Overthinking is out, and joy is in. Gold-certified singer-songwriter BANKS plays a push-pull game with her inner voice in her new album, Off With Her Head. This 5th studio album contains 12 tracks that revitalize aspects of her previous projects while moving towards the future. Lil Silva, SOHN, Tim Anderson, and other past collaborators reunited with BANKS in the studio, each bringing unique sounds to her new album’s story. Together, they sonically embody envy, love, grief, and self-mastery.
Bookending the album are “Guillotine” and “Off With Her Head.” Though the track titles seem to convey the same message, the tone of each could not differ more. The former asserts dominance over her inner voice, while the latter apologizes to it. This dichotomy aptly encapsulates a love-hate relationship with one’s intuition. Each track in between explores the fine balance between listening and relinquishing control.
“Guillotine” opens the album like a declaration of battle, asking, “Whose side are you on?”. SOHN’s ambient electronic production builds sweet suspense, releasing into a commanding brassy solo. First up on the chopping block? The ex-girlfriend.
“I Hate Your Ex-Girlfriend (feat. Doechii)” grounds itself in a deep, funky beat, dipping into house territory. This track was released as the lead single of Off With Her Head, sparking intrigue as the style and collaboration veer away from BANKS’s typical musical approach. Doechii’s shouting interjections and sharp-witted verse represent an exaggerated, petty, yet relatable character: “Put a toe tag on her like a french tip / Wrap a bow around your coffin like it’s Christmas.”
Continuing the bitter streak is “Love Is Unkind.” BANKS looks back at an emotionally turbulent relationship where neither party made their intentions clear enough. The spacious, layered vocal production highlights her naturally raspy tone, contrasting the base of warm, resonant bass synths. Despite the title, this track comes off less averse to love than the previous and more so unveils the masochistic tendencies people can take on when toying with love.
The next song, “Delulu,” also comments on these tendencies, but in a humorous, idealistic way. She stubbornly tries to manifest a nonchalant lover into returning the obsession she calls “fate.” The soundscape lightens up with thin, airy “ooh”s as BANKS justifies her romantic folly:
Therapist called me desperate / Said I was wasting all my youth on somebody that’s not invested / I said he’s eclectic
“Move (feat. Yseult)” then peaks in happiness and daceability. It is one of many tracks on the album BANKS had a hand in producing, pulling its original framework from a 10+ year old vault of songs started with writer/producer Lil Silva. The multilingual melody itself communicates euphoria over a bright lounge beat. Each element represents a celebration-worthy love where giving into each other is the natural flow of the relationship. “Direction,” a later track, reiterates this theme through a soulful, falsetto-driven arrangement.
“Stay” and “Best Friends” seem to be a two-parter self-exposé section. “Stay” is laden with guilt and loneliness, grappling with the difficulties of having no one else to blame but oneself. The organic instrumentals, comprised of piano and a subdued foundation of strings, complete the image of emotional vulnerability. “Best Friends” expands on “Stay”’s contemplation but focuses on the miscommunications and complexity of ending friendships. Read our full review of the track here.
It would not be a BANKS album without a gospel-inspired anthem. “Meddle In The Mold” is exactly that, but it takes it in a unique, alternative direction. A rich choir backs the powerful main vocals, made most evident in BANKS’s live performance of the track for COLORS. Here, she writes a direct letter to someone dirty and deceitful, flipping the script and reviving the dominant attitude of the album’s first 3 tracks. Of all songs thus far, and based purely on energy, this is the one crowds are going to scream on tour.
Next is “Make It Up (feat. Sampha).” This call-and-response style duet is another track that resurrected from the vault, with the chorus lyrics already written. In the continued writing process, BANKS and Sampha realized how suited the words were to their relationship:
Makin’ up for lost time / Makin’ up for me / We didn’t quite make it last time / This time, you and me
The instrumental goes full electro R&B with chopped, echoing vocals, glossy pads, and syncopated percussion. It is like the higher resolution of “Stay” and “Best Friends,” pulling from their regretful concerns but transforming them into hope for reconciliation.
“River” stands out as the most empowering track on Off With Her Head. She repeats the mantra, “You are the river,” over a sensual, luxurious lounge beat. Rivers bring life, flowing gorgeously as they please, just like the woman she is singing to. According to BANKS, she wrote to someone who is not yet aware of her power and charm, like a predictive whisperer from the ether:
They’re gonna know you’re a winner / They’re gonna take you to dinner / They’re gonna wanna be in you
Finally, the title track, “Off With Her Head,” closes the album. As mentioned, BANKS apologizes to her inner voice, bidding it goodbye. After a lengthy and dynamic journey of release, she no longer fights the inevitable: her turn in the guillotine. While this “asshole in [her] head” once served a purpose, it does not anymore, as she has awakened a new level of self-realization. Let the blade fall.
Off With Her Head is a pristine example of a project that directly evolved from the soul. BANKS’s artistic journey from Goddess, to The Altar, to III, to Serpentina, to now subtly reveals itself through production and melody choices. She has stayed true to her vision while displaying a passion for growth and transcendence. Although Off With Her Head covers both cheerful and dark topics, it is her most high-spirited work to date, sure to translate well to a live audience.
If attending a BANKS show was not on the radar for 2025, it should be now. U.S. and Canadian fans will have the chance to experience Off With Her Head live this summer as she embarks on a North American tour to 14 different cities. Tickets are now available on her website.:
Join the 12+ million streams and listen to Off With Her Head now on Spotify and Apple Music.
Follow BANKS on social media to keep up with tour updates and future releases: Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | TikTok | X