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1991 (Azealia Banks EP)

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1991
EP by
Azealia Banks
ReleasedMay 28, 2012 (2012-05-28)
Recorded2011–2012
Genre
Length16:06
LabelInterscope, Polydor
Producer
Azealia Banks chronology
1991
(2012) 		Fantasea
(2012)
Singles from 1991
  1. "212"
    Released: December 6, 2011
  2. "Liquorice"
    Released: June 14, 2012

1991 is the debut EP by American rapper Azealia Banks. It was first released on May 28, 2012, in the United Kingdom through Polydor Records and a day later in the United States by Interscope Records. Its lead single, "212", preceded its release on December 6, 2011. Its second single, "Liquorice", was released on December 4, 2012. Banks also released music videos for every song, including the non-singles "1991" and "Van Vogue".

The EP was not eligible for the UK Albums Chart, but the title track charted at number seventy-nine on the UK Singles Chart. It also reached 133 on the US Billboard 200 on the issue dated June 16, 2012, and number twelve on the Rap Albums chart, number seventeen on the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, and number one on the Heatseekers Albums chart. On release, 1991 received positive reviews from music critics.

Background

[edit]

Under the name Miss Bank$, she released her first recording "Gimme a Chance" on the Internet in February 2009.[3] The recording was accompanied by "Seventeen", a track produced by the American DJ Diplo which sampled the Ladytron song "Seventeen".[3] Later that year, Banks signed to the XL Records label and began working with the producer Richard Russell. She left the label later that year due to conflicting ideas.[4][5]

After leaving XL Recordings, Banks dropped the Miss Bank$ name and became Azealia Banks, which preceded a move to Montreal. Using YouTube as a portal, Banks uploaded several demo tracks, including "L8R" and a cover of "Slow Hands" by Interpol. In September 2011, Banks released her first single "212" as a free digital download from her website; it was released officially on December 6, 2011, as the lead single from one of Banks' future releases.[6]

Release and promotion

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Originally scheduled for release on April 17, 2012, 1991 was delayed following the musician's change of management on April 13.[7] The EP's artwork and track listing was published online on May 15, with confirmation that 1991 would be released first on May 28 in the United Kingdom.[8] The project was to be released digitally on May 29 and physically on June 12 in the United States, she announced on Twitter.[9] In 2013, 1991 was certified gold by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), having shipped 35,000 units in Australia.[10]

The original track listing had three tracks: the single "212", "1991" and "Grand Prix".[11] Following the delay, it was extended to a four-track EP, with the tracks "Liquorice" and "Van Vogue" in place of "Grand Prix".[8] Banks confirmed on Twitter that she had re-written "Grand Prix", produced by Lone, and it would feature on her debut studio album Broke with Expensive Taste under the new title of "Miss Camaraderie".[citation needed]

The EP's lead single, "212", was first released in the United Kingdom on December 6, 2011.[6] The track, which samples and credits "Float My Boat" by Lazy Jay, had some chart success in Europe, reaching number seven on the Irish Singles Chart and number twelve on the UK Singles Chart.[citation needed] "Liquorice" was released as the second single on June 14, 2012.[12] To promote the 1991 EP, she performed at Hackney Weekend 2012 and did the Mermaid Ball Tour. At Glastonbury 2013, she performed songs from the EP, her mixtape Fantasea and closed out the festival by performing the lead single "Yung Rapunxel" from her then upcoming album Broke with Expensive Taste.

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic84/100[18]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
The Boston Phoenix[13]
Fact3.5/5[14]
HipHopDX3.5/5[15]
MSN Music (Expert Witness)A[16]
Pitchfork7.7/10[17]
Rolling Stone[1]

1991 received widespread acclaim from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, it received an average score of 84, based on nine reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[18] AllMusic editor David Jeffries was amazed by Banks' lyricism and called the EP a "short house-rap blast".[2] He said Banks "acts as if she had been raised at a classic N.Y.C. loft party, one where you kept dancing and dissing", and found the production "nostalgic ... as if this EP fell through the cracks of the Paradise Garage's sweaty disco floorboards and then evolved in some alternative and fierce universe".[2] Chris Dart of Exclaim! was also impressed by her quick rapping and argued that she "manages a feat that takes most rappers the better part of a career to master: the perfect marriage of bangin', club-friendly beats and smart, crisply delivered lyrics."[19] In his consumer guide for MSN Music, Robert Christgau called "212" the highlight of an EP whose music is minimalist yet skillfully crafted: "quick-tongued, lascivious, catchy, and delighted with itself ... there hasn't been a more pleasurable record all year and probably won't be—not even by her."[16]

