The New Classic
by Iggy Azalea
  • Record Label: Island
  • Release Date: Apr 22, 2014
User Score
6.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 635 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 380 out of 635
  2. Mixed: 79 out of 635
  3. Negative: 176 out of 635
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  1. Linike
    Dec 21, 2014
    5
    Even though Ms. Azalea does bring her propositions to the table, she hardly does something to bring them out, and into reality. That is truly disappointing, because The New Classic had everything to become one of the best albums of the year, but stuck itself with flabby, generic, and, in extreme situations, expendable songs. My personal favorites were "Walk The Line" and "Work", which madeEven though Ms. Azalea does bring her propositions to the table, she hardly does something to bring them out, and into reality. That is truly disappointing, because The New Classic had everything to become one of the best albums of the year, but stuck itself with flabby, generic, and, in extreme situations, expendable songs. My personal favorites were "Walk The Line" and "Work", which made me wonder, if the whole album sounded like that, it would be a lot better.… Expand
  2. asjklasjklas
    Jul 17, 2014
    5
    The New Classic may not come as a surprise -- it's ironically named, considering it's as commercially current as commercial current goes, in case the EDM (electronic dance music) and trap influences and climactic, radio friendly choruses didn't imply that -- and Azalea's southern style rapping -- we know she's Australian, we just haven't accepted it after hearing her -- might be, um,The New Classic may not come as a surprise -- it's ironically named, considering it's as commercially current as commercial current goes, in case the EDM (electronic dance music) and trap influences and climactic, radio friendly choruses didn't imply that -- and Azalea's southern style rapping -- we know she's Australian, we just haven't accepted it after hearing her -- might be, um, "hit-or-miss", however, it's an understatement to say I'm actually charmed by Iggy and her Banks-meets-Lil Kim rapping voice.

    Pros: Despite having heavy hip-hop influences, The New Classic has enough modern electronic and pop music inspired production -- which was primarily handled by The Invisible Men and The Arcade -- to make many of the songs sound accessible by top 40 mainstream radio airplay and if you buy the clean version, it might not even vulgarize the minds of your children (Nicki Minaj must be jealous); Iggy has an unusually manly and Miami influenced rapping voice, which sets her up uniqueness that'll surely shorten the list of other female rappers she'll be compared to; the guest collaborations (the number-one hit "Fancy", which has one of the catchiest choruses ever sang by a British indietronica goddesses in history; second single, "Black Widow", which was co-written by Katy Perry, has "Dark Horse" written all over it, has a memorable chorus sang by an angsty Rita Ora that makes it an individual success in its own right; T.I. has a helping hand at making "Change Your Life" sound like a lost mid-2000s hip-pop track); Iggy rules out any immediate comparisons to her fellow female rappers, especially the aforementioned Minaj.

    Cons: In exchange for the commercial appeals and collaborations, Iggy settles on creating hook heavy choruses instead of making meaningful lyricism and musical structure; like any "unique" vocalist, Iggy'll have a hit-or-miss impact on listeners and receive criticism for her seemingly faux accent as opposed to her Australian roots (I, however, don't support critiques regarding that); certain songs seem out of place on the track listing, "Bounce", which was included on the deluxe edition, sounds more suited to a producer's studio album or maybe even on a film soundtrack; during certain collaborative efforts, Iggy feels ALMOST outshined; not enough musical ambition to completely understand Iggy as an artist, but we'll surely know in due time.    … Expand
  3. JotaBrasil
    Jul 11, 2014
    6
    Um álbum de debut de um artista pode seguir dois caminhos enquanto ao resultado: pode ser um trabalho genial mostrando todo o potencial do artista ou pode ser um álbum que mostra o caminho que o artista deve seguir em futuros projetos. Nessa segunda categoria entra o álbum de estreia da rapper australiana Iggy Azalea, o legal The New Classic.

    O grande problema de The New Classic é que    Um álbum de debut de um artista pode seguir dois caminhos enquanto ao resultado: pode ser um trabalho genial mostrando todo o potencial do artista ou pode ser um álbum que mostra o caminho que o artista deve seguir em futuros projetos. Nessa segunda categoria entra o álbum de estreia da rapper australiana Iggy Azalea, o legal The New Classic.

