Jillian Banks, a.k.a. BANKS, is on to something. She's nestled herself into a genre that's not pop, not R&B, and not completely electronic. Like The Weeknd, her sound is stripped down, industrial, and packed to the brim with brooding, cut-throat lyrics.
"Brain," her first single of 2014, follows 2013's "Waiting Game" and reads like an artist statement. The video that goes with it, released today, continues BANKS' love affair with black-and-white and has her honing her smoldering-temptress-meets-Angelina-Jolie steely glare. The track's narrative, a point-blank callout to a boy who just doesn't know himself, comes alive with each body roll and camera mug BANKS does. Pops of color accent the finale's explosive climax. It's pure catharsis that solidifies this artist as one to bank on this year.