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"YUNG RAPUNXEL PT. II" is the third mixtape by Azealia Banks. She originally planned on releasing it ten days after its reveal, which made May 17, 2019, its original release date. It was pushed back to August first, and then to September, it was ultimately released on September 12 to her SoundCloud page as a free download.
Background[]
Azealia Banks tweeted on May 3, 2019 showing off a new track called "الجهادي (JIHADI)" in the studio. The next day, she made a series of tweets against the entertainment industry, noting there was a "campaign" to overthrow the race that she had a hard time getting. Within this series of tweets Banks mentioned Kim Petras's label (hinting at the possible collapse of that collaboration), announced a desire to work with Poppy, and confirmed that she had broken up with her boyfriend. Later she shared the tracklist of her new musical project.[1][2][3][4][5]
On August 15, 2019, Azealia announced the premiere date for September 11 next to a show in Shenzhen, China.[6]
Originally, Azealia had considered featuring artists such as Yung Baby Tate, Grimes, Poppy, Kim Petras, Abra, and Slayyyter on the album but all of these collaborations were scrapped.
The mixtape was first released as a free download in Banks's SoundCloud page, but it was noted that the album was still unmastered.
Re-release[]
The day of the mixtape's release, Banks confirmed that the album would be released, properly mixed and mastered, "the next Friday", which would make September 20 the official release date for the mixtape. It is expected to feature three extra tracks. She had planned for official release on October 30, 2019, but this fell through because mixing & mastering she'd paid for did not happen. Most recently Banks announced that she plans to release YUNG RAPUNXEL PT II "shortly after B&P".
Music and composition[]
After Banks broke up with her boyfriend, she left E1, fought for the rights of the songs of Fantasea II: The Second Wave, recapitulated with respect to all the traps that the industry put her and the things that she could have done in her moment, she reawakened the alter-ego of Yung Rapunxel.
Azealia explaining the creative and productive start:
"YRPT2 is exactly what the fuck I’ve been suffering For. I really just unlocked a level here . UUUUUUFGGGHH . Yessssssss"[7]
Banks talking about the purpose of the mixtape:
"Y’all don’t even understand that I’m troubled as fuck and the only thing you can do is cheer me on as I descend the tiers of hell. I really have to spend my life going down down down down because there’s something down there I have to kill."[8]
Azealia talking about Yung Rapunxel's goal:
"I really be fighting these demons in real time through music and with the evil words I put into the world. Yung Rapunxel is really the only one brave enough to spy on hell and troll the devil."[9]
Azealia explaining the concept of the mixtape:
"#YUNGRAPUNXELII is set in SHENZEN CN, year 3030. The year 3030 will see China officially reach global dominance through major advances in biotech setting the scene for a world where humans have accepted the various devices (mechanical lungs, artificial uteruses, neural implants) as normal and necessary parts of life. In designing this A.I. motorcycle for our favorite dick-ripping demon-whore it was important to create an Image that accurately represented my vision of the future. A future where the man and the machine are symbiotic. I chose The Clear/transparent body to remove the motorcycles status as a masculine death machine , and give it a look of amphibian vulnerability (loook up glass frogs) . It’s motor and hardware show through the transparent form as organs being protected/housed in an animal body. This here to emphasize the importance of technology in the story (and future) and to spotlight the extremely close (sometimes delusional) relationships humans have with machines. We choose the machine and setting as an homage to our favorite art-o.g. Aaliyah’s “More Than A Woman,” Video."[10]
Short film[]
Azealia planned to make a short film at the end of 2019 produced and directed by Matt Sukkar, but after canceling several of the re-publication dates of the mixtape, it is unknown if one day that short film will be released or if it even came to be recorded.
Track listing[]
Azealia released the album as a continuous 30-minute song. However, it was previously revealed that 11 tracks were part of the mixtape. Because the album has no interruptions between the songs, it is considered that the project is a single track. The songs are listed below. The timing written after the title indicates the minute in which the song begins.[11]
| Standard Edition | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Title | Length | ||
| 1. | "BACK FROM HELL" | 00:00 | ||
| 2. | "EVIL LIKE ME" | 01:53 | ||
| 3. | "DEXEDRINE" | 04:52 | ||
| 4. | "RAPUNXEL'S INFERNO" | 07:14 | ||
| 5. | "NEW VICTIM" | 08:53 | ||
| 6. | "SAINT KEITH" | 11:12 | ||
| 7. | "CENTELLA (MY HONEYMOON)" | 11:52 | ||
| 8. | "الجهادي (JIHADI)" | 16:41 | ||
| 9. | "QUEEN OF THE DAMNED" | 19:14 | ||
| 10. | "BONE COLLECTOR" | 24:19 | ||
| 11. | "96’ COROLLA (MOTORMAN)" | 28:52 | ||
Gallery[]
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To view this page's image gallery, click here. |
References[]
- ↑ https://twitter.com/MSAZEALIABANKS/status/1124318686225899520
- ↑ https://twitter.com/MSAZEALIABANKS/status/1124706137033494529
- ↑ https://twitter.com/MSAZEALIABANKS/status/1124752268803203072
- ↑ https://twitter.com/MSAZEALIABANKS/status/1124701946126815232
- ↑ https://twitter.com/MSAZEALIABANKS/status/1124454805399752706
- ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/B1LwnyKAnxv/
- ↑ https://twitter.com/MSAZEALIABANKS/status/1124698997325684736
- ↑ https://twitter.com/MSAZEALIABANKS/status/1124698998424477696
- ↑ https://twitter.com/MSAZEALIABANKS/status/1124699755643195392
- ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/B2U9ZWWARWY/
- ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/B2VT6U0A3XN/