Crowded Places

2017 single by Banks

"Crowded Places"

Single by Banks
Released| April 7, 2017 (2017-04-7)
Length| 4:22
Label| Harvest
Songwriter(s)|

* Tim Anderson
* Jack Antonoff
* Jillian Banks

Producer(s)| Jack Antonoff
Banks singles chronology
| "To the Hilt"
(2016)  | "Crowded Places"
(2017)  | "Underdog"
(2017)

|
|

Visualizer
"Crowded Places" on YouTube

"Crowded Places" is a song recorded by American singer and songwriter Banks. It was released as a single on April 7, 2017. The song was written by Banks, Tim Anderson and Jack Antonoff, and produced by the latter.[1]

## Background and composition

[edit]

"Crowded Places" was written and released specifically for the penultimate episode of the HBO series Girls, although Banks had already released The Altar, her sophomore studio album, six months prior.[2][3] The episode was aired on April 9, 2017.[4]

The song was written by Banks, Anderson and Antonoff, and produced by the latter. The song is a ballad, which lasts for 4 minutes and 22 seconds.[1][5] William Defebaugh of V Magazine described it as "stripped down and raw".[6][7] Lyrically, "Crowded Places" talks about social anxiety and a relationship gone wrong because of this.[6] The song begins with Banks singing softly "Hey, Hey, Hey". During the chorus, she sings, "Cause I've been scared of crowded places/ Come with me, I'll take you home".[8]

## Critical reception

[edit]

Matthew Scott Donnelly of PopCrush described the song as "a quiet, moving lullaby".[4] For Laurence Day of The Line of Best Fit, the song is "darkly euphoric".[5] William Defebaugh V Magazine said that "Crowded Places" listens as of an open–hearted confessional, playing to the singer's strength in creating intimacy in sonic spaces–even more so than anything she's released prior.[6] Taylor Bryant of Nylon Magazine described "Crowded Places" as an intimate track that puts Banks' vulnerability on full display.[7]

## Credits and personnel

[edit]

Credits adapted from Tidal.[9]

* Jilian Banks – songwriting, vocals
* Tim Anderson – songwriting
* Jack Antonoff – songwriting, production, programming
* Chris Spilfogel – mixing
* Laura Sisk – engineering
* Seth Perez – engineering

## Charts

[edit]

Chart performance for "Crowded Places"  Chart (2017)  | Peak
position

|

US Alternative Digital Songs (Billboard)[10] | 12

## Release history

[edit]

Release dates and formats for "Crowded Places"  Country  | Date  | Format  | Label  | Ref.

|
|
|
|

Various  | April 7, 2017  |

* Digital download
* streaming

| Harvest | [11]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "Crowded Places – Single by Banks". iTunes Store (US). April 7, 2017. Retrieved October 9, 2017.
2. ^ Hertweck, Nate (September 5, 2017). "Banks: Writing 'Crowded Places', Coming Into Her Body". Grammy.com. Retrieved October 9, 2017.
3. ^ Howard, Lindsay (April 7, 2017). "Listen: BANKS Releases Tender New Single 'Crowded Places'". Variance. Retrieved October 11, 2017.
4. ^ a b Donnelly, Matthew Scott (April 10, 2017). "That Banks Song on Last Night's 'Girls' Episode Is Really Putting People Through It". PopCrush. Retrieved October 11, 2017.
5. ^ a b Day, Laurence (April 7, 2017). "Banks is back with powerful new pop ballad 'Crowded Places'". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved October 10, 2017.
6. ^ a b c Defebaugh, William (April 7, 2017). "'Crowded Places' Might Be BANKS's Most Beautiful Song Yet". V. Archived from the original on October 13, 2022. Retrieved October 10, 2017.
7. ^ a b Bryant, Taylor (April 7, 2017). "Listen To Banks' Beautiful New Track". Nylon. Retrieved October 10, 2017.
8. ^ McCafferty, Kelly (May 22, 2017). "BANKS Explores Love vs. Success with Aching & Poetic 'Crowded Places'". Atwood Magazine. Retrieved October 11, 2017.
9. ^ "Crowded Places / Banks TIDAL". Tidal. April 7, 2017. Retrieved October 11, 2017.
10. ^ "Banks Chart History (Alternative Digital Song Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved March 18, 2025.
11. ^ "Crowded Places - Single by Banks on Apple Music". iTunes Store (United States). April 7, 2017. Retrieved July 10, 2019.

## External links

[edit]

* Audio on YouTube

* v
* t
* e

Banks

* Discography

Studio albums|

* Goddess (2014)
* The Altar (2016)
* III (2019)
* Serpentina (2022)

Singles|

* "Drowning"
* "Beggin for Thread"
* "Better"
* "Fuck with Myself"
* "Gemini Feed"
* "Mind Games"
* "To the Hilt"
* "Crowded Places"
* "Underdog"
* "Gimme"
* "Look What You're Doing to Me"
* "Contaminated"

Other songs|

* "Waiting Game"
* "1998"
* "Trainwreck"

Concert tours|

* The Altar Tour
* The III Tour

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz release group

|

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