Bounce (Iggy Azalea song)

"Bounce"
Song

"Bounce" is a song by Australian rapper Iggy Azalea featured on her debut studio album The New Classic (2014). It was written by Azalea, Speedy Jay, Talay Riley, Oladayo Olatunji, Natalie Sims and Reeva & Black, and produced by the latter. Developed as a summer anthem, it differed stylistically from Azalea's previous releases in terms of both lyrics and sound. Initially, Azalea did not want to include the song on her album, but was convinced otherwise by her record label and her mentor, Nas. "Bounce" premiered on 27 April 2013 on BBC Radio 1 and was released on 24 May 2013 as the album's second single in selected international territories. Following several release delays, "Bounce" was made available in Ireland on 5 July 2013, and in the United Kingdom on 7 July 2013. The track draws influence from club and pop-rap music genres, and features Azalea rapping over a pulsating house beat. Lyrically, the song contains themes of celebration, enjoyment and dance.

The song received generally positive reviews from music critics, some of whom noted its club production and summer feel. Critics praised Azalea's delivery on the song and generally characterized it as a summer anthem. "Bounce" was compared to American recording artist Kesha and Dutch band 2 Unlimited's "No Limit" (1993). Commercially, the song bettered the peak of Azalea's previous single "Work" in the United Kingdom, reaching number 13 on the UK Singles Chart. It attained top ten positions in Scotland and on the UK R&B Chart, and also charted in Australia, Belgium and Ireland.

The accompanying music video for "Bounce" was directed by Japanese-American directing team BRTHR, and premiered on VEVO on 6 May 2013. The clip was filmed in Mumbai, India, and drew its inspiration from disco era Bollywood actress Parveen Babi. It featured Azalea performing traditional Indian dance routines in a Holi celebration, riding an Indian elephant through the streets of Mumbai, and showing several sari outfit changes. Critics and viewers were divided in their response to the video. Some felt Azalea's video was an affront to Indian culture while others praised it as a celebration of that culture. It was compared by many reviewers to the music video for "Come & Get It" by American recording artist Selena Gomez.

The clip amassed over 15 million YouTube views and was recognized with a mtvU Woodie Award nomination. Azalea performed "Bounce" live at various music festivals and performance events, and on tour as a supporting act for Beyoncé on The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour (2013). It also featured in the set list for Azalea's first headliner tour, The New Classic Tour (2014). The song was further popularized by a remix created by DJ Green Lantern, and appeared on the soundtrack for American film Vampire Academy (2014).

Background

"Bounce" was co-written by Azalea, Dutch disc jockey Speedy Jay, British singer-songwriters Talay Riley and Oladayo Olatunji, Natalie Sims, and the song's producers Reeva & Black. It was developed for Azalea's debut studio album, The New Classic (2014). During the composition of the track, Azalea wanted to pursue a change in direction from her previous single "Work". She said that "Work" showcased her serious side and "Bounce" showed that she had a fun side as well. The song was written with the intention of being "something light and fun for the summer", and a "festival anthem" about celebration. She completed the song's recording in March 2013, while on tour with American rapper Nas in London. Co-writer Olatunji, who goes by the stage name of Ms D, provided backing vocals for the track. She recorded the song with Azalea at Grove Studios in London, and her vocals were engineered by Reeva & Black. Anthony Kilhoffer completed the mixing process, with the assistance of Kyle Ross, at The Mix Spot in Los Angeles.

"I feel like 'Work' was a really good song for people to get to know me as it's obviously biographical. With 'Bounce', I wanted to make sure people know there's a fun side to me as well as the sombre and serious one. Some of the fans have been a bit freaked out by the song and asking me why I'm going pop. I'm like, 'It's not all pop, it's summer - relax!'"

—Iggy Azalea speaking to Digital Spy about the song.

In an interview with Richard Peckett of the Boston Metro, Azalea said that "Bounce" was the most commercial song featured on The New Classic and that it was incorporated into the album because she wanted "to see how the pop-rap thing would go". Speaking to Nicola Butler of GQ, Azalea said that the song was very different from her previous releases. Initially, Azalea felt "Bounce" was a risky single choice and consulted Nas about the song. In an interview with Complex writer Justin Monroe, she stated, "with 'Bounce,' I was like, 'It's a pop record. I don't know.' [Nas] was like, 'Just fucking do it. It's something different. It's one song, what's the big deal?' I couldn't believe Nas was telling me to do a hip-pop record." Azalea then went ahead and released the song as a single. Upon deciding the track listing for The New Classic, Azalea at first did not want the song to feature on the album; her record label, however, changed her mind and "Bounce" later featured as one of the album's three bonus tracks. She felt that it was not well suited to The New Classic, particularly compared to her other singles "Work" and "Change Your Life". Azalea wanted to emulate dance and electronic sounds with rap elements and melodies on the album, and did not see "Bounce" as representative of that concept.

