Goddess (Banks album)

Goddess
Studio album by Banks
Released September 5, 2014
Genre
Length 59:37
Label Harvest
Producer
Banks chronology

  • London
  • (2013)
  • Goddess
  • (2014)
Singles from Goddess
  1. "Brain"
    Released: January 29, 2014
  2. "Goddess"
    Released: April 29, 2014
  3. "Drowning"
    Released: June 9, 2014
  4. "Beggin for Thread"
    Released: July 21, 2014

Goddess is the debut studio album by American recording artist Banks, released on September 5, 2014 by Harvest Records. It includes all four tracks from her second extended play London (2013), as well as her 2013 single "Warm Water". The deluxe edition includes two tracks from her debut extended play Fall Over (2013). The album has spawned four singles: "Brain", "Goddess", "Drowning", and "Beggin for Thread".

Background

In February 2014, Banks mentioned that her then-untitled debut studio album was nearing completion; she commented that "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."[4] In April, Banks announced that the record would be titled Goddess, and confirmed that it would be released on September 9, 2014 in the United States.[5]

Singles

"Brain" was released as the lead single from Goddess on January 29, 2014.[6] Upon confirmation of the album, the title track was released as the album's second single on April 29, 2014.[7][8] "Drowning" was released as the third single from the album on June 9, 2014.[9] On July 22, 2014, "Beggin for Thread" was released as the fourth single from the album.[10]

"Change" and "Alibi" were released as promotional singles from the album in the United Kingdom on February 9, 2014 and September 8, 2014, respectively.[11][12]

Tour

Before announcing Goddess, Banks toured with Canadian recording artist 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.[13]

List of concerts, showing date, city, country, and venue[13]
Date City Country Venue
North America
May 24, 2014 Vancouver Canada Venue
May 26, 2014 Portland United States Doug Fir Lounge
May 28, 2014 San Francisco The Independent
June 4, 2014 A New York City Irving Plaza
June 6, 2014 Washington, D.C. U Street Music Hall
June 7, 2014 Philadelphia Underground Arts at the Wolf Building
June 10, 2014 Toronto Canada The Hoxton
June 12, 2014 Manchester United States This Tent @ Bonnaroo

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
Source Rating
Metacritic 74/100[14]
Review scores
Source Rating
AllMusic [15]
Clash 7/10[16]
DIY [17]
Entertainment Weekly B+[1]
The Guardian [18]
NME 7/10[2]
The Observer [19]
Pitchfork Media 5.0/10[20]
Rolling Stone [21]
Slant Magazine [22]

Goddess received generally positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted mean rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 74, based on 22 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews".[14] Miles Raymer of Entertainment Weekly commended Banks for her "sonic ambition and willingness to risk alienating a pop audience with Goddess‍ '​ gloomy, tweaky beats".[1] 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".[18] 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."[16]

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."[17] 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."[21] Slant Magazine's 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".[22] The Observer‍ '​s 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."[19] Despite praising songs such as "Brain" and "Beggin for Thread", Rhian Daly of the NME felt that the album is "good, but not up to the standard its title suggests."[2] In a mixed review, Pitchfork Media's Andrew Ryce 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."[20]

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."[23] Rolling Stone named it the seventeenth 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."[24] It was listed as the twenty-fourth best album of the year by The Guardian.[25]

PopMatters ranked the album number twenty-eight 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."[26] Jessica Goodman and Ryan Kristobak of The Huffington Post 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."[27]

Commercial performance

Goddess debuted at number twelve on the US Billboard 200, selling 25,000 copies in its first week.[28] The album debuted at number twenty on the UK Albums Chart with first-week sales of 3,977 copies.[29]

