If there’s one thing we can rely on Azealia Banks for, it’s consistently left-field visuals. Oh, and beef. We will always get beef. But her videos — from the Illuminati-baiting, dystopian “Yung Rapunxel” to the seapunky “Atlantis” to the runway-chic “Luxury” — consistently offer something to chew on beyond the question of whether or not she’s sabotaging her career. The Rony Alwin-directed clip for her Pharrell-assisted “ATM Jam” doesn’t live up to those standards. It’s repetitive and tossed-together, unfortunately mirroring the much-hyped collaboration that has failed stoke buzz for Banks’ forthcoming debut album Broke With Expensive Taste.
The video takes on a flower-child theme, with background dancers sporting long, flowing hair and teashade glasses, while blues, purples, and reds radiate across the screen. But the idea mostly stops there: the quartet, including Banks, pulls up to a driveway then splashes around in a pool for a bit before making their way into a house. Spoiler alert: If you find yourself waiting for something to happen, it doesn’t. As for why Pharrell — who handles the song’s hook, bridge, and production — doesn’t appear in the clip, perhaps he simply couldn’t stand to appear in a video at Jimmy Goldstein’s famed Hollywood Hills residence for the third time in his career.