Release

"Bounce" was the second single from The New Classic in the United Kingdom and selected international territories, while "Change Your Life" was the album's second single in the United States and Canada. On 15 April 2013, the title of the track was unveiled in an announcement about the release of its accompanying music video. Azalea then tweeted the single's artwork on 24 April 2013, and stated that "Bounce" would be released on 5 May 2013. British disc jockey Annie Mac premiered the song, during her BBC Radio 1 show on 27 April 2013. Following the premiere, Azalea uploaded an audio of the song onto her SoundCloud and YouTube channels. Prior to release, the song was met with high demand from Azalea's fans in the United Kingdom. On 23 May 2013, Azalea responded in a press release, "The problem with kids - and I was one of these people too - is that they think they work in the industry and know how it all works. They're like, 'put 'Bounce' out now or it's gonna flop!'. I'm like, 'I need to promote it first or it's gonna flop!'. It's coming out on July 8 and I need fans to trust their fave on this one because it's for the best. I need to hashtag that - #trustyourfaves." "Bounce" was released in selected international territories on 24 May 2013, as a digital extended play (EP). The EP included the song's instrumental and a capella versions, and a remix by DJ Green Lantern. It was made available in the United Kingdom for pre-order on 7 June 2013, with a release date of 7 July 2013. BBC Radio 1 A-listed the song on 26 June 2013. Azalea premiered a remix of the song by disc jockey Jester online on 27 June 2013, and said that the release date for "Bounce" in the United Kingdom had been brought forward to 30 June 2013. It was, however, postponed again and inevitably released on 5 July 2013 in Ireland, and 7 July 2013 in the United Kingdom.

Composition

"Bounce" is a club pop-rap song which runs for a duration of two minutes and 47 seconds. It incorporates elements of house and Eastern music, and combines Azalea's fast-paced rapping, rhyming and spitting abilities with a "club-friendly" house beat. "Bounce" is introduced with ramping beats and "squiggles", winding synths, and tabla and sarangi instrumentation. Reeva & Black cast deep bass and a timed build-drop formula against Azalea's varied delivery of "digging" into certain words and lifting off on others. Sonically, the song is a hybrid of busy production and energetic vocals which was deemed "overwhelming" and "unrelentless" by music critics. Azalea raps the pre-chorus "All about money, the nice never ending / We party til morning, tomorrow we kick it" using a trill technique and an American drawl accent leading up to the song's breakdown chorus. During the track's verses, Azalea employs a no-nonsense expletive-riddle technique. According to Lewis Corner of Digital Spy, the pre-chorus in "Bounce" recalls "pop-friendly sheen", and its breakdown chorus causes its listener "to adhere to the song title's command". The main chorus features the lyric "Shake it, break it, make it bounce" repeated over a pounding, pulsating beat. It is accompanied by Azalea's "vivacious" flow play and rhythm. According to Leila Brillson from Refinery29 the song serves as a change in direction from Azalea's "simmering hip hop tracks", Brillson opined, "Iggy Azalea gets a bit dance-y, with big breakdowns and super fast rapping, demonstrating she's aiming not just for rap fans, but for the late-night crowd, too." Vibe journalist Charley Rogulewski wrote that "Bounce" added a pop element to Azalea's "trademark trap sound".

Lyrically, "Bounce" is about being care free and shows Azalea's playful side. It speaks to enjoying life, partying, and dancing. According to Idolator's Sam Lansky, the lyrics "Let ya hair down and shake that shit / Sweat it out, go nuts in this bitch / Dip it, spin it, and watchin' my hips / I see you watchin' my hips / Crazy, move your body like Swayze" are party-happy uncomplicated fun. Azalea's vocal was described by Jon O'Brien of Yahoo! Music as a combination of the "trailer-trash pop" of American recording artist Kesha and the "playful fast-paced hip-hop" of Trinidadian-American rapper Nicki Minaj. Charley Rogulewski of Vibe echoed O'Brien's view, saying that the song sounded "not too far removed from a Kesha track". Musically, "Bounce" has been compared to Azalea's work with Diplo on her TrapGold mixtape, and Dutch band 2 Unlimited's "No Limit" (1993).

