"Mind Games" is a song recorded by American singer and songwriter
Banks
A bank is a financial institution that accepts deposits from the public and creates a demand deposit while simultaneously making loans. Lending activities can be directly performed by the bank or indirectly through capital markets.
Becaus ...
for her second studio album, ''
The Altar
''The Altar'' is the second studio album by American singer and songwriter Banks, released on September 30, 2016, by Harvest Records. Banks collaborated with several producers on the album, including Tim Anderson, Sohn, and Al Shux, with whom ...
'' (2016). It was released as the album's third single on August 19, 2016. The song was written by Banks, Christopher Taylor, Tim Anderson and produced by the last two.
Background
Lyrically, the song is about singer’s love affair with manipulation, with the line "cause my addiction to these contradictions make it confusing." In the song's chorus Banks sings repetitively "Do you see me now?", matching the dysfunctional romance of the song. Gabriel Aikins from ''
Substream Magazine'' wrote about the song "is an especially gripping slow-burn. It's powerful and deep in its minimalism, and it will definitely give you chills." The singer wrote on her social networks about the song "I'm excited to share this with you. Writing it was a really important step for me in making this album. It makes me feel exposed putting it into the universe but see me now."
Critical reception
Neil Z. Yeung of
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...
wrote about the song "When she shifts the gears of pain inward, she lays herself bare with unflinching honesty and vulnerability".
Andrew Paschal from ''
PopMatters
''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, fi ...
'' said that the song "attempts to marry the competing impulses of Banks's sonic personas".
Idolator
An idolator is a practitioner of idolatry.
Idolater or Idolator may also refer to: Books
*''Os Idólatras'', 1968 Portuguese novel by Maria Judite de Carvalho Music
* Idolator (website), an American music blog
* ''Idolator'' (album), third album ...
's Stephen Sears wrote "The astonishing 'Mind Games' distills the pure essence of Banks, weaving subtle wit into her conversational lyrics:
ou're claiming I'm a handful when you show up all empty handed.This song belongs on a loop, her misery leading to catharsis as her voice, increasingly pained, wails
o you see me now?over and over."
Charts
Release history
References
External links
*
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2016 singles
2016 songs
Banks (singer) songs
Harvest Records singles
Songs written by Banks (singer)
Songs written by Tim Anderson (musician)