Album Review: Nicki Minaj - Pink Friday

I was very curious as to how this album, titled Pink Friday, would turn out. I've been listening to Nicki Minaj for a few years now, and she's definitely been hyped up by the entire hip-hop world, for -what seemed to be- ages, without an album out. So this was her actual debut! And it did not disappoint. However, it may be a little too pop for your taste if you like the earlier Nicki Minaj mixtape material. I will review this album track by track, including bonus tracks. Here we go...

1. I'm The Best - This is a nice song, the hook is catchy, but I don't think it's outstanding, so the title doesn't really fit the song.

2. Roman's Revenge (featuring Eminem) - Absolutely awesome. Great concept, both Nicki and Eminem are rapping under their aliases (Roman Zolanski and Slim Shady). The track is humorous and it displays good old rhyming skills instead of just braggin' & boastin'. It's plain to see why Nicki and Eminem are such a good duo: they are both very absurd and sarcastic in their lyrical style and they are creative. It really works on this track.

3. Did It On'em - I don't see why people like this song so much. I think the beat is very boring and uncreative and the lyrics are not as good as they are made out to be. They are rather simplistic, I think, and she definitely doesn't shit on anyone in this song.

4. Right Thru Me - I love the emotions in the lyrics of this song and I like the hook. It is one of the extreme pop-songs on this album, which is not necessarily a bad thing because Nicki does show us that she can sing as well. She's not just a rapper.

5. Fly (featuring Rihanna) - I always fast-forward this track. I don't like Rihanna, that's the reason. First of all, Rihanna doesn't add anything to the track because her voice sounds a lot like Nicki's voice when she sings, so Nicki could have done the song all by herself, and second: Rihanna just annoys me. I've heard her on too many songs. Her voice is too fragile and shallow to be considered a good song. So yeah, I can't review the song any further because I don't like listening to it (and so I don't).

6. Save Me - Exact same comment as for Right Thru Me. I think those songs are much alike.

7. Moment 4 Life (featuring Drake) - On this song Nicki sounds just like Rihanna (the singing part). However, it doesn't bother me on this song because the song makes me feel invincible. I don't understand what the Drake-hype's about, his verse is lame and rappers like him come by the dozens.

8. Check It Out (featuring will.i.am) - YESSS, this is what I'm talking about! I give this track an A+, it's really awesome. The beat is hot and creative, the song is fun and Nicki's Lil' Kim diss is phenomenal: "Fuck my nemesis/ exclamation, just for emphasis/ and I don't sympathize/ cause you a simple bitch/ I just pop up on these hoes on some pimple shit/ and put the iron to your face you old wrinkled bitch".

9. Blazin' (featuring Kanye West) - I don't normally like Kanye West, but on this song he really does his thing. I love when he says "Hello all my bad girls, this just in/ Yeezy hurt the beat, like he fucked her best friend/ and she let him back in, and he just did it again/ he crazy, he blazin', he off the deep end". And Nicki raps with so much speed and precision, she definitely deserves an applause. Hot track!

10. Here I Am - Beautiful, touching, and I think the beat (by Swizz Beatz) is risky for a song with lyrics like these, yet it really works. The song exposes Nicki's deep, sad side. On her mixtapes, she never really showed her weaknesses (except for the track Autobiography on Sucka Free), but on this album she has several sensitive songs. I like it.

11. Dear Old Nicki - I don't think she's "big" enough for a song like this just yet. Most people only start listening to Nicki NOW, they don't know the old Nicki (and since most of them are little teenage girls, they won't like the old Nicki very much either), so they won't understand this song. Besides, the song reminds me too much of Trina's song U & Me, which is better in my opinion. I think this song fails to come across in the way it was intended.

12. Your Love - Very peaceful, positive and romantic song. I understand why people listen to it. Very pop, once again, and not my favorite, but it's nice.

13. Last Chance (featuring Natasha Bedingfield) - Natasha is one of Nicki's idols I think, so I think it's great so see a collaboration between them, yet it does make the song too sweet. I think a male voice on the chorus (like a man rapping along with the lyrics) would give it more edge. The song is not exciting enough for me.

14. Super Bass - "Don't you hear that boom-ba-doom-boom boom-ba-doom-boom bass?" So addictive. I love this song, it's cute.

15. Blow Ya Mind - Terrible. The song is too wild, too rough.. "What the fuck I look like" a billion times doesn't fit in with all the lollipop songs on the rest of the album. This is a flop.

16. Muny - Annoying, yet catchy. I hate it and love it at the same time. All the talk about rich girls does make Nicki seem very shallow and she seems to have lost her "swagger", but it's also sexy. I think she says "Bitches want my old shit, buy my old mixtapes", and that does make a point... You don't like it, then don't listen to it.

17. Girls Fall Like Dominoes - This is a bonus track, but it should have been the very first song on the album, because it's great and everybody will sing along with it. It is not originally Nicki's song, she 'stole' it, but umm who cares, right? It's hot, listen to this one first!

18. Wave Ya Hand - Okay, not original.

19. Catch Me - GREAT, I love the rap on this song and the fragile woman that Nicki turns into when she starts singing. Should have been on the album instead of Save Me.

Favorite songs: 2, 8, 9, 10, 14, 17 & 19.

Least favorite songs: 5, 6, 11, 13 & 15.

So, overall, the album has a few very nice guest appearances (Eminem and Kanye West), a bit too much pop, a good balance between deep and shallow songs, nice production.. It's just addictive, man! I've listened to this album 30 times already. So you should see this as an album RECOMMENDATION instead of review!