Critical reception

Azalea performing "Bounce" at the The Music Hall in Toronto on The New Classic Tour (2014).

"Bounce" garnered generally positive reviews from music critics. Digital Spy's Lewis Corner gave the song four stars out of five and described it as a "summer anthem". Corner opined that the track felt "slightly lighter" than Azalea's previous releases, adding, "but if it means she crosses over into superstardom territory, it's a job well done". Alex Scordelis of Paper highlighted "Bounce" as a "booty-shaking track". A journalist for BET wrote that Azalea "rode the beat perfectly" on the song. Vancity Buzz praised the track for its "unrelenting energy, thumping beat, pristine hooks" and Azalea's "signature crisp flow". Jon O'Brien of Yahoo! Music felt that "Bounce" was far more accessible than Azalea's previous single "Work", and called it "one of the most immediate twerk anthems of the year". O'Brien stated that with "Bounce", Azalea had "sneakily crept up from behind to take over the mantle" her contemporary, Azealia Banks as "the most exciting new female rapper". Rolling Stone journalist Monica Herrera likened the song to the style of American rapper Pitbull, writing, "'Bounce' tosses dollars into the nightclub air with Pitbull-eque glee". Eric Diep from XXL praised Azalea's "rapid-fire rhymes" on the song, and said, "['Bounce'] will certainly burn up the dance floor". Idolator's Sam Lansky called the track a "twerk anthem" and felt Azalea evoked a "nastier Kesha", and considered "Bounce" to be Azalea's most impressive and most commercial single. A writer for Rap-Up lauded the song as Azalea's "new anthem", and opined that it was timed for shaking up the dance floor in the summer. Lucy O'Brien of The Quietus honed the song as "irrepressible", and Rory Cashin from Entertainment.ie felt its production was "overwhelmingly busy in a good way". MTV Buzzworthy's Rachel Brodsky deemed the track a "club-ready, one-word anthem".

In a review of The New Classic, Kyle Moody from the Marquette Wire listed "Bounce" as a highlight on the album, and favored Azalea's sound and style on the song over her more rap-orientated tracks. Entertainment Weekly's Kyle Anderson described the song as "thumping" and "a thoroughbred entry in the song of summer race". Refinery29's Hayden Manders felt "Bounce" employed deep bass, confident lyrics and a well-timed build/drop formula, "three aural traits [that] can be found in any Top 40 track today, but Azalea's delivery — the way she digs into certain words and lifts off on others — keeps them fresh and uniquely her." MOBO Awards journalist Adenike Gboyega called the track "the perfect summer song". Ricardo Rodriguez of Fuse praised the number's EDM vibe, and said that it was a "[song] on the album which you can just let loose, party and enjoy". Complex reviewers were divided on the song, Brian Josephs called the song a "[clear] club banger", while David Drake criticized Azalea's "nimble rapping and forced accent". In his review, Drake mentioned, "['Bounce'] is the kind of thing that might work in the UK, where a digitally-animated frog once had a No. 1 hit with a cover of the theme to Beverly Hills Cop, but this will probably be a long shot at getting stateside club play". A writer for British magazine Clash dismissed "Bounce" as an inferior version of 2 Unlimited's "No Limit" and criticized the song for its lack of tune.

Chart performance

In Australia, "Bounce" failed to appear on the main singles chart, but bowed at number 18 on the Australian Urban Singles Chart on 10 June 2013. The song debuted at its peak of number 34 on the Irish Singles Chart 11 July 2013, marking Azalea's first top 40 hit in the country. It dropped to number 55 in its second week, and spent four weeks on the chart in total. "Bounce" became Azalea's first top ten hit in Scotland, after it debuted at its peak of number ten on the Scottish Singles Chart on 20 July 2013. In its second week, the song fell to number 28, and went on to accumulate a total of three weeks within the chart's top 40. Following several release delays in the United Kingdom, "Bounce" was released on 7 July 2013, and due to high demand, appeared at number eight on the midweek chart compiled by Music Week. Speaking to NME, Azalea stated that she was pleased with the result, deeming it "really good". The song's sales, however, slacked off during the rest of week, and it debuted at its peak of number 13 on the UK Singles Chart on 20 July 2013. According to a report by Alan Jones of Music Week, "Bounce" amassed a sales total of 22,401 copies in its first week on sale in the United Kingdom. It bettered the peak of number 17 achieved by Azalea's previous single "Work", but had a brief chart run of four weeks within the chart's top 75. "Bounce" was more successful on the UK R&B Chart where it bowed at number three on 20 July 2013. It was Azalea's second consecutive single to reach the top three on the chart, and charted for a total of ten weeks in the top 40.

