But even speaking to Banks directly is unlikely to get as personal as, say, a song titled “You Should Know Where I’m Coming From”. She famously gave out her phone number to fans in the face of criticism for not using social media (she has since eased into the digital communication realm). Outside of the music, Banks has done her part to connect to her fans directly. And that seems like what she wanted all along. That has now been removed, leaving the music to stand for itself.

The mystery that once surrounded Banks wasn’t so much a marketing tool as it was a protective cloak. She has sought the advice of friends Ellie Goulding and Lily Allen on how to handle the new-found attention. She has embarked on whole tours, including an opening slot with The Weeknd and an appearance at Coachella, to ensure that she was ready to exist on all levels of pop stardom upon her album’s release. She waited nearly a decade to release any of the music in order to hone her craft. We know that Banks began songwriting in high school as a way to cope with her parents’ divorce. Likewise, the songwriter has been doing more press, lifting a veil on herself in a way that’s nothing short of an M. Appropriately, Goddess leaves little to the imagination, with the Los Angeles native taking a confessional tone throughout the album. In fact, the idea of mystery as a marketing tool seems to have faded away as quickly as it became en vogue, with even Aphex Twin giving interviews these days. Listening to Banks’ debut LP, Goddess, now, at the time of its release, it’s easy to forget the mystery that surrounded her emergence into the music world.

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