BLACK GIRL DEBUT MAGIC™ - WINNER

Which album will be crowned the best?

  • Total voters
    79
  • Poll closed .
Sprockrooster

Sprockrooster

Mr.Arroz said:
An alternate version of the song, which removes her mother’s intro and includes a longer, instrumental ending, was included in episode two of Insecure’s second season (“Hella Questions”) which originally aired on HBO on July 30th, 2017 as the show’s main character, Isaa, ponders the state of a relationship with her ex-partner. This version was later made available on digital streaming and download platforms, as well as vinyl and CD. You can hear it here.
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Ooh. How did I miss this? Thanks for the heads up! That outro is so lush.
 
AshleyKerwin

AshleyKerwin

ohnostalgia said:
For once I got zero tags! I’m pretty sure @Mr.Arroz was torturing me at one point by always putting me within the first five high scores.
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Me reporting you to Tinashe for only giving Cold Sweat a 9:
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Mr.Arroz

Mr.Arroz

Staff member
he/him/his
HI, ERRBODY.






























#18




































































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Heavy Metal and Reflective


8.859



Highest score: 11 x 1 (@BML)



10 x 14 (@Sprockrooster, @constantino, @paperboyfriendd, @Jwentz, @digitalkaiser, @Bangers&Bops, @Remorque, @soratami, @happiestgirl, @Heaven on Earth, @AshleyKerwin, @1991, @He)

Lowest scores: 6.5 x 1 (@Vitamin)
6 x 1 (@ThisIsRogue, @2014)
My score: 10



Track background: Broke with Expensive Taste’s second single, “Heavy Metal and Reflective was released on July 28th, 2014 (around the same time that Azealia left her label, Interscope). It was produced by Lil Internet, who co-wrote the track with Kevin James & Azealia, and who had previously produced the album’s first single, “Yung Rapunxel”. Popjustice first heard it here, when it leaked.

Azealia describes more the song’s origin as part of her album track-by-track commentary here:




The video for “Heavy Metal and Reflective” premiered on August 5th, 2014, and was directed by Rob Soucy and Nick Ace. It was described as many here and at MTV, as a metaphor for Azealia escaping the industry troubles she faced as an artist at Interscope. You can check PJ reaction to the video here.


My thoughts: Like many commenting back in 2014, this to me felt like such a quick re-introduction, albeit an incredibly a strong one, from someone held basically captive by their label for so long. To have new music from Azealia, and then to have her make such a bold statement of her artistry and her need to exist (not to dissimilar in ways to some of the themes present in Dawn’s music)? I was hooked. Plus it’s so short and sweet that you can come back a few times in a row to get your life again. I still looooove this, just as I did back then:


Mr.Arroz said:
Re: Azealia Banks - Broke with Expensive Taste (2014)


This is pretty fucking good.
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Your thoughts:
@Sprockrooster (10) - This explosion of sounds is lush.

@TRAVVV (8.5) - This tracks makes me feel invincible. Find me in the borough if you thorough… if only every emcee had AZ’s vocabulary.

@paperboyfriendd (10) - She really did that didn't she.

@Jwentz (10) -
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@Bangers&Bops (10) - Future as fuck, and no wonder, Lil Internet worked the production on this one. Basics will call this one "clunky" or "weird" as if that's an insult. That's the point.

@KingBruno (7) - Is this supposed to be taken seriously?

@Mr.Arroz sidebar:
Yes, bicth.

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@He (10) - Accelerating, intense, dark and just so cool. I love the flourishes in the production and the samples, they just literally stampede you. Just an ace all over.

@ohnostalgia (9) - Trapped in an industrial park, suffocated by heavy musical machinery and never ending syncopation, a voice taunts: “that’s the loveliest thing I’ve ever heard.” Is this how the world ends?

@constantino (10) - She really is on another level, isn’t she? This dropped when I was having tea with my aunties and I had to excuse myself from the table, lock myself in a room upstairs and get my fucking life for a bit.

@Solenciennes (8.5) - Love the stuttering beat and menacing delivery.

@Trouble in Paradise (7) - For the longest time, I really didn't get this song but I finally had a moment where her more rap oriented songs clicked for me. This one is probably my favorite of those. The beat is incredible and her attitude throughout is on point.



Music video/live performances:







Oh, and you low voters…






















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Jwentz

Jwentz

Girl I was so shook at that tag.

My 11 lives another day, but damn I would have loved to see this stand next to Soda in the top 5.
 
Mr.Arroz

Mr.Arroz

Staff member
he/him/his
Sprockrooster said:
I am losing all the highs from Azealia! Stop it!!
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I got u.

















































#17














































































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Chasing Time


8.872



Highest score: 10 x 16 (@Petty Mayonnaise, @constantino, @2014, @soratami, @Solenciennes, @inevitable, @R92, @beyoncésweave, @K94, @ohnostalgia, @Kuhleezi, @happiestgirl, @Posh Spears, @AshleyKerwin, @1991, @He)
Lowest scores: 5.5 x 1 (@ufint)
4 x 1 (@kermit_the_frog)
My score: 9.5



Track background: Azealia wrote “Chasing Time” alongside Oakwud, Steve Mostyn, Flippa, New Work, Andrew "Pop" Wansel, & Kelly Sheehan, with the first three co-producing the track as well:


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It's Broke with Expensive Taste’s third official single, was premiered on her BWET Preview tour on September 15th, 2014, along with “Wallace”, and later released to digital music platforms a week later, on September 22nd, 2014. We got a whiff of it the same day here, on PJ. Its music video later premiered on November 13th, 2014, (about a week after the album), on MTV, and was directed by Marc Klasfeld. You can see production details here.

