Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded review

Nicki Minaj dropped her second album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded on Tuesday, April 10, and the album did not disappoint. Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded not only shows off Nicki's abilities as a hip hop star, it also presents her appeal as a major force in the world of pop music.

In the first few songs of the album, Nicki channels an alter-ego; ‘Roman Zolonski.’ Through Roman’s intense style, Minaj showcases her abilities as a rapper.

In the song “Roman Holiday,” Minaj breaks into a verse of “oh come, all ye faithful.” The brief verse displays her impressive vocal range as a singer.

The new album includes a variety of collaborations, most notably, Lil’ Wayne, Rick Ross, Chris Brown, Drake, and Nas.

Nicki fans should recognize the tune in “Champion,” a collaboration with Drake and Nas that mimics her past hit “Moment 4 life.”

Minaj turns personal, singing; “they killed my little cousin Nicolas, but my memories only happy images.” Throughout the song, Nicki discusses her past struggles, and the power it took to overcome them.

“Whip it,” “Pound the Alarm,” and “Beautiful Sinner” are the most club-ready songs on the album. The three songs utilize dubstep-heavy and club-heavy beats, that are perfect for pounding the dance floor. Including these songs is vital in reaching the club market and a younger demographic

With songs like “Starships,” and “Automatic,” Nicki transitions from hip hop to more radio-friendly pop music. The lyrics of the two songs are more carefree and light. In “Automatic,” Nicki sings; “I can’t control the way I’m moving my hips, I can’t help it- its automatic.

In “Marilyn Monroe,” Nicki expresses her admiration for the deceased icon, and goes on to quote her; “if you can’t handle my worst, you ain't getting my best.” This whole section of the album does an excellent job at displaying Nicki’s vocal abilities, outside of being a rapper

Overall, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded is an excellent album. It has the power to reach a variety of different audiences, and showcases Nicki Minaj’s abilities as both a rapper and a singer.