The New Classic
by Iggy Azalea
  • Record Label: Island
  • Release Date: Apr 22, 2014
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
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  1. Austin Chronicle
    Oct 30, 2014
    40
    Iggy Azalea's a fun girl booty-shaking a few morsels of neon, hashtag-spangled pop.
  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.
  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]
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  5. Clash Music
    May 16, 2014
    70
    The production is an expertly judged combination of radio-friendly pop and club-influenced, sparse trap beats. Iggy’s the real deal.
  6. PopMatters
    May 14, 2014
    60
    The New Classic will never be a classic, but it isn’t anywhere as bad as anyone will expect it to be.
  7. Under The Radar
    May 12, 2014
    30
    The directionless album may have a number of songs that will make radio programmers drool, but the staying power resembles anything but a classic.
  8. Absolute Punk (Staff reviews)
    May 8, 2014
    48
    There's nothing to really chew on here, nothing to keep you coming back.
  9. RapReviews.com
    May 6, 2014
    55
    There's simply not enough substance and individuality for me to call this a good rap album. But at the intersection of rap and pop it doesn't embarrass either side.
  10. The Quietus
    Apr 29, 2014
    60
    If there's one problem with this pop/rap hybrid it is the skittish way she sometimes departs from the beat, losing her flow in EDM choruses or radio friendly R&B pop hooks. Iggy is strongest when she welds her words to a minimal yet delectable bass boom, spelling out her name with mischievous exaggeration.
  11. Entertainment Weekly
    Apr 25, 2014
    67
    Iggy's got a handful of top shelf singles, but too much of The New Classic is old news. [2 May 2014, p.63]
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  12. NOW Magazine
    Apr 24, 2014
    60
    Despite Azalea’s nimble delivery sometimes lapsing into the mechanical, there are moments on The New Classic when she sounds ready for prime time.
  13. XXL
    Apr 22, 2014
    60
    Although a few late quarter misfirings render the album’s title misleading, there is too much good here to say with a straight face that Iggy will amount to nothing more than a flash in the pan.
  14. AllMusic
    Apr 22, 2014
    60
    Taken in as an album and Azalea's constant "bow down" attitude makes this a cuckoldish experience, so think "some will pay for what others pay to avoid" and approach accordingly.
  15. Slant Magazine
    Apr 22, 2014
    50
    The New Classic mistakenly tries to frame Azalea as hip-hop's newest can't-miss egomaniac, focusing on the riches instead of the far more interesting rags.
  16. HipHopDX
    Apr 21, 2014
    50
    Iggy Azalea’s The New Classic aims high, but ultimately falls flat.
  17. The New York Times
    Apr 21, 2014
    60
    Student’s complete commitment to character and form compensate slightly for the unrelenting weirdness of this project.
  18. The Independent on Sunday (UK)
    Apr 21, 2014
    80
    This is an instantly engaging showcase of the 23-year-old Aussie’s talents--poppy without diluting her fierce-flowing charisma.
  19. The Observer (UK)
    Apr 21, 2014
    60
    Azalea's flow is both playful and authoritative, and above-par surprises unfurl on the productions.
  20. New Musical Express (NME)
    Apr 21, 2014
    40
    There’s nothing game-changing about The New Classic, just recycled hustlin’ tropes and an ugly, nasal double-time flow overcompensating for mediocre wordplay.
  21. The Independent (UK)
    Apr 18, 2014
    60
    Though neither particularly new nor classic, Iggy Azalea’s debut album proper (following two self-released mixtapes) reveals enough smarts and skills to sustain the Aussie rapper’s momentum.
  22. The 405
    Apr 17, 2014
    80
    Twerk-inducing and loud; 'Goddess' is the game-changer for Iggy Azalea and the glistening cherry on top of the immaculately produced, lyrically creative gem that is The New Classic.
  23. The Guardian
    Apr 17, 2014
    60
    Azalea's rags-to-riches story shines on Work, but elsewhere her "bow down to a goddess" schtick grows tiring.
  24. The Line of Best Fit
    Apr 17, 2014
    80
    There’s no rap entitlement on display, and even brand-dropping doesn’t feel disingenuous or superficial, somehow--and, furthermore, she’s a grounded everyman rap icon. It’s endearing to no end.
  25. Drowned In Sound
    Apr 17, 2014
    60
    It's a shame The New Classic can sound so heavily manufactured, if anything because interesting things happen from time to time.
  26. Rolling Stone
    Apr 17, 2014
    50
    She dresses [her songs] up in the kind of shamelessly poppy hooks that make Top 40 programmers giggle in delight and "real hip-hop" heads shake theirs sadly. If this is the future, it's one strange place.
  27. Spin
    Apr 17, 2014
    40
    The New Classic establishes the Australian artist as a competent rapper with a decent ear for hooks, but that's about it.

Awards & Rankings

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

User Reviews

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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
  1. danielcruz90
    Apr 22, 2014
    10
    It's finally here!!! AMAZING debut album! Iggy definitely delivered and deserves to be very successful.
    Standouts: Walk The Line, New ****    It's finally here!!! AMAZING debut album! Iggy definitely delivered and deserves to be very successful.
    Standouts: Walk The Line, New **** Work, Change Your Life.    … Full Review »
  2. thaleslucas
    Jun 16, 2014
    0
    This isn't creative. A Pop álbum from a model who says that can write songs. It has no sense of power and glory. It's not classic anyway.This isn't creative. A Pop álbum from a model who says that can write songs. It has no sense of power and glory. It's not classic anyway. This is a trash to Hip-Hop cuture.… Full Review »
  3. jamesdelrey
    Nov 8, 2014
    0
    Why would you listen to this when you can buy and enjoy Broke With Expensive Taste (Azealia Banks)? Iggy makes pop music while Azealia makesWhy would you listen to this when you can buy and enjoy Broke With Expensive Taste (Azealia Banks)? Iggy makes pop music while Azealia makes rap and hip hop with substance.… Full Review »
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