Iggy Azalea‘s comeback tour continued last night with a polished, graceful performance of her Surviving The Summer single, “Savior,” on The Late Late Show with James Corden.
Stripping down her performance to a minimalist stage design consisting of a neon arch and dressed simply in a black jumpsuit, Iggy posted up on the mic front and center while flanked by a multi-ethnic choir that embellished the chorus chants. Quavo of Migos did not make an appearance, but Iggy seemed more than capable of holding down the stage on her own.
The scaled-back presentation did wonders for the Australian rapper’s performance, highlighting her stage presence without the gimmickry of her old stage shows. Without any backup dancers, she can focus on her delivery, which for all her faults has always been her strong suit.
While it remains to be seen whether “Savior” can marshal enough support to get Iggy’s career back on track after her disastrous Digital Distortion promotion campaign, the new look and new label situation seem to be working in her favor so far. Her newfound earnestness, if extended through the entire upcoming Surviving The Summer project, may even go a long way toward easing the various complaints about her hijacking Black musical styles.
If nothing else, the new, more honest Iggy provides more entertainment value from burning Nick Young’s clothes than the old Iggy did beefing with hip-hop legends. Maybe her career might catch a spark too.
