Some viewers of Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve may have noticed that Iggy Azalea was acting somewhat peculiarly as she performed "Fancy" with Charli XCX: She was dressed rather conservatively. This had nothing to do with a more interesting tweet she sent out early in the day where she confirmed that she had been diagnosed with temporomandibular joint dysfunction, or TMJ (she also announced she's working on a new album but we'll get to the good news later), according to Billboard.
TMJ is the medically preferred term for chronic jaw pain, which makes it less than lethal but more than a pain in the butt for people who speak at a quick rate as part of their profession. Although not a medical prognosis by any means, Azalea blamed a year of mental stress for her current condition and told fans that she hopes to ease its effects by trying to avoid "drama" and by looking out for herself.
She's certainly not the first musician who has suffered from TMJ. LeeAnn Rimes is one of the bigger performers who has also dealt with the condition (and note that she's still making the rounds). There's no cure, per se (The New York Times notes that "the best treatment for TMJ might be nothing) while some have used Botox injections to combat the symptoms, including former Glee actress Charice Pempengco.
The diagnosis wasn't exactly a bomb dropped on Azalea in the middle of New Year's Eve. She apparently got the prognosis last month but hadn't raised any red flags up until now. She seems to be doing alright onstage so we'll trust everything is manageable.
So right, the good news: Azalea told fans via Twitter that she'll be entering the studio "next week" to get working on a follow-up to 2014's The New Classic.
