It's a statement about women - Iggy Azalea defends her bloody new album cover 'In My Defense'

Iggy Azalea has defended the violent artwork for her new album, In My Defense, after fans labelled it 'sickening'.

The shocking cover shows the Australian rapper slumped 'dead' against a car, with blood splattered against the side of the vehicle.

After sharing the graphic imagery to Twitter on Monday, the 29-year-old explained that the concept is actually a feminist statement.

Iggy tweeted: 'It's a statement about women not having the ability to defend themselves under public gaze, not rebirth.'

However, the controversial artwork divided her fans on social media, with some people branding it 'sickening'.

'Please don't hate me but I don't like it, you look dead,' one Twitter user wrote.

Another said that it was unnecessary to show Iggy 'shot dead' and she could have used less violent imagery to make a statement.

Many others praised the bold album art, however, prompting Iggy to thank them for their support on Twitter.

'I'm so happy you love the cover as much as I do! I can't wait till you see how pretty it looks in real life,' she wrote.