Words by Lucy Young
Azealia Banks’ music and controversy have certainly had a cultural impact, and we’re seizing the opportunity to explore her discography and some tracks you might be sleeping on.
Whether it’s being one of top rising artists of the past decade or hexing Lana Del Rey’s house, Azealia is an example of an independent, rebellious artist that has an interesting relationship with today’s music industry. Having signed with Interscope for the release of hit single ‘212’ and with Prospect Park for the release of her first album Broke with Expensive Taste, she’s constantly reminding listeners that “this is the music industry and not the music friends”. With that said, let’s take a look at the discography.
1. ‘1991’, from 1991 EP
This track dropped whilst Banks was having a major moment, releasing at a time when she was working with some of the industry’s biggest hitters. She had features on projects with Paul Epworth – who has collaborated with Adele, Kate Nash and the Scissor Sisters – but remains uncredited. At the height of its success, ‘1991’ charted at number 79 on the UK singles chart, precursing the contemporary hyperpop wave by a solid country mile.
2. ‘212’ from Broke with Expensive Taste
This was the record that put Azealia on the rap and hip-hop map, as well as the mainstream one; the latter was through no means of her own, but instead via a YouTube video that made waves online for months – Giovanni Plowman’s ‘Tampon’ Video. Despite the poor press, this song is now considered a universal hit. Whether you’re in the gym breaking a sweat, or at the club with your girls – everyone knows the words, and everyone is gonna werk.
3. ‘Liquorice’ from 1991 EP
Grounded in synthesisers, this track embodies early 2010s online culture; so much so, that its first release was on Tumblr. Listening to the lyrics, you could tell she was having fun through the use of Harlem wordplay whilst also experimenting with contentious erotic lyricism. This set the standard for what listeners were tuning in for: sex and taboo.
4. ‘Count Contessa’
This single was originally recorded in 2013, finding a home on SoundCloud around that time too. In 2019, Azealia returned to the studio with Lone to rehash and release ‘Count Contessa’, a track that is thematically aligned with ‘Treasure Island’ and her unreleased album, Fantasea II. Before her Twitter account was suspended, she promoted the track as “a song about a woman with a man’s physical strength. Like, literally, Count Contessa was a Dyke who won the fist fight with Muscle Mike.” That said: any mention of queer discourse from Azealia leaves a sour taste in my mouth (given her track record). Why can’t a femme beat a man?
5. ‘Anna Wintour’
Her vocals on this track are the best we’ve ever heard from her, and the song very quickly became a club hit upon its release in 2018. While it’s an easy listen, there are a couple of issues that stand out for me. With reference to ‘vogue’ and ‘catwalks’, I would have expected an explicit ode to dancehall, however we find a reference to the eponymous Vogue Editor-in-Chief instead. Whilst I see it as a missed opportunity, Azealia justifies this choice because she sees Wintour as “a strong, powerful and larger than life soul in a petite, tidy and feminine body.” No further comments!
Azealia has had a tumultuous recording career so far, and we’ve been watching every new release and PR storm develop and unfold. In honour of this journey, we’ve also included a few notable mentions.
The recording artist jumps through a time warp of different themes, ranging between inspo from the British grime scene (as seen in ‘Mamma Mia’), to some awkwardly Grimes-inspired mixing.
Honourable Mentions
‘Tarantula’ / ‘Wings of a Butterfly’
Her 2021 double-side single release of ‘Tarantula’ / ‘Wings of a Butterfly’ is a tense and emotionally-charged offering. ‘Wings of a Butterfly’ is made with the celebration of trans liberation in mind – it’s a techno club mix, intertwined with pop lyricism. Banks has previously littered social media with anti-trans rhetoric and commentary, and I’m not personally buying into her hopes of a redemption arc. Tarantula was composed to be a response diss-track to Grimes – the last thing I hope to do here is delve into this drama, so I’ll leave you to do your own digging.
Icy Colours Change EP
Icy Colours Change is a Christmas EP that I originally thought was a contractual obligation imposed upon Banks by eOne Music Canada, but it appears to be the opposite. I’m not a fan of any of these tracks, but I do appreciate the feature of a live band.
‘Heavy Metal and Reflective’ from Broke with Expensive Taste
‘Heavy Metal and Reflective’ was the second single from her debut album, BWET. It has a great beat that I could see Cobrah or Slayyyter hopping onto (or potentially Miley during her Bangerz era). Fundamentally, it paints a picture of Azealia’s thematic interest in an array of artistic statements somehow coming together – sex and violence, sprinkled with innocence and fragility.
We’d like to stress: whilst we can respect Azealia’s artistry, it’s difficult to ignore the press that comes with it. If you’re a listener who can separate the work from the composer, then you’ve hit the jackpot with Azealia Banks.