Iggy Azalea has responded to accusations of 'Blackfishing' from social media users after releasing the new video for her single 'I Am The Strip Club'.
The video for the Australian rapper's new single was released on July 2, with Azalea taking to Instagram to celebrate the track's launch. The 31-year-old wrote in a post: "This song is really special to me - Seriously!"
She continued: "Hope you guys LOVE the song & the video [...] This is my art, it makes me happy creating it and gives me purpose - So I hope someone is out this weekend dancing to this song! Your support matters to me so much I hope I can make everyone proud".
The music video for the track features Azalea - real name Amethyst Amelia Kelly - wearing a variety of outfits and wigs, but one look, in particular, drew criticism from social media users.
Donning a black wig, hooped earrings, and what many perceived as darker makeup (later refuted by Azalea), the rapper was hit with accusations of "Blackfishing" by social media users.
Despite the video drawing over 1 million views on YouTube in its first 24 hours, Azalea has now hit headlines for the backlash, with one fan writing: "I don’t know who that woman of color is, but it certainly ain’t Amethyst Amelia Kelly, known professionally as Iggy Azalea, who moved to the United States from Australia at the age of sixteen."
A second tweeted: "Two pictures of Iggy Azalea from her new music video and she is blackfishing. This white woman is about 14 shades darker than her natural skin tone and her whole face structure looks different. She’s got long black hair and hoops."
A third agreed, writing: "Iggy Azalea is serving blackfishing."
"Why does Iggy look like Cardi??? Stop blackfishing @IGGYAZALEA," a fourth typed.
However, Azalea has now responded to the critiques, writing in a tweet from her personal Twitter account: "I’m the same color as I always am, just in a dimly lit room with red lights. It’s the same makeup from every other part of the video just with a Smokey eye and different wig."
This was further clarified by Azalea's makeup artist for the video, Eros Gomez, who tweeted in response to a critic: "She [Azalea] literally wore the same face makeup during every scene of the video... i would know, i did it. And its a shade 6 from armani luminous silk (a light/medium olive undertoned shade if you're curious) [sic]".
To which, Azalea repied: "Exactly. I’m the same color as the other white dancer in the room and not anywhere close to the color of the black dancers.
"People will say ANYthing to try and cancel me and it’s actually kinda funny to watch people so worked up over a black wig and Smokey eye."
Responding to another fan, the 31-year-old rapper later tweeted: "I literally do not care like, I knew the internet would break if I wore a black wig. That’s why I wore one."
What do you think of Azalea's look and music video? Let us know in the comments section.
