The long awaited debut studio album of Australian rap star Iggy Azalea is just days away from release, and with a tracklist that includes collaborations with Rita Ora, T.I and Charli XCX to name just three, it sounds like the perfect recipe for success.
'Walk The Line' opens the record, where Iggy effortlessly spits lines without taking a breath. She's confident in her talent and she's proud to show it off, finally on a platform where the world's listening.
Second track 'Don't Need Y'all' is forgettable - the usual slow paced trappy filler track that comes on an album of this nature, but the tempo is upped once more with '100', the first feature coming from Walk The Duck that includes some fantastic production.
T.I's next up on the widely recognised 'Change Your Life' and more recent single 'Fancy' comes after with the incredible Charli XCX. Both are the perfect mixture of pop and rap, combining to create something special and forcing the listener to take note.
'New Bitch' is sprinkled just before the underground smash that shot her into stardom 'Work', and it's a wonderful commentary on the life celebrities face, exploring the way in which the media and world treat people when they first step into the limelight.
Truly listening to Iggy's lyrics is rewarding. I understand that some people just hear a beat and want to be transported through that, paying little attention to what's actually been said on a track, but putting some work into your playlist by hearing every word really does pay off. This is proved explicitly with 'Impossible is Nothing', which could be passed off as the usual feel good 'do whatever you wanna do' song, but there's something special here. "I'll never sell out my soul for any number on a cheque" muses Iggy, and I believe her.
Her attitude shines through on 'Goddess' but she's not unlikeable. She doesn't get into Twitter spats that tarnish her reputation and she delivers when she says she'll deliver, unlike her closest competition at the moment, Azealia Banks. Her 'tude is simply there to slot herself into the genre she's mastered, spitting rhymes like the best of them. This is the track you will remember following your first play through. It's momentous and builds up to gigantic explosions of riffs and beats and powerful production punches without drowning the star herself.
Friend of Iggy, Rita Ora features on 'Black Widow' - a song that has the potential to storm the charts and delivers in every possible way. It may not be one for fans of Iggy's more urban roots - remember the backlash Nicki faced after going mainstream from those who wanted more material like that on her mixtapes? - but the evolution of an artist is necessary if they're to be ultimately successful in this business, and it's one she's gone through gracefully.
'Lady Patra' once again displays that slick approach to a tune that Iggy has honed in on, and features Mavado who unfortunately doesn't add much to the track.
Rounding things out with 'F**k Love', the tempo is ramped up another level as sarcastic Iggy comes out and demands diamonds over love, in a matter of speaking. "I'm already in love with myself - f**k love, gimme diamonds."
A collection of music with minimal duff moments, it may be a little early to call this a classic, but it's certainly a super strong debut that will cement Iggy's career for some time going forward.
'The New Classic' is released Monday, April 21.
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