Review: Iggy Azalea - The New Classic
[Island; 2014]
Rating: 8/10
By Sarah Weingarten, Contributor
Key Tracks: “Work,” “New Bitch,” “Fancy”
Aussie native Iggy Azalea has finally released her debut album The New Classic and it’s a scorcher. It’s oh so good. The bad bitch vibes that The New Classic resonates are so potent that listener should feel like a fierce goddess/god every time the repeat button is hit.
For readers who are uneducated on Iggy Azalea (shame on you), there are a few things to note. First, Iggy is a babe who has risen from down under--literally--to share her babe-ness with all of us who are not worthy. Second, she’s the white female rapper that nobody knew we needed.
Third, Iggy is intoxicating. Her beat, swagger and lyrics ooze so much confidence that a foreign white female rapper is climbing the charts. Bonus round, Iggy’s real name is Amethyst--why the hell did she think she needed a stage name?
The New Classic kicks off with a powerhouse, “Walk The Line.” Iggy’s rapping is rough and gritty while her singing is soft, slow and compelling. The two complement each other, helping propel “Walk The Line.”
Like any rap song, it hits on the basic topics of money and being real. But what really seals the deal is the second verse, which talks about the struggles Iggy has faced to get this album out. She was signed to her label for two years; this album is long overdue. “I’ve been counted out, I’ve been stepped on / I was wide awake and got slept on / I had everything and then lost it / Worked my ass off, I’m exhausted.”
The only way to listen to “Fancy” is through the music video. Iggy and featured artist Charli XCX , who opened for Marina & the Diamonds last year, recreate Clueless in three minutes and 42 seconds. It’s scarily accurate and viewers get to see what a huge babe Iggy would have been in the '90s.
“Fancy” itself is a great song. The opening bass is hip-shaking worthy. Charli infuses her poppy vocals in between Iggy’s fast paced claims of being the bad bitch everyone wants, which is true. The only downside is that Iggy claims her beat is retarded. It’s 2014, please stop using that degrading word.
Other collaborations on The New Classic include WatchTheDuck, T.I., Rita Ora and Mavado. WatchTheDuck is featured on “100” and it just doesn’t work.
There are too many elements going on. The song is dense, trying to find a way for an acoustic guitar, a bass drop, rapping and soulful crooning about hundred dollar bills to all fit together. It doesn’t make sense. Also, the lyric about the late Lady Diana isn’t tasteful: “Then I hop in the drop and I wave goodbye / As I drive through the tunnel looking like Lady Di.”
“New Bitch” is one of the record's best tracks. The appeal comes from the topic of “New Bitch,” being a man’s hot new girl while simultaneously being fabulous and confident and making everyone else jealous. It’s heartless and selfish.
Maybe it’s the way the tempo builds to then be leveled out by Iggy femininely and aggressively singing the hook. “When I hop out his new six / Fresh in some new shit / ‘Damn, she is too thick, who is this?’ / Yeah I’m his new bitch.”
The New Classic is a power trip of leading lady songs. There are a few distasteful choices, but overall the album has some classics on it--the opportunity presented itself, sorry--and is worth listening to again and again.
