Kota Banks

Jessica Mimi Porfiri (born 13 October 1994), who performs as Kota Banks, is an Australian pop singer-songwriter and musician.[1] She signed to Nina Las Vegas's label, NLV Records, in May 2017, which released Banks' ten-track extended play, Prize (styled as PRIZE), as a mix tape in mid-2018.[2][3] Banks has co-written songs for fellow Australian artists.[4] She supported What So Not on his national tour.[5] By November 2017, her music had accumulated over 20 million plays on Spotify.[1]

Kota Banks
Birth nameJessica Mimi Porfiri
Born (1994-10-13) 13 October 1994
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
OriginItaly
GenresPop
Occupation(s)
  • Singer-songwriter
  • musician
InstrumentsVocals
Years active2005–present
Labels
Associated actsNina Las Vegas

Early life

Kota Banks was born in 1994 in Sydney, Australia, as Jessica Mimi Porfiri,[6] in Sydney. She spent her late childhood and teens in Florence, a formative time that shaped her identity and connection to her heritage. Banks has been singing since the age of 9.[7] She returned to Sydney.

Personal life

Banks is a Christian.[8] She prays every time she writes music.[8] In an article with The Daily Telegraph, she said:

"I just feel like it [praying] gives me more depth to my songwriting and opens my mind."[8]

Career

Banks' debut single, "N.F.F.A.", was issued in 2016 and was co-written by Banks with Lee Chew (or Toby Chew-Lee) and Cameron Nacson.[9] It was produced by the duo as MOZA.[10] Troy Mutton of Pile Rats described how she, "dabbles in some seriously fun electronic-pop", and described her single as a "bold track both production-wise and lyrically, catchy as and slotting right alongside artists such as Nicole Millar, Jess Kent and Danish artist MØ."[10]

Her second single, "Holiday", appeared in 2017, which was co-written with Danny Omerhodic,[11] who produced the track for NLV Records, as Swick.[12] "Empty Streets" featuring MOZA, was her next single in that year, which was also co-written with Chew and Nacson.[9][13][14][15] For the Junior Eurovision Song Contest of 2017, Banks, Chew and Nacson, with Chloe Papandrea, co-wrote Australia's entry, "Speak Up".[16] It was performed by Isabella Clarke in Tiblisi, where Clarke finished third.[17]

For the FOMO Festival in Adelaide, Banks joined Nina Las Vegas (a.k.a. Nina Agzarian) on-stage to perform "Holiday" in January 2018.[18] The pair co-wrote "Alibrandi" with Omerhodic, which Las Vegas performs using Banks on vocals.[19] In March her single, "Zoom", was premiered on Triple J's Good Nights and subsequently received high rotation on the national youth radio station.[20] Triple J's Al Newstead declared, "this [track] has grown on us hard. It's a fun, flirty mix of dancehall and pop elevated by the fanciful production."[21]

Banks released her debut extended play, Prize (styled as PRIZE), in mid-2018, as a ten-track mix tape.[22][23] It was produced by Omerhodic, who shared the song writing with Banks on most of its tracks.[20][22] AltMedia's Jamie Apps rated it at three-and-a-half stars and explained, "[she] is not just a one hit wonder though as throughout the remainder of the record Banks carries the momentum forward as she celebrate feminine strength and empowerment."[24] Following the release of PRIZE, Banks announced her debut national headline tour, selling out her hometown show.

From July 2019, Banks began releasing her music under Sony Music Entertainment Australia.[25]

Discography

Mixtapes
List of mixtapes, with release date and label shown
Title Details Notes
Prize[upper-alpha 1]
No.TitleLength
1."Prize"2:50
2."Child"3:26
3."I'm It"2:31
4."Fiorentina"3:18
5."Toy"3:00
6."Insomnia"3:49
7."U Changed"3:31
8."New Friends"3:33
9."Backstage"3:10
10."Dangerous"3:35
Total length:32:33

Extended plays
List of EPs, with release date and label shown
Title Details
Sweet and the Spice

As lead artist
List of singles as lead artist, with year released and album shown
Title Year Album
"N.F.F.A" 2016 Non-album singles
"Holiday" 2017
"Empty Streets"
(featuring MOZA)
"Zoom"[28] 2018
"Fiorentina"
(featuring Capo Lee)[29]		 Prize
"Child"
"I'm It"[30]
"20 Missed Calls" 2019 Non-album singles
"Big Bucks"
"Feel Again"[31]
"Italiana"
(standard or acoustic version)[32]		 2020
"Snip Snip"
(prod. by Swick)[33]		 Sweet and the Spice
"Let U Leave"[34]
"Never Sleep"[27]
"Yes"[35]
List of singles as featured artist, with year released and album shown
Title Year Album
"Don't Look Down"
(Pez featuring Kota Banks)[36]		 2016 Don't Look Down
"Decisions"
(Swick featuring Kota Banks)[37]		 2018 Non-album single