    O grande problema de The New Classic é que em nenhum momento podemos saber quem é Iggy Azalea. O álbum é composto de várias canções bem produzidas, mas que são completamente genéricas em sua essência. Uma mistura de pop, dance, hip hop, trap e R&B fazem parte da confusa, pouco criativa e sem direção produção do álbum que mirou em um mercado bem amplo e competitivo tentando competir com nomes como Katy Perry e Rihanna. Não que isso seja ruim, se tivesse um bom apoio, mas The New Classic poderia ir bem além e entregar algo mais substancial.

    Como disse antes, o trabalho não é ruim, pois mesmo com erros na sua construção ainda podemos ouvir com clareza o que Iggy pode se tornar. Um ótimo exemplo disso é o single Fancy, que além de ser uma das melhores faixas do álbum, mostra que quando dão uma produção inspirada para Iggy, a rapper consegue sair do lugar comum. Por falar em comum, as composições do álbum têm esse traço: são até bem feitas e tem o fator "catchy", mas carecem de um maior aperfeiçoamento já que são, em sua maioria, trabalhos medianos e repetitivos. Até entendo a necessidade de Iggy falar das suas dificuldades antes da fama e como ela chegou onde está, mas fica cansativo quando o letra não é um trabalho sensacional. Com isso, as atuações de Iggy ficou prejudicada já que que não há como brilhar quando se não tem uma base a altura. Porém, é nesse quesito que o álbum tem o melhor resultado já que Iggy se mostra uma rapper muito futuro com performances sólidas mesmo ainda tentando encontrar sua identidade. Além da canção Fancy, já citada, outros momentos que merecem atenção são Change Your Life, Black Widow com a Rita Ora, Lady Patra, **** Love (melhor canção do álbum) e, por fim, Bounce. Agora, o futuro espera por Iggy e o que ela pode fazer. É esperar para ver.    … Expand
  4. NathanCabello
    Dec 16, 2014
    6
    This is not the best rap album of the year, but it is still very good to hear, Iggy still need much better vocally and on the question of compositions, his tracks are weak although they are good to hear. The New Classic looks more like a pop album with some verses sung quickly; is a good album but it needs to improve a lot.
    Highlights: Just Askin 'and Bounce
    Lows: Rolex and Do not Need Y'all
  5. Wael
    Sep 7, 2014
    5
    Iggy is such a great rapper, but this album is not such a great introduction of her. The production is great on most tracks but it's the lack of originality that lessens this album's value. Plus, the message that Iggy raps about most of the time, on most of the tracks is how hard she worked to get where she is. Well okay Iggy. WE GET IT! Can you rap about something else? Standouts includeIggy is such a great rapper, but this album is not such a great introduction of her. The production is great on most tracks but it's the lack of originality that lessens this album's value. Plus, the message that Iggy raps about most of the time, on most of the tracks is how hard she worked to get where she is. Well okay Iggy. WE GET IT! Can you rap about something else? Standouts include 'Fancy', 'Work', 'Black Widow' and 'Don't Need Y'all'. I'm not quite sure about the rest.… Expand
  6. chr1so
    May 5, 2014
    5
    Very hard to listen to, she raps like a female version of Far East Movement, and that aint good. She's done alright for an aussie though so good on her
  7. Giovana
    Jun 25, 2014
    5
    The New Classic is a real shame, albeit a very well-marketed one, and since it's found its niche, it's no surprise the album was a fair success for Iggy Azalea.
  8. beycause
    Feb 6, 2015
    4
    Com exceção de Work, Goddess e Walk the Line, o álbum é bem fraco pros termos de rap, ao meu ver. Ele se encaixaria melhor num termo pop.. que é aonde Iggy consegue visibilidade. Ainda não tem como levá-la a sério.
  9. Karmakid
    Mar 15, 2015
    4
    Iggy allures me with her dope and unique sense of swag and her catchy,urban,and fresh hooks,however her use of cliche hood accents,her unpolished flows and some weak similes she uses (Like a cat and mouse game-black widow),makes this album seem over saturated,fake and inarticulate.No punt intended,but I really hope Azalea learns from this and improves her rap skills for futureIggy allures me with her dope and unique sense of swag and her catchy,urban,and fresh hooks,however her use of cliche hood accents,her unpolished flows and some weak similes she uses (Like a cat and mouse game-black widow),makes this album seem over saturated,fake and inarticulate.No punt intended,but I really hope Azalea learns from this and improves her rap skills for future albums.Nevertheless Iggy puts out some nostalgic & catchy music(e.g fancy-clueless),making it to some degree,a classic.… Expand
