Nicki Minaj recently released her latest album, Pink Friday 2. The album was Minaj’s first in five years following 2018’s Queen, which received mixed reviews. While many lauded it as Minaj’s most rap-heavy release in years, it also faced lackluster commercial performance. 

Pink Friday 2, on the other hand, is a direct reference to the peak of Nicki Minaj’s prominence. So, that begs the question: does the music hold up? Short answer…it’s complicated.

Don’t get me wrong, Pink Friday 2 has songs that hit very hard, many of which delve into uniquely personal aspects of Minaj’s life, whether those be her pride of her Caribbean heritage or her events within her life, such as loss of someone close. One of my favorite tracks on the album was “Last Time I Saw You,” which explores the latter beautifully. Altogether, these serve as some of the album’s greatest positives. 

Regarding Minaj’s vocals, it’s apparent that her talent hasn’t diminished whatsoever. Her vocals on the album’s more pop-focused tracks hold up, and her rapping is on point. Moreover, her lyricism is, as always, incredible. Like, seriously, she is the Shakespeare of our day. 

However, I would like to address one specific gripe I had with this album, that being the sampling. It often felt excessive. It worked in tracks such as “Everybody,” which quickly seems to be the most emergent song from this album on TikTok. That being said, the use of the sample of Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” in “Pink Friday Girls” came across as very flat. That song has been sampled to DEATH, and its incorporation into “Pink Friday Girls” felt unnecessary. 

Ultimately, if Minaj was searching for a return to form with Pink Friday 2, I think that’s what she got. It’s primed for commercial success, and has already received traction on TikTok. A career highlight is what it’s not, though. It’s gotten relatively lukewarm critical reception, and doesn’t compare to some of her greatest work. Give it a listen, but don’t expect something revolutionary.