Azealia mentions during “16 Days of Azealia” that after turning in the album for the umpteenth time, her label reported back that she had no radio-friendly material/singles. So she got back in the studio to create, and from these 11th-hour sessions, “Chasing Time” was born.

This is further mentioned in Pitchfork interview published November 10th, 2014:

Pitchfork: When did you realize it might not be working out with Interscope?

AB: After I [self-]released the Fantasea mixtape [in 2012], and saw all this Internet success. I went on tour with a mixtape! With costumes! And it was being completely ignored by the label. They were almost trying to pretend that what I was doing wasn't happening. It was confusing. And you know, I was young and having a real good time bugging out. Around that time, I was like, "OK, they don't really get this." And then once I started turning in Broke With Expensive Tastetracks, I was like, "Oh, they really don't get this."

I don't know what the source of the conflict was because, to my understanding, I thought it was cool with everyone. I would always send them my songs and feel as if they liked me, even if they didn't get it. But it got to a point where they were like, "Azealia, we get it, you’re cool, but we've spent $2 million on this record, can you just give us one [hit]?” So then I did "Chasing Time", and I was just like, “You know, this isn't gonna work out.” It was like that awkward point in a relationship where you're forcing yourself to have sex because you're like, "We live here, we're sleeping in bed, it’s awkward if we don’t.”
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[source]


My thoughts: BOP! my first impressions of this back in the day came from @RJF stanning his experience at the live show where this was premiered, as well as the Vine clips that popped up shortly after:

Mr.Arroz said:
Re: Azealia Banks - Broke with Expensive Taste (2014)


Such a good song.
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Mr.Arroz said:
Re: Azealia Banks - Broke with Expensive Taste (2014)


Just purchased. Feels weird but nice.
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I was so thirsty and in need of new Azealia at the time that anything would have sufficed, but “Chasing Time”, in all of radio-chasing glory, was literally all I could’ve wished for then. So 90’s, so dance-y, and with a video that later brought everything that a visual could’ve used from her. I was so pleased as a stan, and still stan it just as much today. It performed so fucking well here, but a certain BWET beating it is fucking basura.



Your thoughts:
@TRAVVV (8) - I think this track perfectly balances her rapping and singing skills. It’s also the most accessible track on the album… with a gorg video!

@Bangers&Bops (7) - Ddd this just screamgeneric pop song.

@Kuhleezi (10) - Other than the song, that incredible video deserves some praise too!

@Posh Spears (10) - I really don't think I'm being extra when I call this song a masterpiece. Truly every part of this is brilliant and perfectly executed. I wish I had another 11!

@He (10) - A perfect pop single and the label did not care for it? The went with ATM Jam!!! White men decisions, no doubt. The video is gorgeous too. This track has talent pouring out of it, and some nice vulnerability to it; what better way to vent her career frustrations? “Cause I’m born to dance in the moonlight, I feel like spending my nights alone”…

@ohnostalgia (10) - Drowning in layers upon layers of luxe synths is as good a way to go as any, right? Asking for a friend.

@constantino (10) - I forgot how much this fucking knocks. I love how whenever I begin to put my stan card into question...she ups the anti and drops one of the best things she’s ever done. The hooks on this beast of a track are just on another level.

@Solenciennes (10) - I think this is the only track that sounds like a radio-made hit on the album. I love it and think it manages to be a nice representation of the rest of the album’s bonkers production while managing to stand alone as an obvious single release. I’m gutted for her it didn’t launch her career properly.

@Trouble in Paradise (9) - I love this song and never got why it wasn't as huge as "212." Her rapping and singing are perfectly balanced. The chorus is huge in the best way possible.


And some Cambodia bonus track kiis:
RJF said:
Re: Azealia Banks - Broke with Expensive Taste (2014)


Chasing Time is THEEEE ONE. 90S dance brilliance
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ericcccc said:
Re: Azealia Banks - Broke with Expensive Taste (2014)


God, what a banger. And there are like 3 choruses in it. This is house-pop done amazingly well.
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Synthline said:
Re: Azealia Banks - Broke with Expensive Taste (2014)


I am CRYING. Chasing Time is spectacular.
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BML said:
Re: Azealia Banks - Broke with Expensive Taste (2014)


Just bought both edits of 'Chasing Time'. Just in case.


JAM!
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Music video/live performances:





The studio acapella:




Plus all dese l@@q’s too tbh

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I'll begrudgingly do a mini round-up tomorrow.


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Y'all stay blessed (or whatever) now!​
 
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