Track listing

No. TitleWriter(s)Producer(s) Length
1. "Alibi"  
Sohn 3:48
2. "Goddess"  
  • Banks
  • TJ Carter
Lil Silva 4:02
3. "Waiting Game"  
  • Banks
  • Taylor
Sohn 3:27
4. "Brain"  
Shlohmo 4:42
5. "This Is What It Feels Like"  
  • Lil Silva
  • Woon
 5:02
6. "You Should Know Where I'm Coming From"  
 3:55
7. "Stick"  
  • Banks
  • Carter
Lil Silva 5:13
8. "Fuck Em Only We Know"  
Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs 4:36
9. "Drowning"  
  • Banks
  • Al Shuckburgh
 4:09
10. "Beggin for Thread"  
  • Banks
  • Jesse Rogg
  • Anderson
  • Rogg
  • Anderson
 4:09
11. "Change"  
  • Banks
  • Anderson
Anderson 4:16
12. "Someone New"  
  • Banks
  • Anderson
  • Aron Forbes
Anderson 4:41
13. "Warm Water"  
  • Banks
  • Higginbottom
Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs 3:28
14. "Under the Table"  
  • Banks
  • Higginbottom
Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs 4:09
Total length:
 59:37
Notes

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of the deluxe edition of Goddess.[31]

  • Banks – vocals
  • Tim Anderson – co-production (track 6); additional production (track 9); production, recording (tracks 10–12); mixing (track 12); A&R
  • Cassian – mastering, mixing (track 4)
  • Daphne Chen – violin (tracks 6, 14)
  • Lauren Chipman – viola (tracks 6, 14)
  • Ryan Del Vecchio – A&R administration
  • Richard Dodd – cello (tracks 6, 14)
  • Edmund Finnis – string arrangements (tracks 6, 14)
  • Eric Gorfain – violin (tracks 6, 14)
  • Lil Silva – mixing, production (tracks 2, 5, 7); recording (tracks 2, 7); engineering (track 5)
  • Pete Lyman – mastering (tracks 1–3, 5–18)
  • Trevor McFedries – executive producer, management
  • Daniel Moyler – engineering (tracks 1, 3)
  • Justin Parker – co-production, piano (track 6)
  • Jesse Rogg – mixing (tracks 10, 11, 16, 17); production (tracks 10, 16, 17); recording (tracks 16, 17)
  • Barnaby Roper – photography
  • Shlohmo – production, recording (track 4)
  • Al Shux – mixing, production, recording (track 9)
  • Sohn – mixing, production (tracks 1, 3)
  • Chris Spilfogel – engineering (tracks 6, 14)
  • Studio Moross – design
  • Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs – mixing, production (tracks 6, 8, 13–15, 18); recording (tracks 8, 13, 15); engineering (track 18)
  • Jamie Woon – production (track 5)

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2014) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[32] 17
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[33] 47
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[34] 37
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[35] 31
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[36] 8
Danish Albums (Hitlisten)[37] 22
Dutch Albums (MegaCharts)[38] 75
French Albums (SNEP)[39] 70
German Albums (Official Top 100)[40] 18
Irish Albums (IRMA)[41] 23
New Zealand Albums (Recorded Music NZ)[42] 18
Polish Albums (ZPAV)[43] 32
Scottish Albums (OCC)[44] 34
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[45] 12
UK Albums (OCC)[46] 20
US Billboard 200[47] 12
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[48] 4

Year-end charts

Chart (2014) Position
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[49] 47