In a less enthusiastic review for Rolling Stone, Will Hermes said the four tracks on 1991 "spin hip-hop backwards and forwards", although he felt it was too short.[1] Alex Macpherson of Fact felt the EP is somewhat inconsistent, but he compared Banks favorably to Missy Elliott and stated, "while the quality of the music remains disproportionate to the hype, it does make her bratty rejection of the rap establishment feel that much more thrilling."[14] Pitchfork journalist Lindsay Zoladz called it "another example of Banks' versatile skills", but lamented how "the half-statement of 1991 reminds us that Banks is still an artist in her development stage."[17]

1991 was ranked by Rolling Stone at number 30 in the magazine's list of 2012's 50 best albums,[20] while Time named it the 9th best album of 2012.[21] In a year-end list for The Barnes & Noble Review, Christgau ranked 1991 as the 11th best album of 2012 and the title track as the year's 13th best single.[22]

Track listing

[edit]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."1991"
Machinedrum3:30
2."Van Vogue"
  • Banks
  • Stewart
Machinedrum5:57
3."212" (featuring Lazy Jay)
Lazy Jay3:24
4."Liquorice"
Lone3:18
1991 – Vinyl edition[23]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."1991" (A1)
  • Banks
  • James
  • Stewart
Machinedrum3:30
2."Liquorice" (A2)
  • Banks
  • Cutler
Lone3:18
3."212" (featuring Lazy Jay) (B1)
  • Banks
  • Martens
Lazy Jay3:24
4."Van Vogue" (B2)
  • Banks
  • Stewart
Machinedrum5:57

Charts

[edit]
Chart (2012–13) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[24] 63
Australia Urban (ARIA)[25] 10
Ireland (IRMA)[26] 97
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[27] 79
US Billboard 200[28] 133
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[29] 1
US Top Rap Albums (Billboard)[30] 12
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[31] 17

Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[32] Gold 35,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history