  10. kaizidokiller
    Apr 22, 2014
    5
    I honestly expected better given that the title of the album is "The New Classic". I didn't expect it to be a classic but it's not even close to one. Iggy stated that she's a devoted rapper and she would resist making pop songs but sadly, this is not the case. This is just another commercial rap album (like Nicki Minaj) but with an identity crisis. I'm not a Nicki Minaj fan but at leastI honestly expected better given that the title of the album is "The New Classic". I didn't expect it to be a classic but it's not even close to one. Iggy stated that she's a devoted rapper and she would resist making pop songs but sadly, this is not the case. This is just another commercial rap album (like Nicki Minaj) but with an identity crisis. I'm not a Nicki Minaj fan but at least she knows what she wants to be, a barbie doll pop and rap star. She's been a product from the start (she's fine with it) but at least she's consistent and balances her materials well. Iggy doesn't know what she wants to do or who she wants to be. As a result, the album suffers from her lack of ambition (other than being a celebrity). In the end, she tried it both ways (rap and pop). Iggy can't decide if her debut is a hip-hop, dance or pop album. It's pretty much an uneven mix of all of them (genres found in her album) which is a typical form for hip-hop these days. With several delays and label conflicts, you would think this album can give us more than just hit radio-friendly singles (at least they ain't love songs). This album doesn't reflect on her personal taste in music at all and it doesn't resemble the West Coast hip-hop music she was influenced by. Work is probably the best song in the album, I liked how she told her origin story (fairly cheesy and stupid but ambitious). I also liked Fancy, it's a great duet with guest vocal Charli XCX that oozes with style and flair. A few decent songs and singles but still an average (and disappointing) album overall. In the end, Iggy Azalea is just another Nicki Minaj; more fake celebrity and sex symbol (with a big ass) than an artist. If you're looking for an alternative to Nicki or a Nicki wannabe, you've found it. If you're already a fan of Iggy Azalea and you have a taste for generic urban radio music, you'll find plenty to enjoy in Iggy's debut. For everyone else who loves real music and real West Coast hip-hop, keep listening to Kendrick Lamar's good kid, m.A.A.d city. It is the best hip-hop album in years, a true modern classic. Iggy shouldn't have let the music industry commercialize her like they do with most popular artists. If Iggy wants to be a real rapper, she should write her own songs. Maybe she could give us her views on celebrity or an insight to her life growing up in a small town in Australia for her album (which she keeps bragging about in interviews). It would be more interesting and more personal as oppose to hiring songwriters to fill her album with rap cliches for the sake of chart success.… Expand
  11. arvintaylor138
    Apr 22, 2014
    6
    Don't get me wrong, Iggy Azalea is a good artist. However, to be honest, the album is nothing special and is nothing unique compared to the other contemporary hip-hop/rap albums out right now.
  12. RichCritic
    May 9, 2014
    5
    To be your first album is good, but lacks creativity, the only outstanding song is Fancy and work because these songs iggy gained popularity. Some songs get bored and change once. Not recommended
  13. Fakebytswift
    Jun 12, 2016
    6
    Sadly, I can't give Iggy a positive score. For some reasons.

    1-Iggy and her production didn't focused on the lyrics and the songwriting proccess 2-The production is actually good, but could be better 3-Iggy didn't worked on the highest part: the rap part. I really see that Iggy is giving her best to have people's approve, and I see she's changed a lot from The New Classic to    Sadly, I can't give Iggy a positive score. For some reasons.

