Ever since she appeared on the music scene last year with 1991, I have really taken an interest in Azealia Banks. I am not, by any means, a fan of most rap music, but Banks has some of the coolest house beats and most bad ass lyrics I have ever heard.
"Yung Rapunxel" was announced a few months back as the lead single to Banks' upcoming album, Broke with Expensive Taste, and actually isn't supposed to be officially released until later this month, but Banks leaked the song early on Soundcloud last Monday. Before she leaked the song, she also leaked the single cover, which was enough to freak me out. I hate imagining teeth anywhere else on the body except the mouth, so having her mouth superimposed over both of her eyes kind of scares me.
Now, in terms of the actual song, "Yung Rapunxel" is right on par with "212" and "1991." Banks still has those great house-style beats and can still rattle off a great deal of rap lines. However, the song is definitely more experimental than her previous works, especially with the inclusion of some sort of screaming rage in the middle of it all. On Twitter, Banks calls "Yung Rapunxel" a 'screamo track,' which is partially true, considering portions of it actually do sound like a screamo song. I originally didn't like the screaming in the song, but after a few listens to it, those parts grew on me and I began to like it a lot more.
The only massive problem I could find with the song was that the audio mixer screwed up when trying to level Banks' voice and the instrumental. Her voice seemed buried underneath the instrumental, which I'm sure could be fixed quickly with a little audio leveling before the song's official release. Other than that, the only other problem I can see with the song is that the screaming part of it might deter people from listening to it, creating a commercial disaster. If one has already enjoyed 1991 as a whole, they will probably enjoy "Yung Rapunxel," but everybody else probably won't become hooked on the song. However, with Banks already building a solid fan base, this one highly-experimental song will not make or break her at this moment in time.
After listening to and really enjoying "Yung Rapunxel," I cannot wait to hear more from Azealia Banks, and will definitely be picking up her album, Broke With Expensive Taste, when it drops later this year.
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