Iggy Azalea defends Lorde over racism row

Iggy Azalea is convinced teenage singer Lorde was the victim of a gross misunderstanding when she was accused of racism over lines in her hit track Royals.

The New Zealand pop star scored a massive international hit with her debut single last year (13), winning two Grammy Awards and topping charts all over the world.

However, the 17 year old faced a backlash over the song's lyrics, with some critics complaining about her mention of Cristal Champagne, Maybach cars and diamond watches, which are often associated with cash-flashing rappers.

Azalea, who faced a racism row herself over the lyrics to her song D.R.U.G.S., is adamant critics were irresponsible to brand Lorde with such harsh words, telling Britain's The Observer, "Yes, I didn't know Lorde was a big old racist. Me, I've been called everything but it kind of irks me to think that they said that about a 17 year old. Don't say that about a kid! You cannot erase those things, they are there forever.

"I also think it is a generational thing, a misunderstanding. When I think of Royals - 'gold chains, diamonds on your timepiece' - I think about (blog website)Tumblr kids. She was talking about the aesthetic of Tumblr. The people writing the music see it one way, the consumers see it another. And anyway, is rap really that much of a stereotype? To say that rap is a guy in chains and baggy pants popping bottles in a club is stereotyping black culture."