    1-Iggy and her production didn't focused on the lyrics and the songwriting proccess

    2-The production is actually good, but could be better

    3-Iggy didn't worked on the highest part: the rap part.

    I really see that Iggy is giving her best to have people's approve, and I see she's changed a lot from The New Classic to this new era called Digital Distortion.
    But I don't see why some people say this album is a ''trash to hip-hop culture'', while they say ''Drake slays''. This is a trace of the male chauvinism not just on Hip-Hop culture, but as the music industry and a whole thing.

    Another big point to be take note: her vocals. I don't see Iggy working on her voice skills, I don't see Iggy using technique vocals, I see Iggy trying to make more hits like Fancy or Black Widow. And this is the bad thing about music today: artists are working to make hits

    But, I wait for an innovation on Iggy's Digital Distortion, and I hope she make us give her a positive score the next time, I know she can do it.    … Expand
  14. Spangle
    Apr 24, 2014
    6
    Overall, The New Classic is pretty much what I expected and what I wound up getting. It is incredibly poppy and repeats itself frequently in terms of subject matter. A few tracks, namely "Fancy", "Work", and "Lady Patra", are incredibly infectious, and will undoubtedly be tracks I bump for a while since they are so catchy. On top of that, "Walk the Line" and "Don't Need Y'all", stand tallOverall, The New Classic is pretty much what I expected and what I wound up getting. It is incredibly poppy and repeats itself frequently in terms of subject matter. A few tracks, namely "Fancy", "Work", and "Lady Patra", are incredibly infectious, and will undoubtedly be tracks I bump for a while since they are so catchy. On top of that, "Walk the Line" and "Don't Need Y'all", stand tall as the best non-pop rap songs, as they are both really hard-hitting tracks with great verses from Iggy. However, what really defines this album for me is the repeated attempts by her to try and make these catchy radio songs with manufactured hooks and pretty "run-of-the-mill" verses, but failing to successfully complete that goal. Luckily, the album is pretty short and has very few total failures ("F*** Love" and "Goddess"), but sadly, its home runs are limited as well. The vast majority of these tracks are tracks that really made me feel no type of way and left me searching to try and find things to say about it, which is a definite knock in my mind. Music is intended to make you feel something, but far too many of these tracks would simply make very good background noise and not elicit any feelings at all. Really, The New Classic is anything but a new classic and will likely have a very short run on my Spotify. Hopefully, whenever Iggy's sophomore album comes, she returns with a vengeance and delivers the quality album that I know she can provide.… Expand
  15. Eddknt
    Apr 26, 2014
    4
    I hate her voice on this LP.The only track that i like is "Fancy".Bad work Iggy.I think that you could do something better but ... this is wack sorry.
  16. theBEAT
    Oct 13, 2014
    4
    While initially catchy and somewhat fun, Iggy Azalea's The New Classic isn't anything the title suggests; it's cliched half-rap/half-sung hooks aren't necessarily new and it sure as hell isn't going to be a classic.
    BEST TRACKS: Walk the Line, Don't Need Y'all, Bounce
  17. AnalyDewa
    Jul 25, 2014
    5
    Com grande ambição ao topo das paradas com o seu novo hit, ''Fancy'' que conta com a participação de Charli XCX, o que detona-se como uma ''invasão'' branca no rap, onde todos os olhos em 2013 se voltaram para Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, que emplacaram grandes hits e faturaram pouco menos de meia-dúzia de gramofones e deixaram até mesmo Drake de boca aberta, cria ainda mais expectativa com aCom grande ambição ao topo das paradas com o seu novo hit, ''Fancy'' que conta com a participação de Charli XCX, o que detona-se como uma ''invasão'' branca no rap, onde todos os olhos em 2013 se voltaram para Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, que emplacaram grandes hits e faturaram pouco menos de meia-dúzia de gramofones e deixaram até mesmo Drake de boca aberta, cria ainda mais expectativa com a chegada de ''The New Classic'', da australiana Iggy Azalea. O ano de 2014 viu-se como o tempo de uma revolução no rap feminino, onde por sua vez, Nicki Minaj encontrou finalmente concorrência, onde há mais de 5 anos perdurava como uma - se não a única - rapper feminina de grande visibilidade dentro dos Estados Unidos e no mundo, desde Missy Elliott, Lil' Kim e Eve.
