Product Vs. Promotion: Iggy Azalea’s ‘Team’

Published: Tuesday 28th Jun 2016 by Rashad
iggy azalea team thatgrapejuice

The dreaded “sophomore slump” – the career hurdle that’s caused the fall of a number of music history’s most promising acts – currently stands to add Grammy-nominated rapstress Iggy Azalea to its  lengthy list of casualties.

Azalea, who didn’t exactly experience “overnight success” in her transition from virtual unknown to one of rap’s leading ladies, did see her career go from 0-100 (real quick) after her participation on Ariana Grande‘s horn-filled hit ‘Problem’ and the release of her own history-making single ‘Fancy.’ But, with the triumphs of both singles came the real “problem:  replicating their successes.

The endeavor would be doused with degrees of difficulty as the saucy Aussie’s public profile rang as the exact antithesis of her Billboard chart story.  Indeed, fielding attacks from the likes of Nicki Minaj, Q-Tip, Azealia Banks, Snoop Dogg, and even fellow Caucasian rappers Eminem and Macklemore, the court of public opinion joined them in finding Azalea guilty of cultural misappropriation and inauthenticity.  The effects of the verdict would be manifested in poor ticket sales for her headlining arena tour and fuel its cancellation (reportedly due to shifting focus to her debut album’s follow-up).

That follow-up, titled ‘Digital Distortion,’ found its kick-off via the bumping bop ‘Team’:

Even garnering a head bob from the staunchest of Iggy-haters, ‘Team’ initially showed great promise after its first set of promo rounds hoisted it to a #42 debut.  Unknown to fans at the time, that was the good and the bad of it.

Dropping to #71 the next week, tune quickly slipped out of the Hot 100 after that.  To add, despite ongoing promotional efforts on major networks and venues as recent as mid-June to support ‘Team,’ it appears its days of Hot 100 play are finished.

What went wrong?  Is the backlash against the rapper so strong that no matter what or how good her product, she’ll still be disregarded?  Or, was ‘Team’ simply the wrong song to silence the haters?

You tell us:  what caused the failure of ‘Team’?


Your thoughts?

Comments 46

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  1. BEYSTAN_ SINCE 1997 June 28, 2016

    Flop!

    • Molly June 28, 2016

      Said sorry on the charts

      • BEYSTAN_ SINCE 1997 June 28, 2016

        Last I checked “Sorry” charted much higher than “Team”…. Don’t be mad at me because she not doing this time around!

      • RihNavy June 28, 2016

        @Beystan, DRAG HA!

    • ?+✈=? June 28, 2016

      Racist blacks were her issue

  2. The Kpop Guy, Matt~ June 28, 2016

    She got too confident too quickly. She shouldv played the Taylor Swift

    • CherylSoldierr June 28, 2016

      Molly’s old fave sis

      • Molly June 28, 2016

        Girl you’re really serving rihnavy 2.0 Ts with the way you mention my name/fav in every post…. #IAintThinkinBoutYou

      • RihNavy June 28, 2016

        @Cheryl, Kiii

      • Music June 28, 2016

        Tràmp shut up you sta for the biggest flop in uk music history cheryl album sales literally decline every era she went from triple platinum to platinum to gold to silver lol

      • CherylSoldierr June 28, 2016

        Then y u in my dms 24/7 begging for forgiveness? Kiiiiii

    • MusicFan103 June 28, 2016

      The Hip Hop world would not have accepted her to be an “Oh my god, I’m winning again and again” type facade though. You must be confident and own yourself in like 95% of Hip Hop acts.

    • RihNavy June 28, 2016

      You should played “let’s run in the street during rush hour” but you didn’t 🙁

      • RihNavy June 28, 2016

        @Chun-Li

    • XYZ June 29, 2016

      F*** with dozens of men and then write songs bout them, while still playing the nice blond-Girl-nett-door card?

  3. MusicFan103 June 28, 2016

    I really enjoyed “Team,” I thought it was a good song. The promotion was pretty wide and spread, I mean she did Ellen and Jimmy Fallon.

    So within this case it would probably have to be product. The song would have been more suited as an album cut than a 1st single. The “Back That A** Up” interpolation was a good inclusion though. Figured it would make DJs mix the songs at clubs/bars.

    That all being said, we should realize that Iggy had multiple singles out from ‘The New Classic’ before “Fancy” stuck and it got a release date. So I think Def Jam should just continue and release the second single. Don’t lose these precious summer months where a song could easily pop for her, especially when summer was so good to Iggy in 2014! I’m ready for it, lets go Iggz!

  4. #JACKIE June 28, 2016

    She’s done. Her career was destroyed.

    • RihNavy June 28, 2016

      just like Ciara sis?

      • June 29, 2016

        Lol.

  5. Molly June 28, 2016

    She needs to go more pop like a kesha she’d probably succeed more.

  6. Barb-wire June 28, 2016

    Where’s that navy f** that said this flop ass h** was going to end Queenika? I’m still saying b**** where? Point me to that direction, h**?

    • RihNavy June 28, 2016

      And I’m here, B*TCH, so what’s up?!

