Next Tuesday is a big day for Iggy Azalea. After more than two years of production, promotion and pushbacks, Azalea’s debut LP, The New Classic, will finally be available for pre-order throughout the web, official assurance that her April 14 release date stays stationary.
The New Classic was originally slated to drop in the first quarter of 2012, back when she came up as a XXL Freshman and inked a deal with Interscope Records. Since then, Azalea has shuffled between T.I.’s Grand Hustle imprint and Island Def Jam, opened tours for Nas and Beyoncé, and got publicly involved with A$AP Rocky and now, L.A. Lakers guard Nick Young. When The New Classic finally hits shelves, it will function as both Azalea’s aesthetic breakthrough and a documentation of her ascent through the mainstream.
“I’ve had time to really sit down and ponder it because of the delays,” Azalea told me over the phone Wednesday, as part of an mtvU conference call. “I learned so much from Beyoncé’s live show, and I studied the way that her albums move. It made me want to go back and tweak some of the things on my album, so when I came off tour I added some songs and took some off.”
What I love about Iggy is that she's not here for the cattiness that media tries to stir up between women in the industry. She's always the first to give love to fellow female artists, pay respects where they're due and let her inspirations been known. Queen
What I love about Iggy is that she's not here for the cattiness that media tries to stir up between women in the industry. She's always the first to give love to fellow female artists, pay respects where they're due and let her inspirations been known. Queen
It's super smart to be this way. Not only do you not seem hateful and pressed, but aren't we excited to hear Iggy's album now that we know some of it (even a small amount) is inspired by Beyonce? Love goes way further than hate.
So, I went harder
Studied the Carters till a deal was offered
Slept cold on the floor recording
At 4 in the morning
And now I'm passin' the bar like a lawyer
I love Iggy's positive attitude to other female artists, it's so refreshing compared to others who want to be the only female artist in their genre and simply fuel the media circus of rivalry between women in the industry.
Being inspired by Beyoncé can only mean good things.
