Grammy-nominated rapper Iggy Azalea keeps it short and druggy on the skeletal banger, “Tokyo Snow Trip,” the second track on the ‘Survive the Summer (EP).’   

“Pinocchio nose drip, Tokyo snow trip / Wake up in Mexico, buenas noches.” Hmm, sounds druggy to me.  Give Iggy Azalea credit – now she seems committed to returning to music.  It’s been four years since The New Classic and Reclassified arrived. On her promo single, “Kream”, Azalea focused on just two things: ass and money.  Literally. On the shorter single, “Tokyo Snow Trip,” she also focuses on merely two things: drugs (“My dope, the dopest / Fall asleep with the stove lit”) and money (“Hush money in the sofa” and “Came, came in a Benz, not a Focus”).  Yep, that’s about the size of it.

“Tokyo Snow Trip” features hard-nosed minimal, skeletal production work.  Upon first hearing the record, it definitely sounds like it’s intended for the club. Nothing wrong with that – that’s sort of where Iggy Azalea has aimed with certain songs in her career.  Azalea uniquely performs this with a whispered approach at times. Yes, she admits reminisces back to “Wait (The Whisper Song)”.  Beyond the unorthodox vocal approach, the form is also unorthodox, lacking any verses.  That means that “Tokyo Snow Trip” is built on the bridge, pre-chorus, chorus, and post-chorus.  Worth noting as well, this record barely crosses the two-minute mark.

Final Thoughts 

Ultimately, “Tokyo Snow Trip” is an interesting listen.  Every now and then, there’s nothing wrong with a brief banger that’s intended to be no more than that. Still, this record totally lacks substance other than the many drug references Iggy Azalea makes.  Take it with a grain of salt.

Iggy Azalea • Survive the Summer – EP • Island • Release: 8.3.18

Photo Credit: Island