Release history

Region Date Format Edition Label Ref.
Australia September 5, 2014
  • Standard
  • deluxe
 Harvest [50][51][52][53]
Germany Universal [54][55][56][57]
LP Standard [58]
France September 8, 2014
  • CD
  • LP
 Capitol [59][60]
Digital download
  • Standard
  • deluxe
 [61][62]
United Kingdom
  • CD
  • digital download
 Virgin EMI [63][64][65][66]
LP Standard [67]
United States September 9, 2014
  • CD
  • LP
 Harvest [68][69]
Digital download
  • Standard
  • deluxe
 [30][70]
CD Deluxe (Target exclusive) [71]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Raymer, Miles (September 3, 2014). "Goddess Review". Entertainment Weekly. Time. Retrieved September 7, 2014.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Daly, Rhian (September 7, 2014). "Banks – 'Goddess'". NME. IPC Media. Retrieved September 9, 2014.
  3. ↑ Faubel, Alex (September 10, 2014). "The Drop: Four Albums You Should Listen to Now". 303 Magazine. Retrieved September 11, 2014.
  4. ↑ Rachel, T. Cole (February 4, 2014). "Q&A: BANKS On Her Burgeoning Success, Debut Album, And Giving Her Phone Number Out To The Entire World". Stereogum. Retrieved May 26, 2014.
  5. ↑ Keeble, Edward (April 29, 2014). "Banks streams new track 'Goddess', announces album". Gigwise. Retrieved May 26, 2014.
  6. ↑ "Brain: Banks: MP3 Downloads". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved September 7, 2014.
  7. ↑ Ayers, Mike (April 29, 2014). "Banks Shares Woozy New Single "Goddess" From Debut Album". Fuse. Retrieved May 26, 2014.
  8. ↑ "Goddess (Explicit) by Banks". 7digital (US). Retrieved September 7, 2014.
  9. ↑ "Drowning: Banks: MP3 Downloads". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved September 7, 2014.
  10. ↑ "Beggin For Thread: Banks: MP3 Downloads". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved September 7, 2014.
  11. ↑ "Change – Single by Banks". iTunes Store (GB). Apple. Retrieved October 5, 2014.
  12. ↑ "Alibi – Single by Banks". iTunes Store (GB). Apple. Retrieved October 2, 2014.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Conte, Richard (May 20, 2014). "BANKS Drops New Track Titled 'Drowning'". Design & Trend. Retrieved May 26, 2014.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 "Reviews for Goddess by Banks". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
  15. ↑ Phares, Heather. "Goddess – Banks". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved September 11, 2014.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Martin, Felicity (August 28, 2014). "Banks – Goddess". Clash. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 Hunt, El (September 4, 2014). "Banks – Goddess". DIY. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Mokoena, Tshepo (September 4, 2014). "Banks: Goddess review – an accomplished debut". The Guardian. Retrieved September 7, 2014.
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 Empire, Kitty (September 7, 2014). "Goddess review – Banks is slow-burning, fidgety and attractively troubled". The Observer. Retrieved September 8, 2014.
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 "Banks: Goddess". Pitchfork Media. September 9, 2014. Retrieved September 9, 2014.
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 Hermes, Will (September 9, 2014). "BANKS's New Album: Goddess". Rolling Stone. Wenner Media. Retrieved September 9, 2014.
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 Cinquemani, Sal (August 28, 2014). "Banks: Goddess". Slant Magazine. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
  23. ↑ "The 25 Best Albums of 2014". Slant Magazine. December 11, 2014. Retrieved December 22, 2014.
  24. ↑ "20 Best R&B Albums of 2014". Rolling Stone. Wenner Media. December 15, 2014. Retrieved December 22, 2014.
  25. ↑ "The best albums of 2014". The Guardian. November 26, 2014. Retrieved December 22, 2014.
  26. ↑ "The Best Albums of 2014". PopMatters. December 8, 2014. Retrieved December 22, 2014.
  27. ↑ Goodman, Jessica; Kristobak, Ryan (December 15, 2014). "The 23 Best Albums Of 2014". The Huffington Post. Retrieved December 15, 2014.
  28. ↑ Kaufman, Gil (September 9, 2014). "Lecrae Makes History With First #1 Album". MTV News. Viacom. Retrieved September 18, 2014.
  29. ↑ Jones, Alan (September 15, 2014). "Official Charts Analysis: Sam Smith retains No.1 album slot in busiest week of the year". Music Week. Intent Media. Retrieved September 15, 2014. (subscription required)
