Twerking with Love: Iggy Azalea Adored in Montreal

Iggy Azalea Concert. Photo M.P. Robyn Homeniuk

Iggy Azalea released her much-anticipated debut album “The New Classic” on April 22. The album features more new tracks than I would have imagined. As of yesterday, the album was sitting pretty at number one on iTunes, a huge accomplishment for this Aussie rapper. Each song has great lyrics matched with catchy tunes. What I like most is that the theme of the album seems to be believe in yourself, work hard and you’ll achieve success. Even better, there is a touch of feminism in songs like “Goddess,” a song that can only be described as Kanye-esque. Iggy is definitely an artist to watch, having already had success in the UK and increasingly in North America as well.

Iggy Azalea Concert. Photo M.P. Robyn Homeniuk

Iggy Azalea Concert. Photo M.P. Robyn Homeniuk

This album has everything I wanted, and is more than I expected. There even a few slower jams on the record, leaving me no choice but to give it a solid A minus grade. I could see almost the whole track list becoming new classics of the genre. The album is a must-buy, for sure.

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On April 24th, two days after her debut dropped she played at the Corona Theatre. She had her DJ open for her, giving the crowd almost an hour’s worth of club-worthy remixes. I felt less and less like I was at a concert and more like I was clubbing, a feeling that was rectified the moment Ms. Azalea took the stage forty minutes later. Within seconds, my resentment from waiting so long ebbed.

There were dancers, confetti, lights, and a layered stage. Iggy danced as much as she rapped, making it a true performance. Being known for her bootylicious ass, there was a lot of much welcomed twerking. From the crowd, she really did look like a goddess. She owned the stage, and delighted many fans by reaching into the crowd several times.

Iggy Azalea Concert. Photo M.P. Robyn Homeniuk

Iggy Azalea Concert. Photo M.P. Robyn Homeniuk

One of my favourite things about her performance was how she managed to make me, the fan, feel appreciated by being there. It is very clear through her performance style that Iggy loves her fans, and this is continued on her twitter. She is doing daily follow sprees if you tweet her your proof of purchase of her album – @IGGYAZALEA.

Fan-loving aside, Iggy played a short set that had the feel of a huge pop concert. She changed outfits, from an Al Pacino covered jumper to a pink two piece outfit. Each syllable that she sang made the crowd go insane, making it clear that Montreal loves her very much. Iggy seemed to be having a blast as she performed, making it an amazing event despite the very short hour long set.

The only two complaints I have are that the 40 minutes spent waiting for her to come on after her opener felt like an unreasonably long time in the small venue, and her set was too short. I would go see her again without even thinking about it, though I would be hoping to hear more of her album performed live. There is no question to me that she will be filling arenas in the near future.

Iggy Azalea played at Virgin Corona Theatre on April 24.