    Talvez o desapontamento maior no seu disco de estreia, seja por sua grande ambição lírica, ou mesmo pela grande expectativa que foi a chegada de concorrentes com notabilidade como a desbocada Azealia Banks e a menos pautada Angel Haze.
    Entre problemas de acusações de racismo arquivados em um tumblr chamado piggyazalea, as críticas de apropriação cultural, de falsos créditos em suas supostas composições e falta de personalidade, Azalea desaponta com a faca e o queijo na mão.    … Expand
  18. YungRapunxel
    Apr 22, 2014
    4
    Horrible album. Tracks without harmony, a rapper who doesn't write their own songs, an album of hip-hop fully commercial and amateur.
    The production was great, but the quality of the music is terrible. New **** and Just 'Askin' are two bad tracks and that should have been thrown away!!!
    I hope she does not turn an Australian Nicki Minaj. And hope she stop using these POP beats. I still    Horrible album. Tracks without harmony, a rapper who doesn't write their own songs, an album of hip-hop fully commercial and amateur.
    The production was great, but the quality of the music is terrible. New **** and Just 'Askin' are two bad tracks and that should have been thrown away!!!
    I hope she does not turn an Australian Nicki Minaj. And hope she stop using these POP beats.
    I still hope the day that Iggy will show us how good she can be...
    Standouts: Walk The Line,Don't Need Y'all,100.    … Expand
  19. xBo
    Apr 22, 2014
    4
    I'm very disappointed with this album, it has nothing special on it and most of the songs sound the same. The only notable songs are the singles, Goddess and Black Widow, the rest of them are fillers. Really expected more from Iggy.
  20. WrongKlena
    Oct 15, 2014
    6
    Claro que não é um álbum espetacular como todos esperavam, mas não podemos forçar uma """novata""" (sim entre aspas, pois iggy está no mercado faz muito tempo,mas é ainda seu Debut) á se igualar ao nível que Nicki Minaj se encontra AGORA, Nicki Minaj teve seus problemas no início de carreira, e todos forçam á Iggy a ser "perfeita" por ser a única concorrência de Nicki após a mesma seClaro que não é um álbum espetacular como todos esperavam, mas não podemos forçar uma """novata""" (sim entre aspas, pois iggy está no mercado faz muito tempo,mas é ainda seu Debut) á se igualar ao nível que Nicki Minaj se encontra AGORA, Nicki Minaj teve seus problemas no início de carreira, e todos forçam á Iggy a ser "perfeita" por ser a única concorrência de Nicki após a mesma se encontrar como a úncia rapper feminina por longos anos, Iggy tem potencial, só falta explora-lo ao todo.
    O álbum conta com muitas músicas boas, destaco os singles (Exceto Fancy) como ótimas músicas com muita qualidade, pena que a pior entre todos os singles foi a que mais fez sucesso.    … Expand
  21. HawkWD
    Jan 19, 2015
    6
    All bias aside (good or bad) this album stands to be a decent hip-hop and pop fusion. The first song that comes to mind is Fancy, her first main-stream hit, the song is extremely catchy and spunky. Black Widow also comes to mind thanks to its unforgettable chorus and impressive beat. Besides her popular songs, Work and Rolex prove to be the most powerful, memorable and impressive songs onAll bias aside (good or bad) this album stands to be a decent hip-hop and pop fusion. The first song that comes to mind is Fancy, her first main-stream hit, the song is extremely catchy and spunky. Black Widow also comes to mind thanks to its unforgettable chorus and impressive beat. Besides her popular songs, Work and Rolex prove to be the most powerful, memorable and impressive songs on the album. Work with it's fast pace and catchy beat and Rolex with its smooth rhymes and well delivered verses. The majority of the other songs like Goddess, Walk the Line and **** Love are also pretty good, but the main issue with the album is its inconsistency. Not only through it's vibe (the upbeat Fancy juxtapositioned against the slow Don't Need Y'all), but also the quality. One moment the incredible song Work is playing, and suddenly the lyrically boring and slow track Impossible is Nothing follows. If Iggy could find a steady level of energy and improve the overall quality of the songs, she could prove to be an incredible force in music.… Expand