  30. ↑ 30.0 30.1 "Goddess (Deluxe Version) by Banks". iTunes Store (US). Apple. Retrieved May 26, 2014.
  31. ↑ Goddess (deluxe edition liner notes). Banks. Harvest Records. 2014. 0602537871575.
  32. ↑ "Banks – Goddess". Australiancharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved September 15, 2014.
  33. ↑ "Banks – Goddess" (in German). Austriancharts.at. Hung Medien. Retrieved September 17, 2014.
  34. ↑ "Banks – Goddess" (in Dutch). Ultratop.be. Hung Medien. Retrieved September 22, 2014.
  35. ↑ "Banks – Goddess" (in French). Ultratop.be. Hung Medien. Retrieved September 22, 2014.
  36. ↑ "Banks – Chart history: Canadian Albums". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved September 18, 2014.
  37. ↑ "Banks – Goddess". Danishcharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved September 20, 2014.
  38. ↑ "Banks – Goddess" (in Dutch). Dutchcharts.nl. Hung Medien. Retrieved September 12, 2014.
  39. ↑ "Banks – Goddess". Lescharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved September 24, 2014.
  40. ↑ "Banks – Goddess". Officialcharts.de. GfK Entertainment. Retrieved September 15, 2014.
  41. ↑ "GFK Chart-Track Albums: Week 37, 2014". Chart-Track. IRMA. Retrieved September 12, 2014.
  42. ↑ "Banks – Goddess". Charts.org.nz. Hung Medien. Retrieved September 15, 2014.
  43. ↑ "Oficjalna lista sprzedaży :: OLIS - Official Retail Sales Chart". OLiS. Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved September 24, 2014.
  44. ↑ "2014-09-20 Top 40 Scottish Albums Archive". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 14, 2014.
  45. ↑ "Banks – Goddess". Swisscharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved September 17, 2014.
  46. ↑ "2014-09-20 Top 40 UK Albums Archive". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 14, 2014.
  47. ↑ "Banks – Chart history: Billboard 200". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved September 18, 2014.
  48. ↑ "Banks – Chart history: Independent Albums". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved September 18, 2014.
  49. ↑ "Independent Albums: Year End 2014". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved December 15, 2014.
  50. ↑ "Goddess". JB Hi-Fi. Retrieved August 28, 2014.
  51. ↑ "Goddess (Deluxe Edition)". JB Hi-Fi. Retrieved August 28, 2014.
  52. ↑ "Goddess (Explicit) by Banks". zdigital (AU). Retrieved November 25, 2014.
  53. ↑ "Goddess (Deluxe [Explicit]) by Banks". zdigital (AU). Retrieved November 25, 2014.
  54. ↑ "Goddess" (in German). Amazon.de. Retrieved August 28, 2014.
  55. ↑ "Goddess (Deluxe Edition)" (in German). Amazon.de. Retrieved August 28, 2014.
  56. ↑ "Goddess [Explicit]: Banks: MP3-Downloads" (in German). Amazon.de. Retrieved August 28, 2014.
  57. ↑ "Goddess (Deluxe): Banks: MP3-Downloads" (in German). Amazon.de. Retrieved August 28, 2014.
  58. ↑ "Goddess (Limited Edition) [Vinyl LP]" (in German). Amazon.de. Retrieved August 28, 2014.
  59. ↑ "Goddess – Banks – CD album" (in French). Fnac. Retrieved August 28, 2014.
  60. ↑ "Goddess – Banks – Vinyl album" (in French). Fnac. Retrieved August 28, 2014.
  61. ↑ "Goddess [Explicit]: Banks: Téléchargements MP3" (in French). Amazon.fr. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
  62. ↑ "Goddess (Deluxe): Banks: Téléchargements MP3" (in French). Amazon.fr. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
  63. ↑ "Goddess by BANKS". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved August 28, 2014.
  64. ↑ "Goddess (Deluxe Edition) by BANKS". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved August 28, 2014.
  65. ↑ "Goddess [Explicit]: Banks: MP3 Downloads". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved August 28, 2014.
  66. ↑ "Goddess (Deluxe) [Explicit]: Banks: MP3 Downloads". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved August 28, 2014.
  67. ↑ "Goddess [VINYL]". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved August 28, 2014.
  68. ↑ "Banks: Goddess (Audio CD)". Amazon.com. Retrieved August 28, 2014.
  69. ↑ "Banks: Goddess (Vinyl)". Amazon.com. Retrieved August 28, 2014.
  70. ↑ "Goddess by Banks". iTunes Store (US). Apple. Retrieved August 28, 2014.
  71. ↑ "Goddess". Target. Retrieved December 12, 2014.