Nicki Minaj 'Pink Friday 2' Earns Same Score Like 'Pink Friday': Not Great Enough?

Nicki Minaj came guns blazing as she donned her most colorful era - "Pink Friday 2." The album is not a repeat of "Pink Friday," as Nicki Minaj needs no reintroduction 13 years into her career.

Similarly, the two records are stacked with collaborators and Nicki Minaj's pen game, which never faltered. However, Pitchfork believes that the album was filled with nostalgia through her many samples and it's shrouded her talent and ability to make timeless hits without it.

Nicki Minaj 'Pink Friday 2' Review

In their review, Pitchfork pointed out that while Nicki Minaj sang valiantly on the album and showcased how she can jump from one person to another, "the album's intention is muddled through its scattershot production - which sounds less like genre innovation and more like an insidious ploy to worm its way into as many crevices on TikTok as possible."

While the publication praised several of its tracks like "Are You Gone Already," "Beep Beep," "Barbie Dangerous," "Red Ruby Da Sleaze," and "RNB," Pitchfork pointed out that the songs which were interpolated and sampled seemed to be done in a practical manner.

Notably, Minaj sampled Blondie's "Heart of Glass" on "My Life," Cyndi Lauper's "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" on "Pink Friday Girls," and Junior Senior's "Move Your Feet" on "Everybody (ft. 'Lil Uzi Vert)."

The presence of these sampled hits "paradoxically suggests a shaky belief in her own ability to create hits by her talent alone," Pitchfork said in their review.

"Even the most cynical read here-profit maximization-doesn't exactly answer why one of the most creative rappers alive would draw up such a hollow plan," they added.

All in all, the album received a 6.5 review from Pitchfork, the same grade "Pink Friday" earned in 2012. Both albums are Minaj's lowest ranked in the publication. Her highest is "Queen" with a 7.6, followed by "The Pinkprint" with a 7.5.

Barbz Reacts To Pitchfork's 'Pink Friday 2' Review

Some of Nicki Minaj's fans pointed out the legitimacy of the review. Some noted that the album being reviewed or critiqued by a white woman sparks red flags as appreciation of a Black woman's craft and talent might be difficult.

Many even said that "Pink Friday 2" received a 6.5 while Cardi B's "Invasion of Privacy" screamed a lot of bias, considering that Cardi's album was reportedly not written entirely by her, as opposed to Minaj's acclaimed pen game.

Pitchfork also rated huge albums, most of which are fan-acclaimed albums, with low scores. For example, Beyonce's "I Am...Sasha Fierce" received a 5.7 and Rihanna's "Unapologetic" a 4.5.

Stream Nicki Minaj's "Pink Friday 2" here.

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Nicki Minaj