Review: “Look What You’re Doing to Me” — Banks & Francis and the Lights

Banks isn’t one for collaborations. Aside from a handful of tracks — most notably 6LACK’s “In Between” — the singer prefers the solitary life on her own records. For “Look What You’re Doing to Me,” the second single from the upcoming album III, she teams up with Francis and the Lights for a vocodered duet of epic proportions. Over subtle synths, hand claps, snaps, and hollow percussion that meld into an aggressive and crunchy sound, the two singers chronicle the complicated dynamics of rekindling a past relationship.

The song starts abruptly, with an affecting vocal from Banks demanding “why don’t you tell me you love me too?” As she questions her partner’s commitment to their life together, she throws herself into the battle cry of a chorus: “look what you’re doing to me/I don’t mind … your love is better than I remember” she sings before Francis enters the fray. Relegated mostly to harmonizing with Banks, it’s clear that this story is hers to tell. After a brief moment of silence — perhaps mourning the end of this one-sided relationship — the final forty-five seconds are a bombastic affair that puts everything on the line for the duo. Though one of Banks’ weakest singles, “Look What You’re Doing to Me” is an intriguing welcome into the world of III.

Rating: 4/5