Listen: Ariana Grande – ‘Problem’ (feat. Iggy Azalea)

Who’d have expected a collaboration between bubblegum princess Ariana Grande and rapper Iggy Azalea? The result is probably going to be 2014’s summer smash, with ‘Problem’ moving over 430,000 downloads in the first week alone. As unusual as their collaboration sounds, Ariana and Iggy actually come together to pull off an exciting and catchy song. The track is an undeniably upbeat girl-power tune, so it’s somewhat odd to me that the hook features a whispering Big Sean. His appearance on the track certainly doesn’t make it any less great, but a part of me wonders what the song would be like without him. Would it have been better to have Ariana and/or Iggy whispering what is quite possibly one of the most addictive parts of the song? Nonetheless, ‘Problem’ is infectious, and Iggy’s verse adds a great dynamic, complementing Ariana’s voice and rounding out the song that would probably otherwise feel a bit monotonous.

The music video for ‘Problem’ is due out soon. You can watch the lyric video featuring both Ariana and Iggy singing their verses above, and check back later for the proper music video once it’s released.