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Region Date Format Label Catalogue no. Ref.
Australia May 28, 2012 Digital download Polydor None [33]
Belgium [34]
United States [35]
Canada June 1, 2012 Vinyl Interscope [36]
Australia June 12, 2012 Polydor ISCB001700201.1 [37]
Germany
None [38]
United States CD Interscope [39]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c Hermes, Will (May 29, 2012). "1991 EP". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on June 19, 2018. Retrieved June 10, 2012.
  2. ^ a b c d Jeffries, David. "1991 – Azealia Banks". AllMusic. Archived from the original on September 3, 2015. Retrieved June 11, 2012.
  3. ^ a b "Freeload: Miss Banks, "Seventeen" + "Gimme A Chance"". The Fader. February 6, 2009. Archived from the original on April 8, 2012. Retrieved February 4, 2013.
  4. ^ "BBC Sound of 2012 - Artist Profile > Azealia Banks". BBC. January 4, 2012. Archived from the original on November 26, 2017. Retrieved February 12, 2018.
  5. ^ "Azealia Banks has pop at XL Recordings". The Quietus. January 5, 2012. Archived from the original on July 18, 2012. Retrieved January 10, 2013.
  6. ^ a b "212 (feat. Lazy Jay) – Single by Azealia Banks". iTunes Store UK. Apple Inc. Archived from the original on May 20, 2012. Retrieved June 14, 2012.
  7. ^ Ramirez, Erika (April 17, 2012). "Azealia Banks delays '1991' EP". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media.
  8. ^ a b "Azealia Banks confirms '1991' EP tracklist". Digital Spy. May 15, 2012. Archived from the original on June 5, 2013. Retrieved May 15, 2012.
  9. ^ "Azealia Banks reveals release date for '1991' EP". Rap-Up. May 15, 2012. Archived from the original on June 18, 2012. Retrieved May 15, 2012.
  10. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2013 Singles". aria.com.au. Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Archived from the original on September 14, 2020. Retrieved May 20, 2013.
  11. ^ "Azealia Banks to release '1991' EP". Pitchfork. March 28, 2012. Archived from the original on January 28, 2013. Retrieved May 15, 2012.
  12. ^ "Liquorice – Single by Azealia Banks". iTunes Store UK. Apple Inc. Archived from the original on October 25, 2013. Retrieved January 30, 2013.
  13. ^ Weiss, Dan (July 10, 2012). "1991 – CD Reviews". The Phoenix. Boston. Archived from the original on February 18, 2013. Retrieved July 11, 2012.
  14. ^ a b Macpherson, Alex (June 20, 2012). "Azealia Banks: 1991". Fact. Archived from the original on June 23, 2012. Retrieved June 22, 2012.
  15. ^ Fairfax, Jesse (June 15, 2012). "Azealia Banks - 1991 EP". HipHopDX. Archived from the original on October 9, 2016. Retrieved September 11, 2016.
  16. ^ a b Christgau, Robert (June 22, 2012). "Azealia Banks/Rye Rye". MSN Music. Microsoft. Archived from the original on June 30, 2012.
  17. ^ a b Zoladz, Lindsay (June 8, 2012). "Azealia Bankz: 1991 EP". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on June 11, 2012. Retrieved June 11, 2012.
  18. ^ a b "1991 Reviews, Ratings, Credits, and More". Metacritic. Archived from the original on December 28, 2012. Retrieved June 11, 2012.
  19. ^ Dart, Chris (June 13, 2012). "Azealia Banks – 1991". Exclaim!. Archived from the original on June 17, 2012. Retrieved June 22, 2012.
  20. ^ "50 Best Albums of 2012: Azealia Banks, '1991'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on March 1, 2014. Retrieved April 27, 2014.
  21. ^ Wolk, Douglas (December 4, 2012). "Azealia Banks, 1991 EP". Time. Archived from the original on March 1, 2014. Retrieved April 27, 2014.
  22. ^ Christgau, Robert (January 14, 2013). "The Dean's List 2012". The Barnes & Noble Review. Archived from the original on April 15, 2015. Retrieved April 10, 2015.
  23. ^ "Azealia Banks – 1991 (Vinyl)". Archived from the original on March 28, 2015. Retrieved April 2, 2015.
  24. ^ "The ARIA Report - Issue #1171" ARIA Top 100 Singles. National Library of Australia. Retrieved September 23, 2014.
  25. ^ "The ARIA Report - Issue #1205" (PDF). webarchive.nla.gov.au. ARIA Top 100 Singles. National Library of Australia. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-04-07. Retrieved September 23, 2014.
  26. ^ "Top 100 Singles". irma.ie. Irish Recorded Music Association. May 31, 2012. Archived from the original on June 14, 2012. Retrieved July 1, 2014.
  27. ^ "Official UK Singles Top 100". Official Charts Company. June 9, 2012. Archived from the original on June 27, 2012. Retrieved February 3, 2013.
  28. ^ "Azealia Banks Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved September 23, 2014.
  29. ^ "Azealia Banks Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved September 23, 2014.
  30. ^ "Azealia Banks Chart History (Top Rap Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved September 23, 2014.
  31. ^ "Azealia Banks Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved September 23, 2014.
  32. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2013 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved November 22, 2014.
  33. ^ "1991 – EP by Azealia Banks". iTunes Store. Australia. Archived from the original on December 9, 2014. Retrieved October 17, 2014.
  34. ^ "1991 – EP by Azealia Banks". iTunes Store. Belgium. Archived from the original on December 9, 2014. Retrieved October 17, 2014.
  35. ^ "1991 – EP by Azealia Banks". iTunes Store. United States. Archived from the original on November 12, 2014. Retrieved October 17, 2014.
  36. ^ "1991 [EP] (Vinyl)". Amazon.ca. Archived from the original on December 19, 2014. Retrieved February 5, 2015.
  37. ^ "Buy 1991 Azealia Banks, Urban, Vinyl". Sanity. Archived from the original on October 23, 2014. Retrieved October 17, 2014.
  38. ^ "1991 Ep [Vinyl LP]". Amazon.de. Archived from the original on February 5, 2015. Retrieved February 5, 2015.
  39. ^ "1991: Azealia Banks". Amazon.com. Retrieved June 14, 2012.
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