Wallace (song)

"Wallace" is a song recorded by American rapper Azealia Banks for her debut studio album Broke with Expensive Taste (2014). The song was written by Banks, Kevin James, Filip Nikolic and Trevor McFedries, while production of the song was provided by the latter two. Lyrically, the track describes a man with a rottweiler head and depicts Banks killing him. Musically, the song is of both R&B and hardcore hip hop origins. In 2015, Banks released a music video for "Wallace" directed by Rob Soucy and Nick Ace. The video for "Wallace" was released via the Google Cloud Platform. Banks performed the song during the 2015 Coachella Festival and on her Broke with Expensive Taste Tour.

"Wallace"
Song by Azealia Banks
from the album Broke with Expensive Taste
Recorded2007–2014
GenreHip-hop
Length3:50
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Nikolic
  • McFedries

Background
Banks received the instrumental for "Wallace" from DJ Skeet Skeet (pictured).

"Wallace" is a hip hop song that lasts for a duration of three minute and fifty seconds, with R&B influences and a "pounding" beat.[1] Brennan Carley from Spin described the song as Banks "float[ing] between islandy R&B and rapid-fire, corner-side spitting".[1] Throughout December 2014, Banks released a series of videos in which she broke down tracks from Broke with Expensive Taste and revealed how each song came to be, dubbed '16 Days of Azealia'.[2] During the commentary video for "Wallace", Banks revealed that she first received the instrumental for the song in 2007, from DJ Skeet Skeet. According to Banks, the instrumental was unused for a period of time, until she decided that she only needed the most original material for her album, it was at this point in which she wrote the song.[3] In an interview with Complex, Banks stated that the song is about "being really hot and high and horny".[4]

In January 2012, Banks signed a record deal with Interscope and Polydor Records to work on new music, and a month later, she announced the title of the album–Broke with Expensive Taste.[5] A year later, she handed a complete version of Broke with Expensive Taste in to the labels. Banks initially thought it would receive favorable reception; however, the representatives told Banks that she had not recorded a "hit" single for the album. Ultimately, Banks ended the record deal with Interscope/Polydor in July 2014. She later approached Jeff Kwatinetz and signed a contract with his company, Prospect Park.[6] Banks premiered "Wallace" during her tour in Glasgow, Scotland, on September 16, 2014.[7] She eventually released the album on November 7, 2014.[8]

Critical reception

According to Neon Tommy's Coral Rucker, the song "gives off a unique perspective on relationships that’s rarely heard of anywhere".[9] Rory Cashin of State wrote that the song sounds like "she is rapping while throwing furniture down the stairs".[10] Hardeep Phull of the New York Post noted that the insulting nature of the song "will leave the rest of us snickering like tennagers".[11] Complex placed "Wallace" 13th on its list of 'The 14 Best Rap Verses of 2014', commenting that a lot of people have missed the "impressive first verse" from the song.[12]

Promotion
Using people’s heads as a channel changer creates a one-to-one interaction with Azealia – it’s a personal interaction like being online with her and it mimics the call and response within the song.

—Director Nick Ace describes the concept of the music video[13]

In June 2014, Banks shot a music video for "Wallace" in front of a green screen in New York.[14] It was directed by Rob Soucy and Nick Ace, who previously directed the video for Banks' 2014 single "Heavy Metal and Reflective".[15] On June 4, 2014, Banks uploaded two clips from the shooting to her Instagram account.[14] More than a year later, a 25-second teaser for "Wallace" was uploaded on Banks' YouTube channel,[16] with the full video being released on March 11, 2015, via Banks' official website.[17] The video was produced by consultancy firm Collins, who used the Google Cloud Platform during development.[18] In the interactive video we see Banks in a blank background, and as the watcher maneuvers their arms across the screen, Banks' positioning changes, and certain reactions take place, including Banks blinking, smiling, and rotating.[19] Banks talked about the collaboration with Google, stating, "I’m such a huge fan of technology and creative new ways of interacting and engaging with fans, so this collaboration was perfect for me."[13]

Birttany Spanos from the Rolling Stone called the video "trippy", commenting that it's as "inventive as her album Broke With Expensive Taste".[17] Billboard's Lars Brandle also provided a favorable review for the video, commenting "you've never seen anything quite like it".[15] According to Corban Goble of Pitchfork Media, it's not a "typical music video", because "the technology inserts your image into the video, like you're looking in a mirror".[20] Taylor Weatherby from Entertainment Weekly wrote that there's only one word to describe the video and it's "trippy".[21] In July 2015, Paper ranked the music video for "Wallace" as one of the most underrated videos from 2014.[22] Amidst controversy between Nicki Minaj and Taylor Swift, concerning the fairness of the MTV Video Music Awards, Tshepo Mokoena from The Guardian claimed that if the process was truly based on quality, Banks' video for "Wallace" would have been nominated.[23]

