Nicki Minaj: Pink Friday 2
Nicki Minaj has grasped the beauty of growth and maturity as a woman in her 5th studio album, Pink Friday 2. While the LP is a sequel to her 2010 debut album Pink Friday, Minaj showcases a more in-depth and versatile approach while catering to making a statement of her artistry.
Clocking in at an hour and ten minutes, Minaj takes listeners on a musical buffet where pop, R&B, rap, and soul are served to create a diverse genre project. The tracklist comprises 22 songs featuring notable artists such as Drake, J.Cole, Lil Wayne, Lil Uzi Vert, Future, Tasha Cobbs Leonard, 50 Cent, Tate Kobang, Skeng, Skillibeng, and Lourdiz.
While the album achieves much of Minaj's growth, her vulnerability has touched the souls of listeners, especially in her first track, "Are You Gone Already." The song samples Billie Eilish's "When the Party's Over," tying in an emotional feel as she sings about her father's passing. As she transitions into her rap flow, her effortless verses grasp the feel of her rap artistry as she is best known to serve from beginning to end. In "Dangerous Barbie," Mrs. Onika Tayna came out to deliver while unapologetically grasping the confidence in who she is and where she stands as a woman in rap: "Hoes' words ain't got no meanin'/Queen of this rap shitty/ Bohemian/Their worst nightmare, they still dreamin'." In "FTCU," she continues the flow of her melodic hooks intertwined with a trap beat, complimenting her fierce energy. Minaj continues her bad b*tch energy in "Bahm Bahm" as she raps in an assertive anthem towards her confidence and empowerment: "Me against you, you know who they gon' decide/Tryin' to be down, application denied (bahm, bahm)."
In Pink Friday 2, Minaj is best in her solo tracks, but the album does offer a couple of songs with features that make her feature list worth a listen. "Let Me Calm Down" featuring J. Cole is a song both artists ate. While J. Cole has impacted Drake's latest album and EP, he continues to transpire his artistry in Pink Friday 2, delivering a lyrical and vocal feature on uniting the idea that staying together requires a particular adaptability theme in the song. "Needle," featuring Drake and originally supposed to appear on Drake's, For All the Dogs, is an R&B vibe with a hint of afro beats as it musically invites you in to dance. Lastly, "Cowgirl" featuring Lourdiz, where on-point ethereal vocals from Minaj and rap delivery make for a "Super Bass" sequel.
Pink Friday 2 is monumental as it reflects Minaj's music career growth while still captivating her feminity's resilience. The album delivers a new Pink Friday that may not be precisely similar to her 2010 debut, but enough to represent her womanhood full of her empowering rap signature in the industry.