    • Music June 28, 2016

      Flopnika is done trámp the flop print stalled at 682k it only went multi-platinum due to streaming the píss print tour was a flop she waa struggling to sell out ampitheaters and her star has fallen she isnt popular like she used to be

      • Danzou June 28, 2016

        @music the pink print tour sold out worldwide babe.

  7. Lana Del Zave June 28, 2016

    Ok here’s the issue. She was authentic during her mixtape days. I feel she had truly embraced the urban culture & the black community was actually welcoming at that time. It sounds weird but her label white washed her. They seem a coin opportunity and they took her authenticity away from her. Her label robbed her. If she had if stayed the c*** bad bish white girl, her stuff would’ve still sold EASILY. Nicki minaj has all age and race groups behind her. This woulda been nothing for iggy to accomplish.

    • RihNavy June 28, 2016

      And nobody about to read all that @Rosie

    • Caleb June 29, 2016

      Lol. Her label “whitewashed” her? As if she wasn’t whitewashed enough on her own.

  8. RihNavy June 28, 2016

    June 28, 2016 at 1:55 pm
    Molly says:

    +1
    -1

    Vote
    Girl you’re really serving rihnavy 2.0 Ts with the way you mention my name/fav in every post…. #IAintThinkinBoutYou

    …wottice? You are OBSESSEDT with me sis, SEEK HELP. I heard Mount Sinai hospital has some open beds and bed pans still available if you hurry.

  9. Music June 28, 2016

    Iggy been a flop

  10. Music June 28, 2016

    A cheryl fan cannot come for anybody not when cheryl is the biggest joke in the uk

  11. LmfaoHoe June 28, 2016

    No shade but Iggy time is just up is all.

  12. Weezy Tha Goat/ Zayn is ? June 28, 2016

    She basically the female version of Mackelmore.

    • Music June 28, 2016

      And lil wayne is the female version of tyrone biggumd

    • Music June 28, 2016

      And lil wayne is the female version of tyrone biggums

  13. Weezy Tha Goat/ Zayn is ? June 28, 2016

    That was fuckedyp what that guy did to her though.

  14. Lake Erie June 28, 2016

    Iggy dug her on grave. Nor her team because I think they push the hell out of her last era. But her mouth is what set her back. Does she even mingle with her peers? (Other rappers) it’s like coming into someones home and not speaking. Who the f*** are you? I think her career is over. I doubt if she has another talent so she better start investing.

  15. S****** Blonde June 28, 2016

    Never got the hype with her, she’s not even hot or pretty, Nicki and Azealia are superior in everything, girl bye, you won’t be missed.

    • Caleb June 29, 2016

      Wow you made a comment I can agree with for once!

  16. TheOuyonB June 28, 2016

    As far as “Team”, the issue actually wasn’t in the product, nor its promotion. The song, in my opinion, was a strong choice of single to launch Digital Distortion. She booked a slew of major platforms to promote the song and it had a solid recipe for success. The issue lies in her tainted public image. The industry, on a business front, doesn’t seem to have any major issue with her, probably due to her marketability and past success, but the majority of the general public is over her and her antics. I personally like Iggy. Not the best, but definitely not the worst. Unfortunately for her, I think her former “Team’s”lack of guidance and the lack of media training has damaged her career to extreme lengths. She needs to consider redefining her public image and likability, and revisit the music once she has changed some minds.

    • MusicFan103 June 28, 2016

      What a well thought out and smart response. I enjoyed reading. I too like her and don’t think she is the best but certainly not the worst.

  17. Mark111 /.\ June 28, 2016

    One day Iggy and Waclemore is taking over hip hop and the next day they’re flopping and gone. lol What short careers.
    .
    “The album debuted at number 4 on the Billboard 200, with 61,000 equivalent album units; it sold 51,000 copies in its first week in the United States.[21] The album debuted at number one on the US R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. The album dropped to number 31 in its second week on the Billboard 200.” -Wiki o Wackie’s album

  18. Danzou June 28, 2016

    It’s mitt product not promotion. She’s done. At FIRST black people were f****** with her. Then it’s like someone said above she let her label aka WHITE PEOPLE ruin her craft. They snatched the culture from her sound. When she first popped she was hot I must admit I fell in love. But then she just ruined it with inauthentic ways. The accent, the outfits, the twerking, and then the tweets just ended it all.

  19. OMG Logic!!! June 28, 2016

    Why is it cultural appropriation for White people to rap but not when Black people rock out using a guitar, or play the piano?

    • Annalise June 29, 2016

      1. Nobody said she was appropriating black culture by ‘rapping’ alone. Perhaps it has to do with the fact that she is originally from Australia with an aussie accent but raps with a stereotypical southern voice. Or the fact that she refers to herself as a ‘Slavemaster’
      2. Rock was not spearheaded by white people, you idiot. Rock originated from African American blues, country, and folk. White people were the ones that appropriated Rock from Black people in the first place.

  20. EVE of Destruction June 29, 2016

    Azillion was better tbh. It would have slayed. It was the product.

  21. ow Reddish tran ivy blokz Need UK timely Ukuyi June 29, 2016

    Wow

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