Why is this woman so underrated? She is actually a good singer, rapper and her lyrics/songs are very dope. Why is she so hated?
Allow us to make our argument naked—Iggy Azalea is possibly one of the most explicit entities in today’s rap paradigm. Suddenly, she is releasing catchy tunes such as ‘Fancy,’ on the global stage and, in the next moments, walking through the streets of the Internet receiving memes, photo shaming, and all sorts of trolling. But is Iggy actually underrated? Is the Australian rapper a victim of the unrighteous treatment from the industry and listeners as well? Welcome to the Chaos; lets explore this madness for a bit more.
The Rise and Fall (and Rise Again?) of a Blonde Bombshell
Remember 2014? It was the year Obama was in office, people were pouring ice water over their heads for the Ice Bucket Challenge and “Fancy” by Iggy Azalea was inescapable. Iggy was performing on stage, releasing records, and in some cases being everywhere with Ariana Grande and Jennifer Lopez at times even winning awards. But during that summer, she was the queen, and nothing could have suggested that her meteor would soon fall to the ground.
Then came the backlash. It finally got to a point where there were accusations of cultural appropriation, tour cancellations, fights on Twitter (or as I like to call it bipolar bird box), she was blacklisted from the music industry. The love that the music industry had showered on her was worse than disappear within the blink of an eye quicker than one can say who dat, who dat.
But here is what I’m getting at—through all the drama, Iggy continued to record music. Perhaps not a series of number one singles that the public can tap their feet to but she continued to actively participate in a market that appeared to actively disregard her. If that is not some level of dedication artists, then I can hardly imagine what is.
White Girl in a Black Genre: The Elephant in the Room
Now, it is important to point out that Iggy is a white Australian woman who rose to fame rapping with a voice that many deemed as a “blaccent.” This, of course, did not go down well with many people, within the hip hop fraternity, in particular, but the society in general as well.
Iggy is one of the main characters of the group Skunk Anansie and despite having many female idols she sometimes feels hated because she’s white! Not exactly. Eminem is white. Mac Miller was white. The Beastie Boys were white. The difference? They came to hip-hop with passion for the music and its background which is not likely to be said about Iggy as she was crude and sometimes bordered on exploiting Black American culture and its people.
Nevertheless, the intensity of the hatred, which was thrown at her for a rather unpleasant personality seemed to be more anti-woman than a critique on her persona. So yes, male artists are scot-free, and even Iggy Pop faced controversies for things that male artists could do without being held in such bad light.
The Art Behind the Controversy
Eliminating all the hysteria and emotionalism from the situation, the following equation can be deciphered: Actually, some pretty solid bops. Honestly speaking, ‘Fancy’ still a certified club banger. “Black Widow” still slaps. “Work” showed real potential. Her flow might not be the most innovative, but she most certainly has talent when it comes to writing hooks.
I will say more about her music videos separate including that they are rather provocative, very well-choreographed and quite unforgettable. The “Fancy” Clueless homage? Iconic. The “Black Widow” Kill Bill feels? Genius. Iggy got the message of the importance of aesthetic within music before most of her counterparts came to realize the rise of the music video era.
Recent Moves: Still Hustling or Just Hustling Us?
However, Iggy Pop has been quite low profile in the mainstream album releases recently, with her previous major album that which was “The End of an Era” released in 2021, that was expected to be her final album before retiring from music. However, as we have seen in a classic Iggy Pop fashion, she was not able to fully detach from it.
Some of the songs she has released include Money Come and Hotter Than Hell and the singles are characterized by a change in her music theme but still retaining the boastful tenor. Unfortunately, these releases did not leave much impact on the music world and have a poor stream compared to her previous hits.
Is it maybe due to the fact that the music being played is not so attractive or to one’s personal taste? Not necessarily. It is more that the overall industry and the fan base has evolved to the place where it won’t buy into Iggy’s type of received public again the way it did in 2014.
The OnlyFans Question: Career Killer or Smart Business?
Following sexual objectification and harassment, in January 2023, Iggy revealed the “Hotter Than Hell Tour,” a photographic, videographic, audio, graphic, and poetic project where she collaborates with OnlyFans for a year. Yes, poetry. From Iggy Azalea. What a time to be alive.
I wonder whether it was wise decision that Daniels made while deciding to open her account on OnlyFans platform. Financially, probably yes. Even from the available information, it is believed that she earns a lot of money from the platform. Artistically and for her long-term credibility? That’s where things get murky.
The problem is not in the platform itself, the moment one embarks in this the tendency it becomes quite challenging for the audience and the persons who control the gate to the entertainment industry to look beyond it. It is the progressive world and people should not judge artists and their artworks based on their decisions of performing or monetizing their work. But in the world which is far from being perfect, when people start thematic OnlyFans it becomes the primary thing for which they are recognized.
This was quite a risky move for an artist who considers himself a serious contender who needs to be respected into the industry. It only further fueled discourses of Iggy using her looks rather than her vocals, for right or wrong. Alas, the bitter truth is that female artists, especially those who have some sort of beef in terms of credibility, weirdly, cannot win here—either they are encouraged to be sexual objects, or they are criticized for not being such.
So Is She Underrated? The Verdict
Here’s my hot take: Iggy Azalea is simultaneously overrated AND underrated, depending on what aspect of her we’re talking about.
As a hip-hop artist with authentic roots in the culture? Yeah, probably overrated.
As a pop cultural force who created genuinely catchy songs and knew how to create a moment? Definitely underrated.
As a resilient figure who weathered one of the most spectacular falls from grace in recent music history and kept pushing forward? Give the woman her flowers.
The truth is, Iggy was never going to be the next Lauryn Hill or Missy Elliott. But she never claimed to be. She made fun, flashy pop-rap that served its purpose—getting people moving and having a good time.
In an industry that chews up and spits out female artists with alarming regularity, there’s something almost admirable about how Iggy has refused to disappear completely. Whether you love her, hate her, or feel completely indifferent, you have to acknowledge her tenacity.
Is that enough to call her underrated? I’ll let you decide. But maybe, just maybe, it’s time we stopped taking Iggy so seriously—both the haters AND the stans—and just appreciate her for what she is: a flawed but fascinating figure in pop culture who, for better or worse, left her mark on music history.
And hey, at the very least, “Fancy” still goes hard at parties. Sometimes, that’s enough.
