Buyers of
Iggy Azalea's debut album
The New Classic may complain that the release of
Reclassified is a redundant cash-in that's downright unfair, as this reissued/retitled/rebirthed LP is nothing but its predecessor with five tracks now replaced by new numbers, and mostly for the better. Much missed is the original album's electro dancehall highlight "Lady Patra" with special guest
Mavado, but tantalizing privileged party anthems like "Change Your Life" with
T.I. make the cut, while the massive hit "Fancy" is certainly here, so perfect in its detached sass that, like everything else, it appears in its original mix with
Charli XCX and no trap music additions or extra
Rick Ross verses crammed in. Speaking of trap, new number "Beg for It" featuring
MØ is like electro diva
Robyn went trap, and as such, climbs the highlight chart to number two, right after "Fancy." Newcomer "Iggy SZN" is wonderful schoolyard silliness and helps to add some charm to
Iggy's ice-queen persona, but the pop-rap power ballad "Heavy Crown" is only here because
Ellie Goulding is a required hire in 2014, although it's exciting to hear the breathy vocalist bark "but bitch I got it now!" as if she were a tweaked-out Betty Boop. In the end,
Reclassified is a better effort than
The New Classic and offers more bang for the buck, but this "release it until you get it right" blueprint is concerning for consumers, who now have a choice between rebuying it all or seeking out the new numbers on their own. Plus, the original said "
The New Classic" right on the cover, so what kind of guidance was that? ~ David Jeffries