Nicki Minaj dropped her fifth studio album “Pink Friday 2” on Friday, Dec. 8 after a long wait. The album contains immense versatility with numerous features that satisfy everyone and their preferences. However, every piece has pros and cons, which we’ll be navigating through as we discuss the details of Minaj’s newest masterpiece.
Starting with one of the biggest positives of the album, Minaj shares 22 songs with up to 11 features from some of the biggest artists including Drake, Lil Uzi Vert, J. Cole and Future. Each artist adds their own style to the song which develops the album greatly and ensures that listeners stay interested throughout its 70-minute duration. Some of these artists have worked with Minaj for years, with Drake and Nicki’s first collaboration being on “Moment 4 Life” in 2010. The chemistry between these artists is noticeable on the song “Needle.” Though these artists contribute greatly to each song, Minaj consistently stays in control and ensures that they don’t take over.
Another thing that stood out to fans was the immense amount of sampling that Minaj used throughout the album. Starting with “Are You Gone Already,” which samples Billie Eilish’s “When the Party’s Over,” Minaj puts her own spin on an originally slow and sad song by remixing the original beat and adding some verses and a little singing. Things switch up later in the album when Minaj adds her lyrics and alterations to the upbeat “Move Your Feet” by Junior Senior to create a song that, without a doubt, will make the listener feel the need to move their body. Lil Uzi Vert also adds a verse to this song which keeps the happy and energetic vibe going.
Another featured sample is found in “Pink Friday Girls” which puts a fun and unique spin on “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” by Cyndi Lauper. The big takeaway from all these samples is that Minaj can be given any beat and turn it into something amazing that matches her unique style. Focuses around Minaj recently have been somewhat directed away from her music, but this album highlights her creativity and reminds fans and listeners why she’s so significant and popular in the rap genre as a whole.
However, the album did have some cons. One of the most significant ones was the long running time of the album, which adds up to 22 tracks and — minutes. Minaj isn’t the only one creating lengthy albums though, as this has been a recent trend in the rap industry. The varying songs and styles help keep the listener interested throughout the album’s duration, but it’s still a very long album overall which can make it difficult for many to really listen to and digest what Minaj is saying through her work.
Overall, Minaj’s album satisfied audiences everywhere as it included a variety of beats, styles and lyrics ensuring that there was something for everyone in “Pink Friday 2.” Though some argue that it didn’t really live up to its expectations of being a sequel to Minaj’s 2010 album “Pink Friday,” Minaj shows her creativity and versatility in her music throughout the album, demonstrating why she is considered to be the queen of rap.
