Released: 2016
“Gemini Feed” by BANKS is an evocative track dripping with raw emotion, as it deftly explores themes of emotional manipulation in relationships, self-love, and personal growth. As the title suggests, it hinges on the complexity of the Gemini, the zodiac sign known for its dual nature, to portray a tumultuous relationship where one person’s passive-aggressiveness and controlling behavior stifles the singer’s growth.
Starting off, BANKS sings about her futile attempts to express love for the other person, only to be met with indifference or dismissal. The phrase “you’re passive-aggressive” echoes throughout the song, highlighting an individual who uses subtle and indirect means to express hostility and manipulate others to harbor self-doubt. This makes BANKS feel undervalued and dismissed, like her affection and openness have fallen on deaf ears.
The line, “Like I’d follow you around like a dog that needs water,” is a poignant metaphor for emotional dependency. She is saying that he expected her to be like a helpless, devoted pet seeking the essential sustenance of water (love and validation) from him. The recurring phrase “And to think you would get me to the altar” underscores the commitment and subservience he expected from her.
The phrase “you wanted me smaller” is crucial here. It emphasizes an element of control, implying that the other person wanted her to shrink herself, her ambitions, and her personality to fit into the box they had built for her. But BANKS flips the narrative by admitting, “If you would’ve let me grow you could’ve kept my love”. It’s an empowering statement that emphasizes the importance of growth and self-love in a relationship.
Furthermore, her line “Ode to my two thighs. I still want you to kiss ’em ’cause they’re lonely,” is a bold embrace of body positivity, and a call for self-love and acceptance against adverse situations. It’s a way of asserting that no one should feel they have to change their physical appearance to accommodate someone else’s standards or desires.
The repeated phrase “we were gemini feed” is open to interpretation – it could reference the dual nature of the relationship, both nourishing and destructive, or hint at the dual personalities within the Gemini sign. Either way, BANKS effectively communicates the complexities, contradictions, and inherent struggles within the relationship in question.
In essence, “Gemini Feed” is both a lament of a damaged relationship and an anthem of self-growth. BANKS uses poignant metaphors and personal introspections to describe a toxic relationship and the journey towards self-love and empowerment against the backdrop of emotional manipulation.