Music video

Background and inspiration

The music video for "Bounce" was directed by Japanese-American directing team BRTHR, consisting of Alex Lee and Kyle Wightman. BRTHR previously applied to direct the clip for "Work" but lost to French directing team Jonas & Francois. They tried again with "Bounce" because of their strong interest in working with Azalea. The clip was filmed in several streets, slums and Bollywood sets located in Mumbai, India. Azalea's label wanted BRTHR to work with executive producer Eli Born because they felt confident in him after he shot "Work". BRTHR was guided by their producer Brendan Lynch and executive producer Geoff McLean. The clip's post time was over a 10-12 day period with 16-18 hour working days. Red Digital and Zeiss Ultra Primes were incorporated for the video's filming.

For the music video Azalea envisioned an Eastern theme, due to the song's Eastern influence and her fascination with Bollywood films. The music video later conceptualized after BRTHR listened to "Bounce" and acknowledged the song's play on Eastern music, namely its tabla drum and Indian violin melody. BRTHR felt that the video could have easily been about twerking, but thought other directors would write that for the clip. They also recognized Azalea's twerking in "Work", and wanted "Bounce" to be a classier video where Azalea would look "classy-sexy" and show less skin. Accordingly, BRTHR wrote an Indian wedding treatment for the video with Azalea as its featured bride, which they submitted to Azalea and her team. Azalea approved of the concept and mentioned, "Yup, this one's it! And we're not shooting in LA and faking Bollywood. Let's get on a plane, and shoot it in India. And I want to ride an elephant." Stylist Alejandra Hernandez was hired for Azalea's wardrobe for the clip. She drew inspiration from the Bollywood disco era and Indian actress Parveen Babi for the video. Hernandez felt that Babi was "such an Indian bombshell" and that the costumes during the 1960s and 1970s in Bollywood were "next level". Incorporating her inspiration, Hernandez obtained bold saris for the clip. Hernandez prepared Azalea's costumes for the music video in Los Angeles and had creations made in London and Mumbai. Azalea's jewelry was bought in Mumbai, and in an interview with MTV News Hernandez stated, "I knew that I would find the coolest jewelry there. I didn't even waste my time looking in The States". BRTHR originally wanted to shoot the clip in Los Angeles because of budget constraints, but Azalea responded, "No way. Let's go to India and do it properly." BRTHR had planned to use a wedding hall in Los Angeles, however, Azalea and her team each invested an amount for the video's filming budget. BRTHR stated that Azalea had put in a "tremendous" amount of her own money into the project, and that her investment was "instrumental" in making the production a reality. Azalea's main intention for the visual was to make it look like a lot of fun, and to perpetuate escapism. She felt that it was important to bring fantasy back into music videos and hoped that "Bounce" would serve as a means of escapism for her audience, while BRTHR wanted the clip to serve as a celebration of Indian culture. Azalea and her team employed an Indian filming crew and spent the video's budget entirely in India. In an interview with Michael Pell of MTV UK, Azalea elaborated on the video's inspiration,

"My mother growing up was really, really close friends with an Indian women. She ended up having an arranged marriage oddly enough and I remember going to her wedding and it was one of the only weddings that I've EVER been to, besides my own mother's, and it was the biggest party, the most fun ever. So when I was doing 'Bounce', you know I don't actually drink or smoke so I thought I don't wanna do a video in a club like poppin' bottles and all this stuff, although the song's about partying. I [wanted to] do a celebration… and it made me think of that experience with my mother's friend going to an Indian wedding and having the most crazy and amazing time and I though I wanna do an Indian wedding! And I wanna do it in India! And I wanna do it properly...and I put an elephant in there for good luck."

