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Nicki Minaj is many things, and so is this album. It features a handful of the artist's recent singles and many male collaborators. And although the album begins and ends with self-serving, punchy tracks, it also flows through a series of more introspective songs.
The first few tracks are catchy, but simply self-congratulatory. "Roman Holiday" feels a bit like Gary Numan recorded an album at a Mayan temple. It combines lyrics from "O Come All Ye Faithful" with a nearly helium-driven performance of Minaj's alter ego, Roman Zolanski. It goes even further into the ether than "Pink Friday"'s "Roman's Revenge."If Minaj doesn't on other tracks, she indulges in "Come On A Cone," referring to her appearance on "Ellen" and taunting by means of fellatio. That method of taunting continues in "I Am Your Leader," which besides driving an especially sporty hook reminiscent of "Mario Tennis" also features Rick Ross doing what he does best -- sounding tough like his convicted, drug dealing namesake.
With a hook that sounds like a dripping faucet in the Warehouse level of "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater," "Beez in the Trap" is a fairly straightforward brag. It feels much like the locations it names. It excludes Manhattan from its list of New York City boroughs, and rhymes Hulk Hogan with Hoboken. The wrestler and city have always shared a certain grungy, trailer park feel.
Minaj seems to be gunning for rap's top dog, Jay-Z, in "HOV Lane." Jay-Z, thoroughly blasphemous, refers to himself as H.O.V.A., a shortening of Jehovah. Appropriately, this song feels like Nicki's claim to Jay-Z's path. She makes clear, as she so often does, that "all these bitches is my sons" and references her appearances at the Super Bowl and Grammys while explicitly rejecting her image as a porn star.
"Roman Reloaded" was released as a single months before this album, and despite its monotonous whine it's a solid track. My favorite part is Lil Wayne's verse. He seems particularly proud of himself for this line: "Excuse my French, two bitches and moi / That's a Nicki Ménage à Trois," punctuating it with a "Ha, told you," as if he finally completed his goal of punning Nicki's name.
"Champion" is a chiller, more subtly triumphant track that features heavyweight rapper Nas as well as Drake. (Incidentally, Nicki's performance on Drake's "Make Me Proud," goes far in combating the patriarchy of that song's lyrics and makes for a smooth listen.) The slower bass beat and lounging synth of "Champion" do not, however, compensate for the dime-a-dozen, rags-to-riches chorus: "It's a celebration / Pit it up for the ghetto / It's times like these / They know who we are by now / They know who we are / Champion, a champion."
"Sex in the Lounge" uniquely challenges gender roles. Whereas Minaj used "Super Bass" to describe her ideal man, Bobby V and Lil Wayne dominate this song with their claims to sexual superiority. At first glance Nicki, rap's strongest woman, submits to the masculinity of the genre in "Sex in the Lounge." But it's important to keep in mind how Nicki appraises men in her first verse: "Though he packin' that muscle, I'm addicted to brain." This line not only nuances her preference for well-dressed coke dealers outlined in "Super Bass," but also gives hope to all those nerdy white guys who would trade their life savings for a night with the rapper.
"Starships," like "Roman Reloaded" was previously released as a single. You've probably already heard it played to death on the radio already, and for good reason. The song combines Nicki's edgy pout with a Katy Perry-esque chorus and techno musical interludes. This is a great song to crank while driving down PCH on a cool summer day.
"Pound the Alarm" is a straightforward dance song, incorporating now thoroughly mainstream dubstep elements, wherein Nicki once again asserts her reputation as "a bad bitch" capable of holding her liquor and dominating the dance floor.
"Whip It," far from a Willow Smith cover, feels like a Vengaboys track played in a Parisian night club. Sadly, "Automatic" realizes its title and sounds much the same.
Despite its promisingly complex title, "Beautiful Sinner" is little more than a sexy dance song that feels more like Jennifer Lopez's "On the Floor" than the "Mirror" of Lil Wayne and Bruno Mars it could've been. Nicki does provide us with a strikingly reflective track, though, in "Marilyn Monroe." Through comparison with Hollywood's favorite starling, Minaj expresses her own range of emotions: "Call me cursed / Or just call me blessed / If you can't handle my worst /You ain't getting my best / Is this how Marilyn Monroe feels? ... / Must be how Marilyn Monroe felt."
"Young Forever" is another commendably thoughtful track that combines the simplicity of a Gameboy Pocket beat and clapping with a memorable narrative of a first love lost. Nicki speaks for us all: "I'ma shed a tear, but I really don't care." Minaj follows up these lyrics with the morosely vengeful "Fire Burns" where the singer wishes justice be done to her lover: "I hope you lay down in your sleep / And you choke on every lie you told / And when you're reaching out for me / You'll see you reap everything you sew."
Minaj closes her album with another single, "Stupid Hoe." You must see the music video on YouTube to understand the number of female artists Minaj is insulting. Critics and fans have much maligned the track, but it has grown to be one of my favorites. Minaj makes it clear what she thinks of those who would speak ill of her trolling: "You don't like them disses, give my ass some kisses."
Overall, this album overcomes the fate of most sophomore albums by throwing out so many tracks that many are bound to become hits. But ultimately, "Pink Friday ... Roman Reloaded" suffers from the same problem as "Pink Friday." These albums are not thematically cohesive, but acoustically similar collections of singles punctuated by blocks of more lyrically complex tracks with disappointingly plain beats. Nevertheless, Nicki's production has much improved on this album, and her flow and range continue to mature. Most fans will still prefer her performances in "Super Bass" and Kanye West's "Monster" to "Stupid Hoe."
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