  22. diegonelli
    Jan 26, 2016
    5
    sorry but no
    this albums is totally cheap and wasted my time. is she pretending to be a rap singer because this is not rap this is pop. all the songs are written by trashy ghost writers. the only good song is work. hope her next album will be better
  23. nickazalea
    Aug 9, 2019
    5
    She's a queen, she's perfect, she's hot! I love Iggy! Thanks for this masterpiece!
  24. CriticMLT
    Jul 4, 2016
    6
    Iggy I have to say that this album for me is not the best there was in 2014 but also not the worst. I have to say that most of the tracks are very listenable and have fresh sound to them. I do think that she will do more success and releases another hit. The collaborations are not bad and very well produced.
    My score:
    1. Walk the line 8/10 2. Don't need y'all 6/10 3. 100 ft Watch the    Iggy I have to say that this album for me is not the best there was in 2014 but also not the worst. I have to say that most of the tracks are very listenable and have fresh sound to them. I do think that she will do more success and releases another hit. The collaborations are not bad and very well produced.
    My score:
    1. Walk the line 8/10
    2. Don't need y'all 6/10
    3. 100 ft Watch the duck 7/10
    4. Change your life ft T.I 7/10
    5. FancY ft Charlie XCX 7/10
    6. New **** 5/10
    7. Work 9/10
    8. Impossible is nothing 8/10
    9. Goddess 6/10
    10. Black widow ft Rita Ora 8/10
    11. Lady Patra ft Mavado 6/10
    12. **** love 7/10
    13. Bounce 7/10
    14. Rolex 7/10
    15. Just askin 6/10
    overall: 69    … Expand
  25. gabrielcipriano
    Dec 21, 2018
    5
    Iggy brought something very good, but nothing creative and it becomes annoying to listen to the album! Perhaps in the future an album with an essence and not generic. I did not see a rapper light that would help her view as a sensational rapper.
  26. clem666
    Sep 6, 2020
    6
    Iggy oscillate between authentic and creative pop instrumentals and lyrics and dull and borintg mainstream songs. Some songs (like 'Walk the Line', 'Rolex', 'Black Widow' and 'Just Askin'') truly are worth the trip, while some others (like 'New **** 'Goddess' and **** Love') are really ludicrous and childish. It goes the same way for the lyrics as for the overall production of the album.Iggy oscillate between authentic and creative pop instrumentals and lyrics and dull and borintg mainstream songs. Some songs (like 'Walk the Line', 'Rolex', 'Black Widow' and 'Just Askin'') truly are worth the trip, while some others (like 'New **** 'Goddess' and **** Love') are really ludicrous and childish. It goes the same way for the lyrics as for the overall production of the album. Iggy's voice is used in varied and different ways, making the album a journey through diversity. Unfortunately this diversity includes bad lyrics and dumb songs. Artistic guests still do bring a plus, as Rita Ora and Watch the Duck.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

6
#6 Most Discussed Album of 2014
13
#13 Most Shared Album of 2014

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
56

Mixed or average reviews - based on 26 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 26
  2. Mixed: 19 out of 26
  3. Negative: 2 out of 26
  1. Austin Chronicle
    Oct 30, 2014
    40
    Iggy Azalea's a fun girl booty-shaking a few morsels of neon, hashtag-spangled pop.
    Read full review
  2. Pretty Much Amazing
    Jun 6, 2014
    33
    The New Classic, though stacked from top to bottom with an impressive collection of production efforts, is nothing more than derivative delivery soaked in stylistic heresy.
    Read full review
  3. Q Magazine
    May 20, 2014
    40
    While Azalea drops the occasional zinger, The New Classic is the sound of an ersatz rebel playing to script, having a shot at the rap career Paris Hilton never quite got round to. [Jun 2014, p.123]
See all critic reviews »