The road to recovery has been a long one for Iggy Azalea, but things seem to be coming together nicely for the Australian rapper. Her sophomore LP, In My Defense, suffered major delays and has been in the works for the last five years. After being dropped by label Island Records, Iggy decided to create her own independent label, which is part of the reason why In My Defense is coming to fruition. That said, it’s finally been given an official release date of July 19 (with an option for fans to pre-order it). To celebrate this major achievement, Iggy rolled out the club banger track “Just Wanna,” which takes things straight to the bedroom.
The album cover for In My Defense has also been unveiled, and it’s been hit with much backlash. It shows a dead Iggy covered in blood, propped up against a vintage BMW. The violent artwork has been slammed with criticism, particularly because it makes Iggy look like a victim. Claiming it to be a feminist statement, the artist clarified her choice for the album cover: ”It’s a statement about women not having the ability to defend themselves under public gaze.” Still, with all the controversy and cultural appropriation she’s been accused of, painting herself as the victim is a contentious move. She could have taken this opportunity to appear wiser, having learned from her mistakes and maybe even express a little remorse. Instead, as she sings on “Started,” Iggy insists she isn’t here to make any apologies: “I started to say sorry, but fuck that shit.” Okay, Iggy. You do you. (At least she’s consistent, I guess.)
Following in the footsteps of “Sally Walker” and “Started,” “Just Wanna” is the third single to be released off of In My Defense. Iggy doesn’t beat around the bush on the track and makes it abundantly clear she only has one thing on her mind: sex. She’s hungry, she’s thirsty, and she’s ready to reveal her inner freak. Like right now. “I just wanna fuck” is repeated throughout the song, but in a sexy, breathy voice we haven’t heard much of from Iggy before. Obviously, this is a NSFW number, but one well worth a listen to in the privacy of your own home.
The beat is infectious and carries a heavy, club-like feel to it. The lyrics are explicit and straight up unapologetic, but Iggy pulls them off with bold confidence. Building off of Salt-N-Pepa’s “Push It,” Ying Yang Twins’ “Whisper Song,” and Too $hort’s “Blow the Whistle,” “Just Wanna” sees Iggy whispering through much of the song. Standout lyrics from the track include: “I’m tryna take a ride, I’m on the dick speeding” and “I grabbed his hard drive and then I hacked the motherfucker, baby.” With “Just Wanna,” Iggy is out to have a good time, and that’s exactly what she delivers. I highly recommend it to anyone who doesn’t easily get offended.
To date, “Fancy” featuring Charli XCX, “Black Widow” featuring Rita Ora, and a feature on Ariana Grande’s “Problem” have been her most mainstream and biggest hits. “Kream,” from last summer’s EP release, titled Survive the Summer, is a personal favorite of mine, though it didn’t make huge waves on the charts. My point is that the majority of her commercial success was five years ago back in 2014, which leaves fans wondering whether or not In My Defense will hold up against the work of her 2019 peers. Well, from where I’m standing, if “Just Wanna” is any indication of what’s to come, it looks like we could be in for a treat. Listen to the track below and let me know what you think of it in the comment section:
Check Out My Instagram: