Amethyst Amelia Kelly (born 7 June 1990), known professionally as Iggy Azalea ( ə-ZAY-lee-ə), is an Australian model, businesswoman and former rapper. Born in Sydney, Azalea moved to the United States at age 16 to pursue a career in music. She gained recognition on YouTube with the music videos for her 2011 songs "Pussy" and "Two Times", before self-releasing her debut mixtape Ignorant Art (2011) and signing with American rapper T.I.'s Grand Hustle Records. Azalea's debut studio album, The New Classic (2014), peaked within the top five of several charts worldwide and later topped the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, making her the first non-American female rapper to achieve the feat. The album's lead single, "Fancy" (featuring Charli XCX), was a major commercial success, topping the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and earning a nomination for Record of the Year at the 2015 Grammy Awards. Azalea also featured on Ariana Grande's 2014 single "Problem", which peaked at number two behind "Fancy", making her only the second act after the Beatles to hold the top two positions on the chart simultaneously with debut entries. A further single from the album, "Black Widow" (featuring Rita Ora), also reached the top ten. Following her debut album, Azalea released several singles intended for a planned second album, Digital Distortion. However, ongoing conflicts with her record label, compounded by personal difficulties, led to the project's cancellation. She subsequently signed with Island Records, releasing her fourth extended play, Survive the Summer (2018). Further disputes with the label prompted Azalea to self-release her second studio album, In My Defense (2019), followed by the EP Wicked Lips (2019) and her third studio album, The End of an Era (2021). In 2024, Azalea announced her retirement from music via social media, as reported by Billboard. Azalea is one of the best-selling female rappers in the world. Her accolades include two American Music Awards, three Billboard Music Awards, an MTV Video Music Award, a People's Choice Award and four Teen Choice Awards, as well as four Grammy Awards nominations. Her YouTube channel, together with collaborators, has accumulated over 7 billion views, and 15 of her music videos have surpassed 100 million views on Vevo.
