Nicki Minaj’s The Pink Print album is the biggest release of this month. Can the Queen of Hip Hop deliver?
Nicki Minaj’s The Pink Print album is not what people would expect from an artist of her caliber. Instead of embracing the dance-pop sound that turned her into a pop superstar, Minaj opted to go back to her musical roots and reintroduce herself to her audience with The Pink Print on her own terms.
The 32-year-old diva is betting that her rags-to-riches story can still appeal to crossover music fans. The confessional approach worked in 2004 for R&B star Usher when he released Confessions, one of the best selling albums of the last decade.
Usher was able to bring an authentic R&B vibe to a wide pop audience. Minaj is hoping to find some of the success Usher found in 2004. Now, the big question, did she deliver artistically?
Nicki Minaj’s The Pink Print album has interesting moments, but it is not a huge home run. The production is on point and Minaj’s vulnerability on some songs is something that is interesting to hear, but the album lacks this je ne sais quoi that usually turns a release into an instant classic.
The Pink Print is enjoyable, but does not grab the listener in a powerful way. It can even feel at time that the colorful Minaj is just going through the motion.
The material is personal, but the “Anaconda” singer does not always give the impression that she is connecting to what she is singing/rapping about. The distance makes it difficult for those listening to connect to the album in a strong way.
The Pink Print seems to work better when Minaj tackles feminism via her sexually charged lyrics like the Beyoncé-assisted “Feeling Myself” and her collaboration with Ariana Grande on “Get on Your Knees.”
The femcee’s frequent collaborators, Lil Wayne and Chris Brown, also do well on the new single “Only.”
In conclusion, Nicki Minaj’s The Pink Print album is a good album that could have been better with less fillers. It is also a gentle reminder that Minaj is in a league of her own, lyrically and musically, regardless of the gender of the competition.
It is the result of an artist on top of her game and in full control of her craft.
