Gag City Is Officially Open As Nicki Minaj Drops ‘Pink Friday 2’

Nicki Minaj has finally released her fifth studio album, Pink Friday 2.

Thirteen years later, the continuation of Pink Friday has been delivered to the world, reminding us of the Nicki we were first introduced to. The 22-track project certainly has something for everybody, with samples that range from Billie Eilish to Cyndi Lauper. Whether you’re into pop, dancehall, gospel, or Jersey club music, this album possesses songs you can both relate and groove to.

As the gates to Gag City officially opened, Nicki discussed parts of her journey as she created the new album via X. On her single ‘Are You Gone Already,’ Nicki talks about grieving the loss of her father, sampling Billie Eilish’s ‘When The Party’s Over.’ Nicki shared that working on a record that she had to be vulnerable on was scary; she even had a mini panic attack every time she tried to lay down bars. Nicki’s dad never got to meet his grandson, Papa Bear. 

He called me & said he would come to help us with the baby on Monday. It was a Friday. I was rocking papa in his room in his rocking chair. Hours later I got the call about the accident. I just knew he’d pull through. But the next call that followed, changed my world forever.… https://t.co/RHW81m0Y3p

— Nicki Minaj (@NICKIMINAJ) December 8, 2023

On her gospel record ‘Blessings,’ which features Tasha Cobbs, Nicki shared how she expressed to Tasha that she couldn’t think of her final eight bars. Being the prayer warrior she is, Cobbs replied to Nicki, telling her she’d pray for her. That comfort stuck with Nicki, which soon led her to listen to her internal voice, helping her to complete her verse.

With no time left, I called Tasha & said I can’t think of my final 8 bars & I felt so disappointed b/c I didn’t want our song to feel incomplete. She said I’m praying for you right now! This is an attack! I was like 👀 in my head I was like chiiii it ain’t gon happen!!!! But I… https://t.co/2RmodXDgRn

— Nicki Minaj (@NICKIMINAJ) December 8, 2023

The new album features Future, Drake, Lil Uzi, Lil Wayne, J. Cole, and more artists. The Pink Friday rapper disseminates her gratitude for those who featured on the album and those who even cleared their samples. When discussing her record ‘Pink Friday Girls,’ which samples Cyndi Lauper’s ‘Girls Just Wanna Have Fun,’ Nicki professed that Cyndi never cleared a master recording sample. She also shared how she had a 2-hour therapy-like phone call with J. Cole and how Future has such an authentic versatility that doesn’t get talked about enough. 

Continuing to engage with her fans, Nicki hinted at the release of at least four more additional tracks to complete the album. 

Upon release, Pink Friday 2 became the female rap album with the most #1s on Apple Music Worldwide. It also helped Nicki break the record for the biggest streaming day for a female rapper in Spotify history, with over 41 million streams, and the record for the biggest debut for a female hip-hop album in Spotify history.

See what critics have to say about the album below. 

“What makes this album really compelling are more vulnerable moments like ‘Last Time I Saw You,’ a pop-R&B gem on which she grapples with her father’s death, and the reggae-flecked album closer ‘Just the Memories.'” — Nick Levine, NME

“I can say there are good moments in which Nicki is spitting and showcasing her rap prowess and creativity. There are also lows in which she leans heavily into singing and no obvious standout hits. Overall, I wouldn’t put ‘Pink Friday 2’ in contention with classic projects of the last few years. And it certainly doesn’t stand up to the 2010 original album.” — Jessica Mckinney, Complex

“Minaj may have broken the itty-bitty piggy bank clearing some of the samples on ‘Pink Friday 2’… It speaks to her supreme confidence that she’d take on such ubiquitous songs that have their own identity and reshape them to be the soundtrack of Gag City.” — Andre Gee, Rolling Stone

“She admits to self-doubt on the closer ‘Just the Memories’… but swiftly turns imperious again, reeling off her achievements, swaggering about her abilities. It may be as imperfect as ‘Pink Friday’ was, but ‘Pink Friday 2’ offers more than enough supporting evidence to make the latter claims sound like anything but hollow boasts.” — Alexis Petridis, The Guardian

“‘Pink Friday 2’ feels like a consolidation and refinement of everything Minaj can do — including dropping pop culture references that no other artist would think of. ‘Ducking ’em like Björk?’ That’s surely a wink to the Icelandic musician’s infamous skirmish with a photographer. Thirteen years after ‘Pink Friday,’ Nicki Minaj hasn’t lost her ability to catch us by surprise.” — Nick Levine, NME

Welcome to Gag City, ladies and gents!