1991 (EP)

1991 is the debut EP by American rapper Azealia Banks. It was first released on May 28, 2012, in the United Kingdom 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".

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

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

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

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 has re-written "Grand Prix", produced by Lone, and it will feature on her debut studio album Broke With Expensive Taste under the new title of "Miss Camaraderie".

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. "Liquorice" was released as the second single on June 14, 2012.[12]

Critical reception
Professional ratings
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 mostly positive reviews from 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.[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
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."1991"Azealia Banks, Kevin James, Travis StewartMachinedrum3:30
2."Van Vogue"Banks, StewartMachinedrum5:57
3."212" (featuring Lazy Jay)Banks, Jef MartensLazy Jay3:24
4."Liquorice"Banks, Matthew CutlerLone3:18
1991 – Vinyl edition[23]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."1991" (A1)Banks, James, StewartMachinedrum3:30
2."Liquorice" (A2)Banks, CutlerLone3:18
3."212" (featuring Lazy Jay) (B1)Banks, MartensLazy Jay3:24
4."Van Vogue" (B2)Banks, StewartMachinedrum5:57

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

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history
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
  1. Hermes, Will (May 29, 2012). "1991 EP". Rolling Stone. Retrieved June 10, 2012.
  2. Jeffries, David. "1991 – Azealia Banks". AllMusic. Retrieved June 11, 2012.
  3. "Freeload: Miss Banks, "Seventeen" + "Gimme A Chance"". The Fader. February 6, 2009.
  4. "BBC Sound of 2012 - Artist Profile > Azealia Banks". BBC. January 4, 2012.
  5. "Azealia Banks has pop at XL Recordings". The Quietus. January 5, 2012.
  6. "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. "Azealia Banks confirms '1991' EP tracklist". Digital Spy. May 15, 2012.
  9. "Azealia Banks reveals release date for '1991' EP". Rap-Up. May 15, 2012.
  10. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2013 Singles". aria.com.au. Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Retrieved May 20, 2013.
  11. "Azealia Banks to release '1991' EP". Pitchfork. March 28, 2012.
  12. "Liquorice – Single by Azealia Banks". iTunes Store UK. Apple Inc. 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. Macpherson, Alex (June 20, 2012). "Azealia Banks: 1991". Fact. Retrieved June 22, 2012.
  15. Fairfax, Jesse (June 15, 2012). "Azealia Banks - 1991 EP". HipHopDX. Retrieved September 11, 2016.
  16. Christgau, Robert (June 22, 2012). "Azealia Banks/Rye Rye". MSN Music. Microsoft. Archived from the original on June 30, 2012.
  17. Zoladz, Lindsay (June 8, 2012). "Azealia Bankz: 1991 EP". Pitchfork. Retrieved June 11, 2012.
  18. "1991 Reviews, Ratings, Credits, and More". Metacritic. Retrieved June 11, 2012.
  19. Dart, Chris (June 13, 2012). "Azealia Banks – 1991". Exclaim!. Retrieved June 22, 2012.
  20. "50 Best Albums of 2012: Azealia Banks, '1991'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 27, 2014.
  21. Wolk, Douglas (December 4, 2012). "Azealia Banks, 1991 EP". Time. Retrieved April 27, 2014.
  22. Christgau, Robert (January 14, 2013). "The Dean's List 2012". The Barnes & Noble Review. Retrieved April 10, 2015.
  23. "Azealia Banks – 1991 (Vinyl)". 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). pandora.nla.gov.au. ARIA Top 100 Singles. National Library of Australia. Retrieved September 23, 2014.
  26. "Top 100 Singles". irma.ie. Irish Recorded Music Association. May 31, 2012. Archived from the original on June 8, 2012. Retrieved July 1, 2014.
  27. "Official UK Singles Top 100". Official Charts Company. June 9, 2012. Archived from the original on June 7, 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". Australian Recording Industry Association. Archived from the original on 10 August 2020. Retrieved November 22, 2014.
  33. "1991 – EP by Azealia Banks". iTunes Store. Australia. Retrieved October 17, 2014.
  34. "1991 – EP by Azealia Banks". iTunes Store. Belgium. Retrieved October 17, 2014.
  35. "1991 – EP by Azealia Banks". iTunes Store. United States. Retrieved October 17, 2014.
  36. "1991 [EP] (Vinyl)". Amazon.ca. 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. Retrieved February 5, 2015.
  39. "1991: Azealia Banks". Amazon.com. Retrieved June 14, 2012.
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