Banks Announces New Album & Teases Its Close Relation to Debut ‘Goddess’

In 2014, alternative-pop singer Banks made her debut with the emotive and experimental Goddess. The album scored the artist her highest charting entry on the Billboard 200 at No. 12. 

Follow-ups The Altar (2016) and III (2019) entered at Nos. 17 and 21, respectively. And while her fourth album, 2022’s Serpentina, leaned heavier into experimental R&B production, Banks promises her forthcoming album is a return to form.

“In many ways, this album serves as a big sister to Goddess,” Banks shared in a statement of Off With Her Head, out Feb. 28. “After a decade apart, I’ve reunited with the core musicians and producers who shaped my debut. Yet, it also represents something entirely new, reflecting my growth as both an artist and a person.”

“[The album is] about shedding past identities that no longer resonate,” she tells Billboard. “The title symbolizes the various ways we construct, perform, express, and sometimes hide our thoughts. There’s a tension between how we see ourselves and the roles that society imposes. Breaking free from that has been incredibly liberating, and this journey is captured throughout the album.”

To coincide with the album announcement, Banks released lead single “Best Friends,” which fittingly touches on the growing pains that often accompany growing apart. She shared in a statement that the song “is about someone who was my sister for many years, someone I still dream about and wake up missing … I think we broke each other’s hearts.” 

In October, Banks returned with the sinewy “I Hate Your Ex-Girlfriend” featuring Doechii. It will also be included on Off With Her Head. But before that album arrives, Banks has a special treat for fans. On Dec. 13, she will release Goddess Unplugged, an acoustic version of her debut album as it celebrates its 10th anniversary.