Filming and release

Azalea's mentor, American rapper T.I., was scheduled to make a cameo appearance in the clip, but due to a long waiting period for obtaining a visa in India, he was unable to pitch for the shoot. Prior to filming, Lynch contacted Stratum Films in Mumbai, to secure locations and extras for the shoot. Stratum sent BRTHR auditions for the video's main characters. While choreographer, Devang Desai, assembled Indian dancers and worked with Azalea to create a Bollywood dance routine that was unique to "Bounce" and Azalea's style. BRTHR worked with Desai for the clip's dance routines, to correctly adhere to Indian tradition. Indian producer Avinash Shankar served as BRTHR's consultant for scenes and imagery which would come across as culturally offensive. Originally, BRTHR had developed a narrative component for the video's introduction. It featured a speech introducing Azalea at the wedding. The scene, however, proved too challenging because of its large setup. The scene was ultimately scrapped and in the post process, BRTHR had to reconstruct the entire introduction for the video that would lead up to the dance routine scene. With the scrap, however, BRTHR felt that the video was better off in some ways.

The Indian elephant in the music video took a month for Azalea's filming team to find. Outside of the clip's celebration scenes, BRTHR "went guerrilla by filming 'run and gun'" in Mumbai's streets. In order to complete some of the video's shots, the directing team were forced to pay local police, because the filming of wild animals in Mumbai's streets was against the city's law. The scene was filmed by Born and Lee, from the rooftops of their cars. During the clip's filming in Mumbai's slums, BRTHR had to maintain a small crew because locals would complain and call the police. There was also a law that their filming equipment would be confiscated if they were shooting on the street without a permit. The police and law issues were accordingly dealt with by the video's production manager Ganesh Shetty. The music video was completed after eight "grueling" and "intense" cuts. BRTHR stated in an interview with YCN that "Bounce" was the most difficult music video that they had directed. In the interview, the pair mentioned, "Working in Mumbai was one of the most insane, surreal experiences of our lives. Filming in a foreign country as diverse and unique as India is, it's hard to prepare for all the complications that might arise". The directing team encountered several difficulties with the clip's on location production process and final version editing. BRTHR spent weeks sending edits back and forth to Azalea and her team. The pair stated in their interview with ICN, "As tiring as the process was, it was worth it in the end." In an interview with Rap-Up, Azalea stated, "Shooting 'Bounce' in India was surreal. It's just so crazy to dream something so big and actually see it happen".

On 1 May 2013, Azalea unveiled a teaser for the music video on music website Digital Spy. The teaser depicted Azalea wearing a headdress made out of little yellow flowers, checking a monitor, behind the scenes of the music video. Prior to the clip's release, Azalea posted images of her wardrobe from the visual on Instagram. The music video for "Bounce" premiered on VEVO on 6 May 2013.

Synopsis

A scene from the clip where Azalea sports a red sari and bindi inspired by Bollywood actress Parveen Babi.

The music video opens with a bird's-eye view of Mumbai, and Azalea's name and "Bounce" fore fronted in large yellow capital font. Scenes are shown of locals in the city's streets and a young Indian boy standing with a shocked expression on his face—a theme featured throughout the music video. The visual transcends into a segment where children are seen playing cricket and the words 'directed by BRTHR' appear in large yellow capital font. In another scene, Azalea is pictured in a gold bodysuit with Hindu-inspired attire, slouching on top of an Indian elephant. She resembles "a ghetto version" of the Hindu deity Ganesha in this segment. The song begins with Azalea and a troupe of Indian female dancers entering a darkened Bollywood set for a traditional Indian wedding. Azalea and the dancers begin engaging in belly dancing sequences and a modernized Indian dance routines, and are all dressed in traditional red saris with bindis. During the scene, snippets are shown of Azalea walking and dancing in Mumbai's slums. At the Bollywood set, a large Indian family are seen celebrating, drinking and dancing during Azalea and her troupe's performance. The visual transcends into a garden scene where Azalea dances in a green saris which is intercepted with a segment of her riding the elephant through a busy street in the city. In another street scene, she is transported in a auto-rickshaw with wind blowing through her hair. The visual returns to a segment where Azalea is seen lying with her back on top of the elephant, performing ethnic hand movements. This is intercepted with Azalea in a blue saris dancing next to Indian children at a cluttered platform while elders stare on. Snippets are shown of paint being made and elders smoking out of handmade pipes.

The production returns to the Bollywood set where Azalea is seen dancing and bouncing at the wedding. The Indian family form a circle and rotate positions for one person to be in the centre. The dancing is paused occasionally with the use of slow motion to clearly portray the guests facial expressions and enjoyment. The wedding is intercepted with optical illusion scenes of Azalea dancing in front of a moving backdrop which conveys Hindu symbolism. In another scene, Azalea performs in a Holi celebration, dressed in a white sari with a golden crown. She is surrounded by children who throw and spray paint on her, and each other. An image of a Hindu temple is also shown intercepted with the aforementioned illusion scene at its forefront. All scenes are suddenly sped up and switch constantly from one to the other towards the video's final segment. In the ending scene, Azalea drives off on a motorcycle and a flower bunch is shot in the air, with its petals falling upon her.