On April 10, 2015, Banks performed "Wallace" during her set at the Coachella Festival.[24] Rap-Up commented that the audience's "energy was consistently high" during the performance.[24] Adenike Gboyega of MOBO gave a positive review to Banks' performance, writing that Banks "flexed with some pretty impressive live vocals" during her performance.[25] The song was also part of Banks' Broke with Expensive Taste Tour (2014-15).[7]

Personnel

Credits adapted from Broke with Expensive Taste liner notes.[26]

Personnel
gollark: Oh no. Imagine if they found out my IP address, which I will happily give out to anyone who asks and which I run a website off anyway.
gollark: https://github.com/oakes/vim_cubed
gollark: I should really learn more zsh configuration stuff.
gollark: Plus I can be smugly superior to people.
gollark: Using Arch everywhere gives me a relatively consistent environment, and I like that it's rolling release and lightweight.

References
  1. Carley, Brennan (November 6, 2014). "Review: Azealia Banks Silences Haters on Debut 'Broke With Expensive Taste'". Spin. Retrieved August 10, 2015.
  2. Banks, Azealia (December 11, 2014). "Azealia Banks on Twitter". Twitter. Archived from the original on August 14, 2015. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
  3. Banks, Azealia (December 19, 2014). "BWET Track by Track: 'Wallace'". YouTube. Retrieved August 10, 2015.
  4. Nostro, Lauren (December 12, 2014). "Interview: Azealia Banks Is Still Broke With Expensive Taste". Complex. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
  5. Ahmed, Insanul (February 13, 2012). "Who Is Azealia Banks?". Complex. Retrieved December 19, 2014.
  6. Guiducci, Mark (November 19, 2014). "An Interview with Azealia Banks". Vogue. Retrieved December 19, 2014.
  7. Ongley, Hannah (September 16, 2014). "Listen: Azealia Banks Premieres New Singles 'Chasing Time' and 'Wallace' Live". Styleite. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
  8. "iTunes – Music – Broke with Expensive Taste – Album by Azealia Banks". iTunes Store (US). Retrieved March 10, 2015.
  9. Rucker, Coral (November 14, 2014). "'Broke With Expensive Taste' By Azealia Banks: Album Review". Neon Tommy. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
  10. Cashin, Rory (November 10, 2014). "Azealia Banks – Broke With Expensive Tastes". State. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
  11. Phull, Hardeep (November 7, 2014). "Was Azealia Banks' new album worth the wait?". New York Post. Retrieved August 15, 2015.
  12. Davis, Justin (December 23, 2014). "The 14 Best Rap Verses of 2014". Complex. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
  13. Robehmed, Natalie (March 20, 2015). "The Future Of Music Videos: Inside Azealia Banks' Interactive "Wallace" Shoot". Forbes. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
  14. "Azealia Banks Readies New Single 'Wallace'". Rap-Up. June 4, 2014. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
  15. Brandle, Lars (March 12, 2015). "Watch Azealia Banks' Interactive Video for 'Wallace'". Billboard. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
  16. "Video: Azealia Banks – 'Wallace' [Teaser]". Rap-Up. March 10, 2015. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
  17. Spanos, Brittany (March 11, 2015). "Control Azealia Banks in Interactive 'Wallace' Video". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
  18. "Google cloud used for Azealia Banks "Wallace" interactive music video". Business Cloud News. March 16, 2015. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
  19. Oliver, Huw (March 20, 2015). "Just a Reflektor: interactive music videos are a ruse, not a revolution". The Guardian. Archived from the original on August 14, 2015. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
  20. Goble, Corban (March 11, 2015). "Azealia Banks Goes Interactive With "Wallace" Video, Starring... You". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
  21. Weatherby, Taylor (March 11, 2015). "Azealia Banks' interactive video for 'Wallace' puts you in control". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
  22. "The 10 Most Underrated Music Videos Of The Past Year". Paper. July 21, 2015. Retrieved August 10, 2015.
  23. Mokoena, Tshepo (July 22, 2015). "Taylor Swift's response to Nicki Minaj was faux-feminist and tone deaf". The Guardian. Archived from the original on August 10, 2015. Retrieved August 10, 2015.
  24. "Azealia Banks Makes Triumphant Return to Coachella". Rap-Up. April 10, 2015. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
  25. Gboyega, Adenike (April 13, 2015). "Azealia Banks had one of the best sets at Coachella 2015". MOBO. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
  26. Broke with Expensive Taste (Liner notes). Azealia Banks. United States: Azealia Banks, Prospect Park. 2014.CS1 maint: others (link)

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