My ears have been bubbling today with selections from "Best Music of the Year" lists like I'm taking a long bath in hydrogen peroxide. But more than one list curator has selected Harlem-based Azealia Banks the best artist of 2012, purely on the basis on this one track, released in September, called "212".
Before you click play, make sure you've got your adult ears on. Her lyrics are definitely NSFW. (Unless you work at Kotaku, where we put it on the fourth floor mix.) Banks sings about sex with no compunction whatever, which combined with her self-aware flow and seraphic smile makes for one ridiculously appealing track.
Banks has a few more tracks on YouTube (including an Interpol cover, because yes, she sings, too), but according to a recent interview, she's over in the UK working on a proper full-length debut. Girl's only twenty years old (and seemingly very aware of where she's going, too). I cannot wait to see what next year holds from Banks—even if it's just eight more versions of "212".
Azealia Banks home page [AzealiaBanks.com]