Reception

As of 7 May 2014, the music video for "Bounce" amassed over 14 million combined YouTube views. It is the music video with the least amount of YouTube view of the singles Azalea has released. In an interview with Anne Fullerton of Marie Claire, Azalea stated that the view total was a result of her being fully dressed and not displaying her bottom. The video was recognized with a mtvU Woodie Award nomination for Best Video, but lost to Chance The Rapper's "Everybody's Something". Many music critics compared the visual to the music video for "Come & Get It" by American recording artist Selena Gomez. Radio station Mai FM deemed the music video "dope" and praised it for its "vivid" colouring and features. Digital Spy's Lewis Corner wrote, "We knew she had the tunes, but now we know she has some moves". The Daily Beast writer Jean Trinh opined that Azalea never disappoints with her music video releases, and described the clip as "entertaining" and "breathtaking". Liza Darwin of MTV News praised the clip's fashion and Azalea's appearance, and stated, "now that the clip's finally premiered, everyone can bask in its glimmering, glittering glory". Cosmopolitan writer Natalie Wall complimented the visual's Bollywood theme and deemed Azalea her "new style crush". Music website SoulCulture lauded the music video as "colourful and vibrant". Ingrid Kesa of Oyster felt the visual picked up on the trend of filming a high budget video in a developing country. Stephen Kearse of Respect. felt that the artistic textures in the visual were "so rich that the song and music video became inextricable, each always invoking each other". Kearse went on to write that the clip brought the song to life, adding, "It is unclear whether or not the song was produced with such an affinity for Indian images, but the match up genuinely works". Brian Josephs of Complex complimented the music video for avoiding the cliché of a club setting, despite "Bounce" being a club song, and deemed the visual "fun to watch". MTV Buzzworthy's Jenna Hally Rubenstein called the music video "a bright, colourful Bollywood-esque piece", and said, "if anyone can figure out how to charm a giant tusked beast, it's probably Iggy". Music Times journalist Dominique Zonyee described the clip as "elaborate, eyepopping, colourful and vibrant", and wrote, "it is easy to get lost in the track and visuals and ignore the words".

Cultural appropriation imagery

"We made sure we weren't offending anyone. Obviously, there's shit talk about cultural appropriation and racism on YouTube, but that's just YouTube. We made sure we weren't offending anyone because we had Bollywood producer on our set. He said, 'This is all good.' If there were some parts where he thought, 'Maybe we shouldn't do that,' we didn't do it. We didn't do anything that he told us not to, which wasn't even that much. We just had to take out a swear word in the dialogue. We just had to make sure she wasn't wearing anything too offensive in some scenes, but that's about it."

—BRTHR's Alex Lee on the music video's cultural appropriation claims.

