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World Premiere: Iggy Azalea - "Team" [Full Audio + Review]

iggy azalea team cover

The return of Iggy Azalea is now a FACT.

The Australian rapper premiered today (March 18th) her much-anticipated new single titled “Team”. The track is available as of this Friday morning on both iTunes and Spotify, and also, Iggy’s label got her a nice radio deal with iHeartRadio stations to have “Team” played at the top of every hour today! HUGE! Talk about pressure to succeed fast, huh?

Team” is the official lead single from Iggy’s forthcoming second studio album called “Digital Distortion” which will be released in stores later this year via Def Jam/Virgin EMI. Iggy Azalea’s debut album “The New Classic” was released two years ago, in 2014, and that project spawned the hits “Fancy”, and “Black Widow”, which peaked at #1 and #3 on the Billboard Hot 100, respectively. So yeah…”TEAM” has some big shoes to fill. Will it be as successful as its predecessors?

Iggy’s brand new single is a hard-hitting urban jam where the Australian girl raps about needing no one but herself to be successful. She knows what she’s doing, she’s got the confidence, and she knows exactly how to reach her goals on her own. Nice!And it’s all on me / Yeah that’s all I be / Baby I got me / Only friend I need”, sings I-G-G-Y in the hook of her new single. She also shouts out the Kardashians and Kylie Jenner in the song…Iggy apparently is obsessed with them! (“Watchin' new Kardash, call me Kylie”).

Truth is that “Team” sounds powerful, and it has a very pleasant “first listen”, but unfortunately it doesn’t give the same “hit” vibes that “Fancy” and “Black Widow” gave me when I first heard them back in the day. “Team” is giving me me “early 2000s” rap music realness - therefore sounds a tad "dated", BUT although it sounds a tad "dated", it sounds cool at the same time (you know that everything vintage is coming back, right?), but yeah… this doesn’t sound radio-friendly enough to be a "major hit" and I think it’s a rather risky first single. I mean, “Fancy” raised the bar too high, and sadly I think that Iggy has failed to release as lead single from her second album a song of the same level. Maybe a killer music video can help? Or lots of TV promo? There could be hope if she plays her cards right.

By the way, I’m totally sure that Iggy’s label would’ve wanted a different song as lead single - probably something more commercial, and a collaboration (with a pop singer singing the chorus). No doubt Iggy made the decision to release “Team” first. I assume she’s taking “Team” as a personal challenge to show her label executives that she can also be successful with singles only performed by her. Who will win the bet? Iggy or her label? I already know the answer…do you too?

Update: A few listens later...I still wouldn't have released this as first single (I just can't get into the hook), but the bridge - or whatever that is - is pretty sick (That Juvenile "Back That Ass Up" sample was right on the money!).

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By on March 18, 2016
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