It's been two years since Azealia Banks put out 212, her hit debut EP. At the time, she seemed poised to launch into hip-hop stardom, but album delays and spats with her label, Interscope, nearly derailed her career. Throughout the tumult, Banks reassured her fans that she wasn't out of the game. She told Out.com last month that the dearth of new material was all by design: She wanted her label to "think that [she was] dead" and promised to put out fresh stuff once she was off its roster.
The label dropped her last month and Banks has kept her promise, releasing "Heavy Metal And Reflective," her first track since leaving her label. She tweeted, "oy!! "HEAVY METAL AND REFLECTIVE" LEAKED! It's okay because y'all need that new new anyway! Go find it and start shaking ya ass!!!" Driven by Banks's rapid-fire vocals and bouncy, first-generation Playstation-esque synths, the track is a welcome return to music that's left us wanting more.
Check it out below.
"Heavy Metal And Reflective" is out now.
I watched the Kid Rock Turning Point USA halftime show so you don't have to
Opinion: "I have no problem with lip syncing, but you'd think the side that hates drag queens so much would have a little more shame about it," writes Ryan Adamczeski.