Banks

Born Jillian Rose Banks in Orange County, California on June 16, 1988, the trip hop/R&B singer and songwriter is better-known by her stage name Banks. Her family moved to Los Angeles and then relocated to the valley during her formative years. By the age of 15, she was teaching herself piano and writing songs in order to help her deal with her parents’ divorce. She attended college at the University of Southern California (USC), and earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology. While in college, she began posting her music on SoundCloud and expanded her audience on several social media platforms. She connected with DJ Yung Skeeter, who began managing her and introduced her to UK-based label Good Years Recordings. In March 2013, she released her debut EP, Fall Over, which garnered a lot of interest in the British press. In September of that year, she issued her second EP, London. The release was a critical success, which led to the highly-anticipated release of her 2014 debut album Goddess. The album became a Top 20 hit in many countries including the U.S., England, Australia, Canada, Germany, New Zealand, and Switzerland. “Beggin’ for Thread”, the album’s most popular single, was eventually certified platinum. Her second album, The Altar, was released in 2016 and shot into the Top 40 in many countries. She released her third album, III, in July 2019. The critically-acclaimed album featured the singles “Contaminated” and “Look What You’re Doing to Me” (featuring Francis and the Lights). Following the release of III, Banks returned in 2021 with "The Devil," her first single as an independent artist. The track, co-produced by Al Shux and Jeff "Gitty" Gitelman, set the tone for her fourth studio album Serpentina, which arrived in April 2022. The album saw her embracing a newfound creative freedom, blending dark, atmospheric production with themes of transformation and resilience. In 2024, Banks celebrated the tenth anniversary of Goddess with a series of intimate shows in London, Los Angeles, and New York City, revisiting the venues where her debut era began. She also released Goddess: Unplugged, featuring stripped-down versions of 10 tracks from the original album. Shortly after, she kicked off the rollout for her fifth studio album Off with Her Head, led by the fiery collaboration "I Hate Your Ex-Girlfriend" featuring Doechii. The album, released on February 28, 2025, continued her evolution, showcasing her signature blend of raw emotion and bold production across singles like "Best Friends" and "Love Is Unkind."