Music Review: Jennifer Lopez & Iggy Azalea "Booty"

Jennifer Lopez & Iggy Azalea

Booty

Album: A.K.A.

Year: 2014

                   Jennifer Lopez has the aspirational body asset in the  canned                “Booty.”

          The chorus, a sample of Diplo & Switch’s “Dat A Freak” opens the single. The only variation is Iggy Azalea mentioning she’s on the song now, too. It sets a cribbed tone. (“Big, big booty/What you got a big booty/It’s Iggy Iz/Big, big booty/What you got a big booty/Big, big booty/What you got a big booty/Big, big booty/What you.”)

                 In the club, there is a woman who attracts attention. She can command the entire bar and dancefloor with one look. Everyone wants to get to know her. She is full of life. People start to question what they want in their lives. (“Have you seen her on the dancefloor/She got the boom, shake the room/That’s the lightning in the thunder/You wanna meet her, you wanna touch her/See the light in her eyes/And it starts to make you wonder,”)

               In the pre-chorus, she implies she was talking about herself in the first verse. She grabs the microphone and tells the women at the bar that it’s ladies choice tonight. But they are going rub their butts against the guys as they dance. (“All the sexy girls in the party/Go and grab a man/Bring him to the dancefloor/Go on let them jeans touch when you’re dancing/It’s his birthday/Give him what he ask for/Let me show you how to do it.”)

            In the extended chorus, Lopez instructs the women on what to do and when as she adlibs “work” and “shake that.”  (“Big, big booty/What you got a big booty/Work/Big, big booty/What you got a big booty/Shake that/Big, big booty/What you got a big booty/Big, big booty/What you…”) The only slight change is the synths curve and vibrate.

           She continues to say that her confidence gets everyone out of their shell. People are unprepared for all her energy. However, she’s really well-liked and people shouldn’t really be intimidated by her. (“The way she moves/I know you want her/She light the fire, get you right/That’s the lightning and the thunder/You wanna meet her, you wanna touch her/Hold on tight for the ride/Cause you know you’re gonna love her.”)

           The pre-chorus and extended chorus are sung again.

            In the bridge, Azalea acknowledges her critics that want her to go away. But she says it’s not going to happen anytime too soon. She says Lopez helped ample butts become fashionable. She says she has own her nice-sized butt and encourages other women with the same to celebrate it. She also manages to work in a sly reference to her own hit “Fancy.” (“They begging me to drop down on it but right now Iggy on the top/The last time the world seen a booty this good, it was on Jenny from the block/I got 'em going crazy lately/But baby knowin' that only make me/Wanna tell all of my ladies to get up on the floor and just shake it, shake it/Ya'll know what I've been on, ya'll know that I've been on/I'm queen big booty Iggy, now find me a bone to sit on/Girls with the cheeks, put 'em hands in the air/Then pop that, pop that, let 'em know that you there/See everybody wanna get a taste/You know that we've got enough to share/But fact we girls with the big fat booty too fancy to ever play fair.”)

        Lopez says men fall for her all the time. They may act like they don’t care. However, in time they approach her. (“Mesmerized by the size of it /You can fight it if you like take your time/I can guarantee you’ll have the time of your life/Throw up your hands if you love a big booty.”)

             A variation of the chorus/sample is done. (“Big big big big big big booty/What you…/Big big big big big big booty/What you…/Big big big big big big/Let me show you how to do it/Work/Shake that/Go to work.”)

              The extended chorus ends the single.

                Lopez’s  half-spoken,  prideful vocals try take back her place as  the most wanted body in Hollywood again. She isn’t naming names but might as well be. The exception being, though, is Azalea who defers to her. The media loved her first.

               Azalea’s no- nonsense rap  can finally back up her bravado on “Fancy.” She is on every single right now and everybody wants her on their songs. She gets her pop culture right. Lopez was the start of the booty trend in the mainstream.Her fake Southern accent is also  toned down. She is developing her own style but it’s taking time.  

She is  excellent at thirty-second intervals. However, a full three minutes is still taxing. Nonetheless (and I can’t believe I’m saying this after my “Black Widow” review), she fits the track better than Pitbull ever did.

              The Diplo & Switch sample is the entire song. The main difference is now words are said over it. Nothing new is done with it. It’s obscure enough not to be noticeable at first. However, samples don’t have to be hunted to down anymore. It loses whatever magic it may have had.

              The  misleading “Booty” has a fantastic sample and it’s Diplo that should be given the credit for its instant memetic effect.