Review Summary: Sorry, you're not thick enough to swim in this pool.
Survive the Summer is an EP that was intended to be released at the beginning of summer 2018, but due to Iggy's perpetual record label problems, it was not released until August 3rd. What was intended to be Iggy's compilation of fun-in-the-sun anthems for that summer was rather hilariously pushed back until after the peak of the season. Still, I was happy when the EP was finally released, because it had been four years since Iggy had delivered anything more than a single. Although a couple of years have come and gone since
Survive the Summer was released, I still like to return to these bad-bitch bangers when the sun is out, as they are every bit as light-hearted as the summertime should be.
The EP begins with a sound clip of some snotty-sounding girl (it might be Iggy, but it doesn't really sound like her) who announces: "Rich bitches don't die / and that's why you won't survive the summer". Iggy then proceeds to rap about how being rich is the only way to live if you're a girl, and that poor girls will get swallowed up by the end of the season. This is the general theme of each track on the EP, but usually there is at least one other topic, such as drugs (
Tokyo Snow Trip), or sex (
Kream). The beats on each track are dark, simplistic and bass-heavy, which compliment Iggy's aggressive delivery and lower-pitched voice.
With all six songs being under three minutes,
Survive the Summer swishes by like a late-August breeze. There is not anything here that will appeal to Iggy's dedicated detractors, but for those who already love her classy style and sassy guile, the EP offers everything you'd come to hope for. As far as EPs/albums that are intended for current and future summer listening go, I expect
Survive the Summer to have as much longevity as the current trend of trap music will allow. After that, it's just going to be the dedicated Iggy fans coming back to this EP summer after summer for years to come, making sure this artifact of the current times survives.
