Nicki Minaj's Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded

Monday, 21 May 2012 19:46 Written by  Diamond C. Latchison

The very vibrant, comical, adventurous, and animated Nicki Minaj is back with her sophomore album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded. From mixtapes to being on every artist’s songs, and from Pop to Hip Hop to being on radio stations around the world, this unique beauty raised in Queens, NY is making a big name for herself in the short time she’s been the music industry. Two years ago, her first album Pink Friday was a huge success debuting at number two on the US Billboard 200 chart selling 375,000 copies in its first week, which hadn’t been done since Lauryn Hill’s Miseducation of Lauryn Hill in 1998. Pink Friday has spawn over seven singles on the Billboard Hot 100 chart simultaneously making her the first artist to accomplish such a feat.

Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded released on April 2, 2012 and just like Pink Friday it has a mix of genres like Hip Hop, Pop, Electro, Euro Dance, and Dubstep, but Roman Reloaded has a splash more. There’s a long list of producers, which include well-known producers like T-Minus, David Guetta, DJ Diamond Kuts, Ester Dean, Dr. Luke, and RedOne to upcoming producers Rico Beats, Kane Beatz, Ryan & Smitty, Cirkut, Flippal23, Pink Friday Productions, and Jimmy Joker. Along with the long list of producers, there’s a long list of features as well with Nas, Chris Brown, Cam’ron, Rick Ross, David Guetta, Young Jezzy, Lil Wayne, 2 Chainz, Drake, Bobby V, and Beenie Man.

Compared to Nicki’s first album Pink Friday, I think Roman Reloaded is a “sucky” sophomore album. I can see what she’s trying to do to not keep herself in a box and branch out into different genres, but to mix all of those genres into Hip Hop just doesn’t sit well with me. Pink Friday was Pop and Hip Hop, but it wasn’t as “Bubblegum Rap” as Roman Reloaded. The only thing that I like about this album is the beats. “I Am Your Leader,” “Champion,” “Right By My Side,” “Beautiful Sinner,” “Marilyn Monroe,” “Young Forever,” “Va Va Voom,” and “Gun Shot” are the only songs that I can tolerate because I love their beats and some of the lyrics especially the electric guitar in “Marilyn Monroe”. The rest of the songs just gave me too much of a toothache and a headache because they were so sweet. There’s only so much pop and Euro-dance that I can take before it can be too much and Roman Reloaded was just that. There was no substance and no material. It’s like she mixed Lady Gaga, Ke$ha, Katy Perry, and Britney Spears music and style of singing all into this one album.

I know that she’s trying to show her growth as an artist, but it seems she forgot why people fell in love with her in the first place. I’m a Nicki Minaj fan, but Roman Reloaded really disappointed me. Rating: 2 ½ stars.


Diamond C. Latchison

Diamond C. Latchison

Diamond C. Latchison, an intern at GMO, attends school at Columbia College Chicago. She majors in magazine journalism with a minor in creative nonfiction writing. In her spare time, the St. Louis-native enjoys writing stories and poetry and reading books and magazines.

She can be contacted at dlatchison011@gmail.com

Follow her on Twitter: @dlatchison011

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