Banks returns after a three-year hiatus with her third album, “III.”
Banks’ third album perfectly encompasses what she’s known for, her breathy-raspy whispering and sighs, ghostly melodies and her heavily auto-tuned ballads.
Banks can be considered to be part of “alternative R&B” genre, and comparable to the likes of Billie Eilish and Lana Del Ray, although not exact, they all have that same grungy and moody element to their music.
Every moody song in “III” expresses her story of self-love, growth, and the power within femininity. Every song is experimental but they come together beautifully as an album to tell the story of her growth as a more self-loving woman.
The opening track,“Till Now” speaks of heartbreak and being caught up in a loveless relationship. Slowly, track by track, it progresses to Banks realizing she’s more deserving. In “Gimme,” she demands for more and progressively she realizes that she belongs to herself in the last track, “What About Love.”
Banks’ album is a roller coaster of emotions and those emotions are further pushed by the various twists and turns her tracks take. “Hawaiian Mazes” and “Stroke” feature an airy funk-bass that help alleviate some of the “moodiness” of the album. Similarly, “Alaska” and “Propaganda” feature a more 80’s pop-feel.
“III” offers a glimpse into the kaleidoscopic of pain, self-love, and growth. Banks is unafraid to leave all emotions on the table nor is she afraid of experimenting with her sound. “III” is Banks’s most cohesive album to date because she’s no longer restricting herself to exploring one feeling at a time.
Track List:
- Till Now
- Gimme
- Contaminated
- Stroke
- Godless
- Sawzall
- Look What You’re Doing to Me
- Hawaiian Mazes
- Alaska
- Propaganda
- The Fall
- If We Were Made of Water
- What About Love
