Music

Five thoughts: Iggy Azalea’s July 26 Boulevard Pool performance

Image
Iggy Azalea had the crowd singing along during her performance July 26 at Cosmopolitan’s Boulevard Pool.
Photo: Erik Kabik/Retna

1. “Y’all ready to turn up, Vegas?” I was wondering if the native Australian would sport her Aussie accent when she wasn’t spitting her rhymes, but the minimal stage banter remained in the same “southern American” (her Wikipedia’s words, not ours) inflection that has become a controversial topic within the hip-hop community.

2. Azalea was incredibly rehearsed, delivering hits off debut album The New Classic (“Change Your Life,” “Work,” “Bounce”) and the EPs and mixtapes that preceded it (“Pu$$y,” “Drop That Sh*t”) with the same sharp precision as the recorded versions. The girl can spit.

3. Accents aside, her stage banter nevertheless managed to infuse some personality into an otherwise straightforward set. The show lacked improvisational moments and not much flair compensated for that—backup dancers didn’t add much (with moves you’d see at a high school talent show) and the backup singers’ mics were kept at minimal levels. Azalea’s verse stayed center stage, and thankfully she knows how to command it.

4. Azalea ended the evening’s performance with summer megahit “Fancy,” which showcased the talented backing vocalists’ pipes a bit more and inspired an audience-wide sing-along.

5. Then came the unexpected: a repeat performance of “Fancy.” If anything, the odd, bold move proved the power of the Top 40 smash hit. The crowd not only stuck around, but sang along again, with many capturing a second video of the song. While Azalea didn’t treat the crowd to an encore, the audience seemed pleased with the reprise end to the hour-long set.

Share
Top of Story