Iggy Azalea has finally come out with some fresh new rap songs! But obviously there are controversies involved. Her much-delayed upcoming album, “In My Defense”, has been anticipated for a very long time. But what fans didn’t see coming was its explicitly graphic album cover. It depicts Azalea covered in blood at the scene of what looks like a murder.
The Australian star took to her social media pages on Monday to share the controversial artwork. It shows Iggy Azalea slumped against a car, apparently dead, with blood behind her head, as if she has been shot.
We're not worthy! @IGGYAZALEA unveils the incredible cover art and release date of her sophomore album 'In My Defense': https://t.co/tBRdkCBDbN pic.twitter.com/bH8NAA5PTA
— idolator (@idolator) June 24, 2019
https://twitter.com/IGGYAZALEA/status/1141859487621382144
It’s no surprise that people were taken aback by all the blood and gore in the images. After she posted them, her followers bombarded her with messages, many of whom thought the cover was too graphic. The young female rapper has been involved in controversies in the past too, but it’s been a while since she has made any headlines. One of her fans wrote:
“Please don’t hate me but I don’t like it, you look dead”
While another added:
“But wait, this is sickening”.
Iggy Azalea Defends Album Cover
However, Azalea defended it as an expression of her true self. She said she was thrilled about the upcoming album, perhaps more so than she’s ever been about past music. She has put in a lot of hard work into “In My Defense” so it’s no surprise that she’s so proud of it. Moreover, she seems to think that “sickening” is a compliment. After all, the term “sick” can be interpreted in two completely different ways.
https://twitter.com/IGGYAZALEA/status/1143792971457761280
My album cover is the most aesthetically pleasing thing I’ve ever made.
— IGGY AZALEA (@IGGYAZALEA) June 19, 2019
My album cover is the most aesthetically pleasing thing I’ve ever made times 2
— IGGY AZALEA (@IGGYAZALEA) June 20, 2019
Front & back pic.twitter.com/zW0MH0fzJe
— IGGY AZALEA (@IGGYAZALEA) June 24, 2019
And as if the images we were already shown weren’t enough, she went on to share another glorious one:
Almost forgot this one! pic.twitter.com/IVN4WLftKI
— IGGY AZALEA (@IGGYAZALEA) June 25, 2019
Followers have speculated what Iggy Azalea is trying to portray through this new music and the accompanying artwork. Music can obviously be interpreted in more than one ways but it’s always interesting to see where the artist was coming from. When asked whether the message is about re-birth, she responded:
It’s a statement about women not having the ability to defend themselves under public gaze, not rebirth. https://t.co/ZgdX5vw4LF
— IGGY AZALEA (@IGGYAZALEA) June 24, 2019
Her statement hints the kind of empowering message that might be expected from the album. If the album cover depicts vulnerability and weakness, then perhaps the message in the music will be able to show retaliation, strength and resilience. She’s undeniably passionate about the project and excited to share it with her fans. We hope the album will justify all this hype and break expectations.
I just saw my album packaging all finished in all physical formats and I feel tingly. Ahhhhh…
satisfaction.
Nothing better than an idea coming to life perfectly how you dreamt it up.— IGGY AZALEA (@IGGYAZALEA) June 24, 2019
The album is set to be released on July 19. We’re looking forward to see what Iggy Azalea has in store.
In My Defense: July 19th
Pre Order: June 28th pic.twitter.com/LFdDdqTaVK— IGGY AZALEA (@IGGYAZALEA) June 24, 2019