Snip Snip"
[34] 		Sweet and the Spice
"Let U Leave"[35]
"Never Sleep"
"Yes"[36]
"Mutual XO"[37] 2022

As featured artist

List of singles as featured artist, with year released and album shown! Title! Year! Album
"Don't Look Down"
[38] 		2016Don't Look Down
"Decisions"
[39] 		2018

Notes

Music videos

List of music videos, with year released and director shown! Title! Year! Director
"Zoom"[40] 2018Ella Carey

Notes and References

  1. News: Kota Banks Is One of Australia's Best New Pop Acts . Lefevre . Jules . 3 November 2017 . . 5 August 2018 .
  2. Web site: Sur-PRIZE! Wrap your ears around Kota Bank's future facing pop mixtape . O'Neill . Holly . Purple Sneakers . Emma Jones, Martin Novosel . June 2018 . 8 August 2018 .
  3. News: Kota Banks. Mushroom Music Publishing. 2018-08-05.
  4. Web site: Interview Kota Banks. July 2018. Jones. Emma. Purple Sneakers . 8 August 2018 .
  5. News: Exclusive: Kota Banks Signs to New World Artists. June 13, 2018. theMusic.com.au. 13 June 2018. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20180614013117/http://themusic.com.au/news/all/2018/06/13/kota-banks-signs-to-new-world-artists/. 2018-06-14.
  6. Web site: Repertoire Search: Songwriter/Composer: Porfiri . Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) . 8 August 2018 .
  7. Web site: Kota Banks. triple j Unearthed. en. 2018-08-06.
  8. Web site: Aussie singer Kota Banks is your soundtrack to summer . . 16 November 2018 . 20 June 2020 . Hermo, Dominique.
  9. Web site: Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) . 'NFFA' at APRA search engine . 8 August 2018 . Note: For additional work user may have to select 'Search again' and then 'Enter a title:' &/or 'Performer:'
  10. Web site: Premiere: Meet Kota Banks and her fresh new tropical banger, 'N.F.F.A' . Mutton . Troy . Pile Rats . 8 August 2018 .
  11. Web site: Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) . 'Holiday' at APRA search engine . 8 August 2018 . Note: For additional work user may have to select 'Search again' and then 'Enter a title:' &/or 'Performer:'
  12. News: Kota Banks signs to NLV Records with monster pop tune 'Holiday' . Pile Rats . Emma Jones, Martin Novosel . 8 August 2018 .
  13. Web site: Kota Banks . BigSound . 8 August 2018 .
  14. News: 'Zoom' into New Kota Banks Video . auspOp . 19 March 2018 . 8 August 2018 .
  15. Web site: Kota Banks – New Songs, Playlists & Latest News . . 8 August 2018 .
  16. Web site: Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) . 'Speak Up' at APRA search engine . 8 August 2018 . Note: For additional work user may have to select 'Search again' and then 'Enter a title:' &/or 'Performer:'
  17. Web site: Isabella Clarke 'Speak Up' . . 2017 . 8 August 2018 .
  18. Web site: FOMO Adelaide Review. Nguyen. Jenny. theMusic.com.au. 9 January 2018. 8 August 2018. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20180110124131/https://themusic.com.au/news/all/2018/01/09/fomo-adelaide-review/. 2018-01-10.
  19. Web site: Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). 'Alibrandi' at APRA search engine. 8 August 2018. Note: For additional work user may have to select 'Search again' and then 'Enter a title:' &/or 'Performer:'
  20. Web site: Kota Banks releases surprise debut mixtape 'PRIZE'. Amnplify . 29 June 2018 . 9 August 2018.
  21. Web site: Best New Music: Peking Duk, Phantastic Ferniture, Didirri, Channel Tres. Newstead. Al. Triple J. Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). 14 May 2018. 9 August 2018.
  22. News: Kota Banks Details Her Show-Stopping Debut Mixtape, Prize . Davies . Hayden . Pile Rats . 8 August 2018 .
  23. Web site: Kota Banks . J Play . 8 August 2018 .
  24. Web site: Kota Banks – Prize . Apps . Jamie . Altmedia . 28 June 2018 . 8 August 2018 .
  25. Web site: Kota Banks releases new single 'Let U Leave' . . 5 June 2020 . 22 April 2020.
  26. Web site: Kota Banks on TikTok . TikTok . en.
  27. Web site: How Does an EP Shape Music Career on Platforms Like TikTok? . www.soundon.global.
  28. Web site: Kota Banks announces forthcoming EP, shares single 'Never Sleep' . . 17 July 2020 . 17 July 2020 . Bruce, Jasper.
  29. Web site: Kota Banks drops another brilliant pop gem in 'Zoom' . Pile Rats . 16 March 2018 . 8 August 2018. Davies, Hayden.
  30. Web site: Kota Banks flexes her Italian heritage on new track 'Fiorentina' . Stoney Roads . 8 June 2018 . 20 June 2020 . Smith, Joseph.
  31. Web site: Kota Banks – I'm It (Official Video) . . 3 September 2018 . 30 March 2020.
  32. Web site: Kota Banks drops new track and video 'Feel Again' . . 29 November 2019 . 30 March 2020.
  33. Web site: Kota Banks releases new track and video for 'Italiana' . Sony Music Australia . 13 March 2020 . 30 March 2020.
  34. Web site: Kota Banks releases new single 'Snip Snip' with Swick . . 15 May 2020 . 20 June 2020 . Langford, Jackson.
  35. Web site: Kota Banks shares new single 'Let U Leave' . . 12 June 2020 . 20 June 2020 . Bruce, Jasper.
  36. Web site: Kota Banks drops EP, shares latest single 'Yes' . . 31 July 2020 . 31 July 2020 . Bruce, Jasper.
  37. Web site: NEW AUS MUSIC PLAYLIST: Our Favourite Tunes Of The Week. Music Feeds. 4 March 2022. 5 March 2022.
  38. Web site: Don't Look Down (Radio Edit) [feat. Kota Banks] – Single by Pez on Apple Music ]. Apple Music MEX . 7 April 2017 . 22 June 2020.
  39. Web site: Swick teams with Kota Banks for spicy club-pop number 'Decisions' . Stoney Roads . 7 September 2018 . 20 June 2020 . Antoine.
  40. Web site: Kota Banks shares exciting single and video for 'Zoom' . Stoney Roads . 21 March 2018 . 20 June 2020 . Tonkin, Sarah.

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