Iggy Azalea's "New Classic" Album Review

Bella Riccitelli
Sports Editor

    While being a female rap artist is considered taboo by many, rapper Iggy Azalea changes the game with her most recent album titled “The New Classic.”

    Varying in sounds and featured artists, Azalea surely outdid herself with her debut album. The CD includes songs with a wide array of themes as well. While some songs provoke wild dance moves, others provoke tears. However, every song on “The New Classic” seems to have at least a small part in it that plays as a reminder of all of the success Azalea has achieved.

    Something that everybody can agree on about Azalea, is that she doesn't present herself as a young, naive girl like most women do in the social media world. She's tough, authoritative, and she won't stop until she gets to the very top. When listening to “The New Classic,” that is something that she demands to be heard about herself.

    The first track on the album, titled "Walk The Line," really sets the mood for most of the remainder of the album. Azalea raps about her new found fame, and lets all of her listeners and haters know that she isn't going anywhere. She intends on remaining where she is in the music industry, even if it is alone.

    "Fancy," the third single released from her debut album, is a huge success, as it was her first song ever to chart on Billboard Top 100 in America. With a song as catchy as "Fancy," Azalea's music video for the song, a remake of the 1995 comedy “Clueless,” will never be forgotten.

    As the first and lead single of the album, "Work" is in my opinion, one of the best songs Azalea has ever written. "Work" focuses on the fact that Azalea spent a long period of time as a young teenager working hard to save money to move to the states. Then, at 16 she moved to the city of Miami without her family and made a living on her own as a rap artist—which is what got her to where she is now.

    Throughout almost every song, she appears to be demanding respect from whoever might be listening. However, every good album must include a couple of heart-felt songs, which “The New Classic” does.

    "Rolex," second to last on the album, really details Azalea's rough split from fellow rap artist A$AP Rocky. Azalea raps about the fall of their relationship, how she tried to make it work while he preferred to let it go, and most of all how she misses the times that they shared. I believe that one of the saddest lines from "Rolex" is, "I got you tatted and you took off before the ink dried off my hands." For obvious reasons, any break up song is sad to hear. Considering that, hearing it from a tough-girl rapper like Azalea only makes it sadder. By the time this song is over, I always feel crestfallen, as if I'm the one who just got out of a relationship with A$AP Rocky.

    Following right after "Rolex" is "Just Askin'." In "Just Askin'," Azalea raps as if she is having a catch-up conversation with her former boyfriend, and she displays just a hint of jealousy. A line from the song to illustrate this is, "What's up in your world? And are you still coolin' with that lame girl?" Also, "You wanted something more than what we had. What's up with her? She ain't all that." Towards the end of the track, what seems to be voicemails left from a female to a male's phone is played. In these voicemails, listeners hear a girl angry and then crying because her former boyfriend has moved on.

    I am so glad that the most emotional songs of the album are placed as the final two. While listening to “The New Classic” from start to finish, listeners hear that Azalea is just trying to live out her dreams. She wants the world to know how she feels about her place in this world, and she plans on never giving up. However, listeners also are given a glimpse into not only her mind, but her heart as well.