The BANKS revival is finally upon us, and it’s the underground, sexy voyage into darkness straight out of our dreams (and nightmares). The notoriously mysterious songstress returns with “The Devil,” a spellbinding project marking her first release since 2019’s album III. It’s the track from hell — quite literally equipped with frightening screams and eerie chimes woven seamlessly into the song’s instrumentals. But do we really expect anything else? After all, BANKS is music’s princess of darkness, and she’s returned to claim her rightful place as queen.
If anything, “The Devil” is the singer’s strongest lead single to date, to which she can thank her raw sense of authenticity and musical Midas Touch. The track is an amalgamation of pain following a traumatic year of isolation and heartbreak for the artist; she described the song’s release in a press release as a “rebirth and transformation into the forces of nature we were born to be.” But in spite of the hardship, BANKS is exactly where she needs to be as she transcends into a refreshing, cathartic chapter. Her first drop as an independent artist, “The Devil” is a true testament to the power of newfound liberation and solidarity.
BANKS is bringing us the beauty behind her madness, and it’s the sweet revenge we’ve lusted for since her debut with 2014’s love-hungry Goddess. While categorically dark in nature, she’s finally offering a vigor and confidence that feels like a reprieve from the heartache she’s known in years past. Like a perfect crime, the track delivers the signature softness of BANKS’s voice against some of her darkest beats to date. It’s tragically beautiful, chaotic, and bewitching all the same. The singer may be dancing with the devil, but she’s shining brighter than ever.
But what’s a track paying homage to purgatory if not accompanied by a horror-inspired visual? Delivering the ultimate haunting experience, the release of “The Devil” comes alongside a sinister music video complete with fire-born rituals and blood-curdling pleas for mercy — from boys, of course. She joins a coven of fellow blood-thirsty witches through a story of vengeance as we watch BANKS step into her rightful position as the supreme ‘Goddess’ we’ve come to love.
Being queen of the underworld and alt-pop is all in a day’s work for BANKS. “The Devil” is the perfect follow-up to her album triad, and it’s her eminent pride and excitement for what’s to come that gives the track a dangerously addictive quality. If gluttony is a sin, guilty as charged! After this taste of her new era, we’re starving for the full meal to come.
Step into the dark side. “The Devil” is out now on all platforms.