Following her mainstream breakthrough in 2014, Australian rapper
Iggy Azalea experienced a meteoric rise that burned out almost as quickly as it started. With the follow-up to her debut continually delayed and fraught with behind-the-scenes label confusion, she tried to release a project titled Digital Distortion, which was eventually canceled. Stopgap EP
Survive the Summer landed in 2018, showcasing a dark, trap-heavy sound unlike Hot 100 hits "Fancy," "Problem," and "Black Widow." That sound carried forth onto her official sophomore release,
In My Defense, an unapologetic collection of braggadocio and vulgarity that finds
Azalea backed into a defensive corner. Guests
Lil Yachty,
Kash Doll, and
Juicy J also make appearances. ~ Neil Z. Yeung