Iggy Azalea and Charli XCX are often daubed “queens” by their own respective fans, and if anyone knows about pop queens, they know they are always in for a “slaying”. In a constant battle of oneupmanship, fans of different factions gather on tumblr or soundcloud leaving comments about how their “queen” is better than the other.
Of course, this is obviously fuelled by the queens themselves, so it’s not uncommon to see virtual fights popping up and involving anything from Azealia Banks to Nicki Minaj fans. This time though, Azalea and Charli XCX got together, and what they created is a neo-pop yin-yang.
The artists couldn’t be more musically antithetical, but they are sort of respected by a very homogenous crowd, so “Fancy” was going to be an internet sensation no matter what.
The brilliantly executed video – which, if you haven’t watched it yet, you should now – a recreation of the 90s classic “Clueless”,
only cemented the attention and focus of the 90s nostalgic crowd.
Their faux-pop stardom and primeval urge to dominate and conquer is wonderfully displayed in the content of the track, albeit being a relatively minimalistic piece.
Led by a chunky synth and claps, with a hint of retro “Hey”s, Iggy gives a masterclass in bravado and machismo – or should it be called feminismo? Braggadocio isn’t anything new, especially since quite a number of female artists have been doing it recently, but Azalea’s flow is so likeable and confident that it’s simply addictive.
Charli XCX takes the reins of the playful and boasting chorus, sounding like a swagger-man’s Queen Bey – see “Flawless” and compare.
She also yelps the middle eight, charting the classic rock star behaviour which is to be expected by the female artists.
The track is a sum of simple, rehashed themes, but altogether is unavoidably reassuring and empowering, not too dissimilar from Mark Hanna’s humming and chest beating, in a sort of primitive, dominant way.