"Bounce" created a media uproar after the release of the video because of its use of Indian culture imagery. Many critics and viewers felt the video promoted cultural appropriation, while others commended it for doing the opposite. In their publication, Mullum rapper raises cultural storm - again, Australian newspaper denoted, "The video has been met with rapture by some fans, but others commenting on the video on YouTube have been less flattering - accusing her of cultural appropriation." The newspaper also highlighted some of the video's opposing and supportive comments on YouTube: "This went beyond cultural appropriation and entered the realm of religious insult"; "It does not make sense that the artist and director would shoot a video to offend people who support her music. Actually I think the video is a beautiful display of culture, and I am sure India benefited (financially) from the 'on location' filming.". Elicia Sanchez of Autostraddle placed the music video at number eight in her list, Top 10 Instances of Open and Unapologetic Celebrity Cultural Appropriation in 2013. Sanchez wrote that she was "astounded at the sheer meta-level of cultural appropriation" in the clip and criticized the video for being "all over the place". She felt that Azalea inaccurately evoked her misinformed view of Ganesha during the clip and dismissed the video for several "egregious offences". Sanchez wrote that the clip problematic was because of "the meshing of several elements of actual Indian culture and stereotypical Indian culture, and the presentation of this culture as a 'fashion trend.'" Kaavya Lakshmanan of Schema Magazine did not find Azalea's Indian attire offensive but questioned the intent behind it, "Is it truly imitation for the sake of flattery, for the sake of cultural curiosity, if the bindi becomes an exotic fashion statement, a costume piece?". She said that with the clip, appropriating Bollywood style was a way for pop stars to release hits, rather than a way to experience a different culture. Lakshmanan stated that the video raised interesting points that she thought should lead the public to question the role of cultural appropriation and whether it leads to the Othering of other cultures. Livingly Media's Alicia Diaz Dennis wrote that the video for "Bounce" would not appeal to viewers who found "Come & Get It" distasteful. Diaz Dennis commented, "Iggy has apparently not tuned in for any of the cultural appropriation debates — or if she has, she definitely doesn't care. She's just going to dance around awkwardly in a red wedding sari, no big deal." The Aerogram's Rohin Guha wrote that the video's did not recreate the style nor the cachet of its inspiration, Parveen Babi. Instead, Guha, negatively compared Azalea's fashion in the video to Indian actresses Mallika Sherawat and Shilpa Shetty. He dismissed the clip for the "hyper-sexualisation" of Indian women and wrote that the video was a step backward for Azalea, because of its recycling of "the same tired co-opted Indian troupes", previously done by other female recording artists. Guha added, "Ultimately, 'Bounce' asks a much more complicated question: Are we okay with the fact that Western pop culture has transformed the culture of Indian people — a subset of people who make up 1/5th of the world's population — into a wearable commodity, worthy of imitation only when fashion dictates and otherwise disposable? More importantly, what does it mean that white people can wear Indian culture like drag and be hailed as trendy while South Asian people — born into this culture — continue being Othered?" A fiancé of one of the BRTHR directors responded to the music video's cultural appropriation claims on YouTube,

"I'm sorry if you were personally insulted, but according to your government, it didn't cross a boundary of prohibition. And you're exactly correct, a few Indians do not speak for all of India, and therefore while some people may find insult in this art, others may recognize it as a genuine and humble tribute to a beautiful culture."

Refinery29's Leila Brillson opined that whenever someone dresses in garb of a culture that is not theirs, people tend to get upset. She felt that "Bounce" resembled a tribute to the energy of Mumbai rather than an appropriation, and wrote that it was manifested by the amount of fun the city's residents were having. In her review of the music video, Brillson went on to mention, "For us, Azalea's getting down in South Asia feels more respectful because no one is playing to type and she is actually embracing/celebrating the city — but, after the Selena Gomez debacle, maybe bindis are best left alone." In defence of the cultural appropriation claims, Bruce Sterling of Wired invoked Kareena Kapoor's "Hai Re Hai Re" (Khushi, 2003), "Bring in some class analysis, too, 'cause our Kareena's a born starchild who is worth millions while Iggy is a high-school dropout who used to clean hotels." The Aerogram's Duha responded to Sterling's analysis by deeming it a "stark juxtaposition". Duha felt the article read as "an excellent case of textbook hipster racism" which deflected from the primary issue by invoking an irrelevant argument. MTV Buzzworthy's Rachel Brodsky wrote, "No harm done, however — Iggy's been through worse. After all, you don't spend your entire first [promotional] single talking up your ladyparts without inviting a little critical whiplash." Australian newspaper The Sunshine Coast Daily hosted an online poll asking whether the music video was offensive or not; 63% of its readers voted 'No' while 36% voted 'Yes'. Idolator's Sam Lansky wrote that the clip "does the trick" and commended it for its vibrancy and Bollywood inspiration which he called "fun, in a super-culturally-appropriative kind of way". A writer from MuchMusic felt Azalea represented Indian style and culture well in the music video, and complimented her for appreciating the culture instead of appropriating it. The writer compared the visual for "Bounce" to that of American duo Macklemore & Ryan Lewis' "Can't Hold Us", for its global theme.

