Liquorice (song)

Azealia Banks Writer(s) Azealia Banks Lone Producer(s) Lone Released June 14, 2012 Recorded 2011 Length 03:16 From Single(s) "212" "Liquorice" Singles chronology "212" "Liquorice" "L8R" 1991 track listing "212" N/A

"Liquorice" is a song performed by Azealia Banks. It serves as the first track on Azealia's debut EP, 1991. It was released as a second single on December 4, 2012.

Background

The song was released onto Banks' Tumblr account on December 18, 2011, and was later released for digital download on December 4, 2012. Built around Lone's song "Pineapple Crush", "Liquorice" is an acid house track that incorporates synthesizers in its composition. Lyrically, the song contains wordplay from Harlem, Banks' origin, and is inspired by interracial dating. A music video for the single was directed by Rankin and was released in June 2012.

"Liquorice" received mostly positive reviews from music critics, who praised the use of "Pineapple Crush" on the song and deemed it catchy. The single charted at number 73 on the Flemish Ultratip of Belgium in July 2012. In support of the song and 1991, Banks included "Liquorice" on the set list for her Mermaid Ball tour and performed the song at BBC's Radio 1's Hackney Weekend in 2012 and the 2013 Glastonbury Festival.

Music and composition

"Liquorice" was described as an acid house track by Dart Chris from Exclaim! magazine. The song is built around "Pineapple Crush", a house song produced by British electronic musician Lone, who also produced "Liquorice". The track features synthesizers in its instrumentation.^[3] Michael Cragg from The Guardian described Banks' vocals on the track as "playfully aggressive, featherlight and brilliantly smutty." According to Banks, the song was partly inspired by American producer Diplo.

Lyrically, "Liquorice" contains "Harlem-street-slang-derived wordplay", which comes from Banks' origin, Harlem (for example: "skrilla" means "money", and "ye" stands for "cocaine"). The song is also inspired by interracial dating; Banks explained: "I date lots of white guys. It's still seen as slightly taboo in African American culture, but I thought, 'Let me put this in your face and tell it how it is.'"

Release and reception

Banks posted "Liquorice" onto her Tumblr on December 18, 2011 It was released as a digital download single on December 4, 2012. The single debuted at number 73 on the Flemish Ultratip chart of Belgium on July 7, 2012.

Dan Weiss from Boston Phoenix named "Liquorice" a "genuinely 1991-sounding" song, while Sarah Murphy from Exclaim! deemed it "undeniably catchy."

Larry Fitzmaurice of Pitchfork Media named "Liquorice" the "Best New Track" following its release; he praised the use of "Pineapple Crush" on the song, commenting: "Lone's bright tones and winding sense of melody meshes well with Banks' light, airy vocals, while Azealia spits quick over 'Pineapple Crush''s breakbeat rhythmic pattern without losing a handle on the beat, unleashing clever rhymes [...] without breaking a sweat." In a mixed review, Alex Macpherson from Fact wrote that Banks "feels slightly overwhelmed by its broad synth brushstrokes."

Lyrics

[Verse 1]
Look, n*ggas really wanna beat they chest for B-A-N-K-S
These n*ggas be gorillas for the pin-k flesh
These n*ggas be vanilla, the chips be legitimate
They just want the pumpernickel sis in the linens with 'em
So since you vanilla men spend
Can my hot fudge bitches get with your vanilla friends?
Hey, I’m the liquorice bitch
You know I’m looking for these n*ggas if these n*ggas is rich
I make hits, motherfucker
Do you jiggle your dick when your bitch pop singing on the liquorice hit, ya know

[Hook]
Can I catch your eye, sir
Can I be what you like, yeah
I could be the right girl
Tell me if you like your lady in my-my color
Can I be your type, yeah
I could be the right girl
Tell me if you like your lady in my-my color
Can I be your type, yeah
I could set you right, whoa
How are you tonight, sir
I'm living my life, oh
Hope you feel alright, yeah

[Verse 2]
Hey, I’m the Liquorice bitch
You know I’m looking for these n*ggas if these n*ggas is rich
You got creme for your colors and a blue eye too
Hi, I wanna get the number to your 212 line
Maybe we could slumber, we could woo-woo-woo-wine
I don’t do yay, but if you want to, fine
Your fantasy could get that pitch black
Cause it’s gon’ erupt if ya slip in betwixt that black snatch
Ya like blizzak or black-cat, ema-nem-manating
Where ya mizzat-mustache at
Huh, I bet ya been extra gassed
Bet you really wanna touch up on the molasses ass
Bet you really wanna tongue up on her kizzat today
Cause her kizzat sh-shaved
You wanna cuddle with ya bitch after, eh
But I gotta dip I gotta get at the cake
Lotta scrillac to make, and the dick don’t fuck up any scrillac for Banks
No issues picking money over ha-ha, ya beige in her
She just wanna see the best in Greece with some gentlemen and check these beats in the sun
He just wanna see the wet-wet weave when I’m swimming in the West Indies
Then I sit up and catch these breeze
Sip a little bit of Rum & Ting, n*gga

[Verse 3]
These bitches know that I be on that black girl shit
That black girl pin-up with that black girl dip
Put that black girl spin up on ya whack girl tip
Ain’t official till it been up in that black girl kit
Pick out ya mans and attack real quick, I’ma hit him with that venom and that rap girl hip
I slip out the denims, know that black girl fit, get that Remy in a did and hit that black girl switch
Bitches better tan for the summer, and for the haters
Quit that chit chat and get ya paper
Quote the cinnamon
The cherry-melange bitch verbatim
When I speak about your face in the clam with the flavors
You get that?
And stimulate her
Take a lick up on my genital, then sit to savor
Do ya man’s and his licorice interest a favor

[Hook]
Can I catch your eye, sir
Can I be what you like, yeah
I could be the right girl
Tell me if you like your lady in my-my color
Can I be your type, yeah
I could be the right girl
Tell me if you like your lady in my-my color
Can I be your type, yeah
I could set you right, whoa
How are you tonight, sir
I'm living my life, oh
Hope you feel alright, yeah

Music video

The music video for "Liquorice" was released on June 14, 2012. The video was directed by Rankin and styled by Nicola Formichetti. The visual sees Banks as a cowgirl riding through the desert on horseback. Becky Bain from Idolator wrote: "Azealia sports bull horns, wields a baseball bat, seductively licks a Popsicle and takes a mouthful of a hot dog." Robin Murray from Clash deemed the video for the song as "lavish." As of 2022, the music video for “Liquorice” has now since been deleted from Azealia’s official YouTube channel for an unknown reason.

Music video	Information
	Released	August 8, 2012
	Length	03:47
	Director	John Rankin Waddell
	Producer
	Filmed	April/June, 2012
	Location
	Vevo views

Gallery

Azealia Banks - Liquorice (Explicit)

HUNGER TV AZEALIA BANKS 'LIQUORICE' - BEHIND THE SCENES

Azealia Banks Behind The Scenes On Her "Liquorice" Video

Azealia Banks - Liquorice (Alternative Version)

Official versions

• "Liquorice" (EP version) – 03:16
• "Liquorice" (Demo) – 03:01
• "Liquorice" (Music video) – 03:47
•  "Liquorice (Alternate music video)" – 02:33

Charts

Chart (2012)	Peak position
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)	73

Release history

Region	Date	Format
United Kingdom	December 4,2012	Digital download

Credits

Personnel

• Mixing — Nick Conceller & Ric McRae
• Engineered by — Nick Conceller
• Sampled In — Marie Laveau by Danny Alexander (Pop)