In 2021, Iggy Azalea was accused of “Blackfishing” after viewers claimed she was sporting a darker-than-usual skin complexion in her “I Am The Strip Club” music video. The term was coined in 2018 by journalist Wanna Thompson, who told CNN, that it was used to describe influential white celebrities who change their appearance to appear Black. “Whether that means to tan their skin excessively in an attempt to achieve ambiguity, and wear hairstyles and clothing trends that have been pioneered by Black women,” she elaborated.
The music video was a stark contrast for the artist, who traded her light blonde locks and fair complexion for a black wig and a browner skin tone. On Twitter, Azalea denied any conscious wrongdoing, writing, “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 [a] different wig.”
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Regardless, netizens had plenty of mixed opinions on the matter. In response to a CNN feature regarding the controversy, one user tweeted, “Black culture is the blueprint. It’s copied all over the world, yet in the end, black people are erased from it while others get to rewarded.” Meanwhile, in response to Azalea’s denial tweet, others responded in support of the star, with one tweeting, “You be you cuz haters are gonna hate.” Despite those who defended her, the artist would continue to battle similar accusations.