Live performances

Azalea first performed "Bounce" live at The Great Escape Festival on 21 May 2013. She then reprised the song during her set for Radio 1's Big Weekend, and sported a green and red print skirt with red heart-shaped sunglasses for the performance. A writer for Rap-Up deemed it "a whimsical set". On 1 June 2013, Azalea performed the track, along with "Work" with a carnival themed backdrop at Gucci's Chime for Change Concert. She garnered media attention at the concert for having a wardrobe malfunction during her performance. In an interview with Rob Gillet of ITN, Azalea stated, "I tried to wear actual clothing for once, it serves me right. It looked like it fit but it didn't feel like it. I felt like I was going to die!" The song was the reprised at The Parklife Weekender festival in Manchester. Digital Spy's Colin Daniels praised the performance, writing, "Azalea proved to be one of the biggest crowd pleasers of the day. Despite performing relatively early on the Main Stage, she showed stage presence worthy of a headline slot". On 16 June, Azalea performed "Bounce" in a set at the Bowery Ballroom in New York City, MTV Hive's Sowmya Krishnamurthy wrote that Azalea "and her troupe of hot pants-clad dancers seductively gyrated through [the performance]". The song was then reprised on 17 June 2013 at Echoplex in Los Angeles. On 21 June 2013, Azalea performed "Bounce" on the premiere of Channel 4's Smells Like Friday Night. At the 2013 Glastonbury Festival, Azalea performed the song wearing a hotpants and crop top set. Gigwise called it "one of the cheekiest performances of the weekend", while the Australian Times wrote a publication entitled 'Iggy Azalea leads the way for Aussies at Glastonbury 2013'. In July, "Bounce" was reprised at London nightclub G-A-Y, Cosmopolitan's Natalie Wall wrote that Azalea wore "a cute printed two-piece" during the performance. Incorporating a carnival themed backdrop, similar to that of her Chime for Change Concert performance, Azalea performed the song in a set at the Wireless Festival that month. Her attire was custom made and matched the ensemble she wore at G-A-Y the weekend before. A journalist for the Irish Mirror deemed Azalea's outfit "eye-catching" and stated that she "set tongues wagging" with her performance. On 9 July, Azalea performed the song at a HP Connected gig for competition winners at London nightclub Fabric. During the performance, Azalea twerked with her four female backing dancers in gold and silver lame.

On 26 September 2013, Azalea performed the track at the Arthur's Day event in Dublin. The song was also included in Azalea's set list at the 2013 iTunes Festival, where she was a supporting act for American recording artist Katy Perry. Azalea wore a metallic corset and high ponytail for the rendition. Kim Carr of the Daily Star deemed the set "a hip-hop masterclass", while The Philippine Star stated that Azalea "showed her undeniable magnitism" with the performance. Azalea later performed the track as part of her set list on the Australian leg of Beyoncé's The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour in October 2013. In 2014, "Bounce" featured in the set list for Azalea's first headlining tour, The New Classic Tour.

Usage in the media

American producer DJ Green Lantern provided a trap remix for "Bounce", which was later included on the single's extended play release. Noel Phillips of Flavour Magazine felt DJ Green Lantern had a "magic touch" on the remix of the song, stating that he had "efficaciously added some dancefloor energy" to "Bounce" by "serenading Iggy's fierce vocals under a heavy thumping drum beat." The remix was positively reviwed by a journalist for the MOBO Awards who wrote, "[DJ Green Lantern] makes things bounce a little bit more, building those fierce rhymes towards booming bass drops and throwing cymbal hits in for good measure." Due to the remix's positive reception, DJ Green Lantern later collaborated with Azalea on the remix for his single "Know About Me" (2014). "Bounce" was later included on the soundtrack for the American film Vampire Academy (2014).

Credits and personnel

The credits for "Bounce" are adapted from the liner notes of The New Classic.

Locations

• Recorded at: Grove Studios, London
• Mixed at: The Mix Spot, Los Angeles

Personnel

• Songwriting – Iggy Azalea, Reeva & Black, Speedy Jay, Talay Riley, Oladayo Olatunji, Natalie Sims
• Production – Reeva & Black
• Lead vocals – Iggy Azalea
• Backing vocals – Ms. D

• Vocal engineering – Reeva & Black
• Mixing – Anthony Kilhoffer
• Mixing assistance – Kyle Ross

Formats and track listings

• Digital extended play (EP)

1. "Bounce" – 2:47
2. "Bounce" (DJ Green Lantern Remix) – 4:24
3. "Bounce" (Instrumental) – 2:46
4. "Bounce" (Acapella) – 2:46

Charts

Charts (2013)	Peak position
Australia Urban (ARIA)	18
Belgium (Ultratip Flanders)	44
Belgium Urban (Ultratop Flanders)	32
Ireland (IRMA)	34
Scotland (Official Charts Company)	10
UK R&B (Official Charts Company)	3
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)	13

Release history

Region	Date	Format
Australia	24 May 2013	Digital extended play (EP)
New Zealand
Ireland	5 July 2013
United Kingdom	7 July 2013

External links

• "Bounce (Explicit)" on Soundcloud
• "Bounce" Official Music Video on YouTube