The last time Azealia Banks was notable, Iggy Azalea had yet to blow up and confuse us all about the spelling of Azealia. Her previous album, a mixtape called Fantasea, was released in 2012, marking her last collaboration with Universal Music Group before things turned sour and she started begging to be dropped from the label via Twitter. Fork off
The age old tale of master vs. slave applies very much to the record label/musician relationship (see: Prince). Banks’ contempt for the label stymied her ability to release two feature length albums, Fantasea II: The Second Wave and Broke With Expensive Taste, though singles from both have been released independently. Banks’ latest single, “Chasing Time,” signals her final break from the oppression of Universal Music Group, with a positive message about her newfound autonomy. Owning it
Her lyrics are fairly transparent with regard to referencing her sentiments toward her formal label as she asserts, “Since we can’t get along, I think we should both move on” and “I’m through giving, I’ve got to go.” These statements elucidate her unflappable confidence in spite of not having a major label to release her material, which is owned entirely by her. Channeling elements of Crystal Waters and her own single, “1991,” the latest offering is yet another energetic addition to Banks’ canon.
Her genuine belief in her own talents is expressed with “‘Cause I’m born to dance in the moonlight/I feel like spending my nights alone.” In many ways a song of female empowerment, Banks’ declaration, “Am I chasing time? ‘Cause I’ve wasted all mine on you” could just as easily be applied to any relationship break-up. The universal (no pun intended) theme of putting effort into something only to have it backfire is exemplified by: “Had the future in my pocket, but I lost it when I gave it to you.” However, it looks as though Banks is about to take back that future in a big way.
