Liquorice (song)
| "Liquorice" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| SinglebyAzealia Banks | ||||
| from the EP1991 | ||||
| Released | June 14, 2012 | |||
| Recorded | 2011 | |||
| Genre | Acid house[1] | |||
| Length | 3:16 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Songwriter(s) |
| |||
| Producer(s) | Lone | |||
| Azealia Bankssingles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Liquorice"is a song by American rapperAzealia Banks,taken from her debutextended play(EP) titled1991(2012). The song was released onto Banks'Tumblraccount on December 18, 2011, and was later released fordigital downloadon December 4, 2012. Built aroundLone's song "Pineapple Crush", "Liquorice" is anacid housetrack that incorporatessynthesizersin its composition. Lyrically, the song containswordplayfromHarlem,Banks' origin, and is inspired byinterracial dating.A music video for the single was directed byRankinand was released in June 2012.
"Liquorice" received mostly positive reviews frommusic critics,who praised the use of "Pineapple Crush" on the song and deemed it catchy. The single charted at number 73 on the FlemishUltratipof Belgium in July 2012. In support of the song and1991,Banks included "Liquorice" on the set list for her Mermaid Ball tour and performed the song atBBC'sRadio 1's Hackney Weekendin 2012 and the2013 Glastonbury Festival.
Composition
[edit]
"Liquorice" was described as anacid housetrack by Dart Chris fromExclaim!magazine.[2]The song is built around "Pineapple Crush", ahousesong produced by BritishelectronicmusicianLone,who also produced "Liquorice".[3]The track featuressynthesizersin its instrumentation.[4]Michael Cragg fromThe Guardiandescribed Banks' vocals on the track as "playfully aggressive, featherlight and brilliantly smutty."[5]According to Banks, the song was partly inspired by American producerDiplo.[6]
Lyrically, "Liquorice" contains "Harlem-street-slang-derivedwordplay",which comes from Banks' origin,Harlem(for example: "skrilla" means "money", and "ye" stands for "cocaine" ). The song is also inspired byinterracial dating;Banks explained: "I date lots of white guys. It's still seen as slightly taboo in African American culture, but I thought, 'Let me put this in your face and tell it how it is.'"[7]
Release and reception
[edit]
Banks posted "Liquorice" onto herTumblron December 18, 2011.[1]It was released as adigital downloadsingle on December 4, 2012.[8]The single debuted at number 73 on the FlemishUltratipchart of Belgium on July 7, 2012.[9]
Dan Weiss fromBoston Phoenixnamed "Liquorice" a "genuinely 1991-sounding" song,[10]while Sarah Murphy fromExclaim!deemed it "undeniably catchy."[1]
Larry Fitzmaurice ofPitchfork Medianamed "Liquorice" the "Best New Track" following its release; he praised the use of "Pineapple Crush" on the song, commenting: "Lone's bright tones and winding sense of melody meshes well with Banks' light, airy vocals, while Azealia spits quick over 'Pineapple Crush''s breakbeat rhythmic pattern without losing a handle on the beat, unleashing clever rhymes [...] without breaking a sweat. "[11]In a mixed review, Alex Macpherson fromFactwrote that Banks "feels slightly overwhelmed by its broad synth brushstrokes."[4]
Music video
[edit]The music video for "Liquorice" was released on June 14, 2012.[12]The video was directed byRankinand styled byNicola Formichetti.[13]The visual sees Banks as acowgirlriding through the desert on horseback.[14]Becky Bain fromIdolatorwrote: "Azealia sports bull horns, wields a baseball bat, seductively licks a Popsicle and takes a mouthful of a hot dog."[12]Robin Murray fromClashdeemed the video for the song "lavish."[15]
Live performances
[edit]In June 2012, Banks included "Liquorice" on the set list for her first headlining concert tour, Mermaid Ball, in support of1991and Banks' mixtapeFantasea.[16]On June 24, 2012, Banks performed "Liquorice" atRadio 1's Hackney Weekend.[17]The song was also included on Banks' set list atGlastonbury Festival 2013.[18]
Track listing
[edit]- Digital download[8]
- "Liquorice" – 3:16
Charts
[edit]| Chart (2012) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling UnderFlanders)[9] | 73 |
References
[edit]- ^abcMurphy, Sarah (December 19, 2011)."Azealia Banks 'Liquorice'".Exclaim!.RetrievedFebruary 1,2015.
- ^Dart, Chris (June 13, 2012)."Azealia Banks 1991".Exclaim!.RetrievedDecember 21,2014.
- ^"Hear new Azealia Banks: 'Liquorice'".Fact.December 18, 2011.RetrievedDecember 21,2014.
- ^ab"Azealia Banks: 1991".Fact.June 20, 2012.RetrievedFebruary 1,2015.
- ^Cragg, Michael (December 19, 2011)."New music: Azealia Banks – Liquorice | Music".The Guardian.RetrievedDecember 21,2014.
- ^"Azealia Banks Can Be What You Like".Vulture.December 19, 2011.RetrievedFebruary 3,2015.
- ^Olsen, Ben (April 10, 2012)."The lyrical worker".GQ.Archived fromthe originalon February 3, 2015.RetrievedFebruary 3,2015.
- ^ab"iTunes – Music – Liquorice – Single by Azealia Banks".United Kingdom:iTunes Store.Archived fromthe originalon October 25, 2013.
- ^ab"Azealia Banks – Liquorice "(in Dutch).Ultratip.Retrieved February 1, 2015.
- ^Weiss, Dan (July 10, 2012)."Azealia Banks | 1991 – CD Reviews".Boston Phoenix.Archived fromthe originalon February 18, 2013.RetrievedDecember 21,2014.
- ^Fitzmaurice, Larry (December 19, 2011)."Azealia Banks; 'Liquorice' | Tracks".Pitchfork Media.Archived fromthe originalon October 25, 2015.RetrievedFebruary 1,2015.
- ^abBain, Becky (June 14, 2012)."Azealia Banks Is A Badass Cowgirl In Her 'Liquorice' Video".Idolator.RetrievedFebruary 3,2015.
- ^Battan, Carrie (June 14, 2012)."Video: Azealia Banks: 'Liquorice'".Pitchfork Media.RetrievedFebruary 3,2015.
- ^Corner, Lewis (June 15, 2012)."Azealia Banks becomes a cowgirl for 'Liquorice' music video – watch".Digital Spy.RetrievedFebruary 3,2015.
- ^Murray, Robin (June 15, 2012)."Watch: Azealia Banks – Liquorice".Clash.RetrievedFebruary 3,2015.
- ^Trammel, Matthew (June 4, 2012)."Azealia Banks Throws a Mermaid Ball in New York".Rolling Stone.RetrievedFebruary 1,2015.
- ^"BBC – Radio 1's Hackney Weekend 2012".BBC.RetrievedFebruary 3,2015.
- ^"BBC – Glastonbury – 2013 – Acts: Azealia Banks".BBC.RetrievedFebruary 3,2015.
External links
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