Azealia Banks LIVE

Ever since the first notes of ‘212’ dropped on YouTube; since the first obscene verses were spun; since topping NME’s ‘Cool List’ in 2011, Azealia Banks has truly rocketed to the top of the ‘New Artists of 2012’ list. Banks, previously Miss Bank$, has been hailed as this generation’s Missy Elliot, with her sharp tongue and natural, for want of a better word, “swagger”. Anyone who has heard 30 seconds of _212_ will testify, she’s something fresh and ridiculously cool. This year has seen the release of her _1991_ EP and _Fantasea_ mixtape and, given that her album _Broke with Expensive Taste_ won’t be out until next year, this short and sweet headline tour had fairly little material to go on.

Having said that, her 50-minute set couldn’t have been more jam-packed with expletives, incredible beats or fierceness. Rolling onto stage in a bikini top embellished with Swarovski crystals and LED flashing lights, Banks commenced a set full of songs that already sounded like hits, even though only two have been officially released as singles. With a multitude of flashing lights and just two backing dancers, Banks ran her way through ‘F*** Up The Fun’, ‘Luxury’ and ‘Jumanji’, amongst other memorable offerings from _Fantasea_.

After changing into a ‘Fantasea’ embellished crop top and leather shorts, the self-styled mermaid swayed her waist-long green hair to her favourite song, 1991, about her youth in Harlem. However the most memorable trio of the night came as ‘Liquorice’, ‘Esta Noche’ and ‘212’ followed each other in quick succession. ‘Esta Noche’, produced by moombahton master Munchi, had the crowd of already hardcore fans jumping, before attempting to rap along to ‘212’, a seemingly impossible task.

The energy Banks brought to the gig, bounding around the stage and showing off her infectious grin, just highlighted what a great new artist she is, already the face of T by Alexander Wang and making waves by covering Dazed magazine whilst seductively holding an ice lolly. Her sharp, witty and often funny lyrics are also adequately easy to be sung along to, albeit limited to choruses and the occasional bridge. The video for ‘Liquorice’ is risqué, American to the core and utterly brilliant, but what more do you expect from a Banks-Rankin collaboration. And all this from a girl but a month older than me. Now that’s depressing.