Notes

  1. Prize is stylized in all caps.[26]

Music videos
List of music videos, with year released and director shown
Title Year Director
"Zoom"[38] 2018 Ella Carey

References
  1. Lefevre, Jules (3 November 2017). "Kota Banks Is One of Australia's Best New Pop Acts". Junkee. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
  2. O'Neill, Holly (June 2018). Emma Jones, Martin Novosel (ed.). "Sur-PRIZE! Wrap your ears around Kota Bank's future facing pop mixtape". Purple Sneakers. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
  3. "Kota Banks". Mushroom Music Publishing. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
  4. Jones, Emma (July 2018). "Interview Kota Banks". Purple Sneakers. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
  5. "Exclusive: Kota Banks Signs to New World Artists". theMusic.com.au. 13 June 2018. Archived from the original on 14 June 2018. Retrieved 13 June 2018.
  6. "Repertoire Search: Songwriter/Composer: Porfiri". Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI). Retrieved 8 August 2018.
  7. "Kota Banks". triple j Unearthed. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
  8. Hermo, Dominique (16 November 2018). "Aussie singer Kota Banks is your soundtrack to summer". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
  9. "'NFFA' at APRA search engine". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Retrieved 8 August 2018. Note: For additional work user may have to select 'Search again' and then 'Enter a title:' &/or 'Performer:'
  10. Mutton, Troy. "Premiere: Meet Kota Banks and her fresh new tropical banger, 'N.F.F.A'". Pile Rats. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
  11. "'Holiday' at APRA search engine". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Retrieved 8 August 2018. Note: For additional work user may have to select 'Search again' and then 'Enter a title:' &/or 'Performer:'
  12. Emma Jones, Martin Novosel (ed.). "Kota Banks signs to NLV Records with monster pop tune 'Holiday'". Pile Rats. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
  13. "Kota Banks". BigSound. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
  14. "'Zoom' into New Kota Banks Video". auspOp. 19 March 2018. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
  15. "Kota Banks – New Songs, Playlists & Latest News". BBC. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
  16. "'Speak Up' at APRA search engine". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Retrieved 8 August 2018. Note: For additional work user may have to select 'Search again' and then 'Enter a title:' &/or 'Performer:'
  17. "Isabella Clarke 'Speak Up'". Junior Eurovision Song Contest. 2017. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
  18. Nguyen, Jenny (9 January 2018). "FOMO Adelaide Review". theMusic.com.au. Archived from the original on 10 January 2018. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
  19. "'Alibrandi' at APRA search engine". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Retrieved 8 August 2018. Note: For additional work user may have to select 'Search again' and then 'Enter a title:' &/or 'Performer:'
  20. "Kota Banks releases surprise debut mixtape 'PRIZE'". Amnplify. 29 June 2018. Retrieved 9 August 2018.
  21. Newstead, Al (14 May 2018). "Best New Music: Peking Duk, Phantastic Ferniture, Didirri, Channel Tres". Triple J. Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). Retrieved 9 August 2018.
  22. Davies, Hayden. "Kota Banks Details Her Show-Stopping Debut Mixtape, Prize". Pile Rats. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
  23. "Kota Banks". J Play. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
  24. Apps, Jamie (28 June 2018). "Kota Banks – Prize". Altmedia. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
  25. "Kota Banks releases new single 'Let U Leave'". Sony Music Australia. 5 June 2020. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  26. "PRIZE by Kota Banks on Apple Music". Apple Music AU. 29 June 2018. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
  27. Bruce, Jasper (17 July 2020). "Kota Banks announces forthcoming EP, shares single 'Never Sleep'". NME. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  28. Davies, Hayden (16 March 2018). "Kota Banks drops another brilliant pop gem in 'Zoom'". Pile Rats. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
  29. Smith, Joseph (8 June 2018). "Kota Banks flexes her Italian heritage on new track 'Fiorentina'". Stoney Roads. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
  30. "Kota Banks – I'm It (Official Video)". 3 September 2018. Retrieved 30 March 2020 – via YouTube.
  31. "Kota Banks drops new track and video 'Feel Again'". Sony Music Australia. 29 November 2019. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
  32. "Kota Banks releases new track and video for 'Italiana'". Sony Music Australia. 13 March 2020. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
  33. Langford, Jackson (15 May 2020). "Kota Banks releases new single 'Snip Snip' with Swick". NME. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
  34. Bruce, Jasper (12 June 2020). "Kota Banks shares new single 'Let U Leave'". NME. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
  35. Bruce, Jasper (31 July 2020). "Kota Banks drops EP, shares latest single 'Yes'". NME. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
  36. "Don't Look Down (Radio Edit) [feat. Kota Banks] – Single by Pez on Apple Music". Apple Music MEX. 7 April 2017. Retrieved 22 June 2020.
  37. Antoine (7 September 2018). "Swick teams with Kota Banks for spicy club-pop number 'Decisions'". Stoney Roads. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
  38. Tonkin, Sarah (21 March 2018). "Kota Banks shares exciting single and video for 'Zoom'". Stoney Roads. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
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