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04. Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded - 08.15

This is my own prison, I’m frozen in time

Lovers: 11 - andreweeyor
Haters: 6 - Davidson

Your least favourite Nicki album is her second studio one. An odd album, evident right from the off - a strange, title that seems to suggest it is a direct continuation of the debut (in a way it effectively is the debut "reloaded", so i do get it) and then that comes tagged along with some monstrous album art and one of the most jarring tracklists she's done. The album is effectively ~half pop / half urban~ Nicki and we could debate for hours which our favourite side is because it's often one or the other. The highlights of Pop Nicki are clearly the singles, 'Starships', 'Pound The Alarm' and then the absolutely KILLER 'Automatic' and 'Whip It' which i think i'd have actually preferred as the first two singles from the album. They come littered around Urban Nicki moments such as 'Champion' and 'Beez In The Trap'. Then there are the zany wacky sides of Nicki which provide some much needed relief in the mammoth 20+ song tracklist.

But really, for me, it's in the tender stripped back moments where the album takes real life and these seem most true to Nicki as an artist. The beautiful 'Marilyn Monroe' & 'Young Forever' moments show a much softer side to the all-colours, all-blazing star that the rest of the album presents. Overall a very messy album, filled with so many different tempos, ideas, styles and wigs, but ultimately she doesn't quite pull it off as much as we'd like and so it flounders in last position. It's still very fun obviously, but as an album... it doesn't really show who she is too well.

I only really listen to the pop half of Roman Reloaded but there are some AMAZING tracks there, with the three singles, Automatic and Marilyn Monroe being my main faves :heart:

http://i.imgur.com/0lgfE5H.jpg

03. Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded - The Re-Up - 8.26

Let me get the most expensive car and let me steer that boy

Lovers: 11 - Cremey, April, Ryan
Haters: 5 - Joseph, jark

This is probably the weakest of her four albums for me, it's nice and don't get me wrong provided some AMAZING moments but it's just the weakest of the four for me. The album starts with the choir-led Up In Flames which really is fantastic, one of the strongest songs on the album and it just ends too soon for me despite being over five minutes long. That is followed by Freedom, the huge smash hit that never was on the album. Really should've been a huge smash hit and the 'i feel free, i feel freedom' hook is delivered so gorgeously that it just makes this song. Later in the album we get the jam that is High School, fortunately a single and surprisingly it did ok in the UK actually making the top 40. Deservedly so, I'd say because it's a very strong track. My friendship group LOVE it and it's on at every party. More guilty pleasures come from I'm Legit and I Endorse These Strippers which aren't the best sonically but are so much fun that you have to love them anyway, especially the latter. The Boys is the other huge hit that never was, a very strong chorus with some tongue n cheek lyrics and it's all a great package. I'm sure I even saw Martin saying he was a fan somewhere on Buzzjack :o Also, the album artwork for this is so stunning, can we just take a moment.

(I know my commentary is naff in contrast to Bal's but he is the Rihanna of these things and I am more like Ella Henderson (a flop :P ))

'The Re-Up' is fab and what i wanted 'The Pinkprint' to sound like actually. 'Up In Flames' is a HUGE highlight and 'The Boys'/'High School' are jams too.

 

I don't think the release was necessary tbh, and she could have added a few more onto it and just released it as a FULL 3rd album. It had nothing to do with PF:RR so seemed very random as a follow up.

http://i.imgur.com/qA150bC.jpg

02. The PinkPrint - 8.91

You have been playing my heart like a grand piano

Lovers: 10 - jsilv, April, troylovesmusic, Acoustic
Haters: 7.5 - Davidson

The album that hasn't really had as long to sink in as the others, but yet it still musters up a very respectable score and comes out with the silver prize. I can see why it overtook the two below it, because ultimately it does sound more consistent and mature. Before the album came (even as close as a few weeks before the expected release date), there was a lot of apprehension from Nicki fans, as repeated delays, a complete lack of information in terms of track listing and artwork, a muted response to 'Pills N Potions' and a lengthy delay after 'Anaconda'.... Thankfully, she somehow pulled it out of the bag.

The first sounds we got from the album, were the sensational 'Pills n Potions', a song which seemed to suggest this new side to Nicki (or rather a return to her former self) and it was a brave, bold and telling way to kick start the new era. It flopped. Massively. So of course that classy & graceful Onika was put to one side and she let rip (quite literally) with the explosive 'Anaconda'. Grabbing headlines was just what she needed and she did it expertly with that. The rest of the album is (thankfully for me), more in line with the former - it is at times vulnerable, at other times fierce, but most importantly a lot of it sounds very true to who she is. In the first few tracks she expresses a sombre side of guilt, loss and love before turning it saucy with the help of Beyoncé, Ariana and Drake&Co. It takes a number of shifts and turns throughout, but unlike PF:RR it seems largely intentional and flows a lot better than that. Fun Nicki is still there, especially in 'Trini Dem Girls' and 'Buy A Heart' and the highlights, though perhaps not as HIGH as the other albums are lovely. Overall a strong album, showcasing a truthful, honest and beautiful Nicki.

http://i.imgur.com/Wr315My.jpg

01. Pink Friday - 10.06

I hear they coming for me,
because the top is lonely.
What the f*** they gon say?

Lovers: 11 - jsilv, Liam, troylovesmusic, Neil, Haus, Tyler, Jonjo, Acoustic
Haters: 8 - Cameron, Cremey

First things first, let's admire how this has an average of over 10 and thankfully Buzzjack has got this decision exactly correct. Pink Friday is probably my favourite of all time (that or Florence + the Machine's Lungs) and is just the most perfect introduction to Nicki anyone could've asked for.

It begins with the incredible self-assured track I'm The Best. A fantastic song and I think this'll always be one of my ultimate favourites from Nicki. The hook itself is so sassy and sing-a-long-able but the charm comes from the rap verses and it's lines such as 'Got two bones to pick I'm a only choose one, you might get addressed on the second album' where she really shines.

Did It On 'Em provides us with a huge guilty pleasure which we know we shouldn't like but man do we sing it loud when it comes on. 'Shitted on 'em, Put your number 2's in the air, If you did it on 'em'.

Right Thru Me is the moment where I realised Nicki was something special and still one of my absolute favourites from her. Even in my 50s I don't think I'll ever forget the lyrics to this just due to the amount of times I do rap to it. One of her more heartfelt moments and she really nails it here.

The huge collaboration between Nicki and Rihanna is next, Fly is also one of her best tracks and one of her most underrated I feel. The chorus delivered by Rihanna is perfect and executed extremely well but as a huge Nicki fan I'm always going to say the raps are my favourite parts. Another song I've rapped along to countless times but the raps are just so fab and the flow is outstanding. My favourite lyric from this if I had to pick one would be 'Cause I am not a word, I am not a line, I am not a girl that can ever be defined'.

After this we have one of the most flawless run of tracks I've ever seen on an album. Save Me through to Your Love is just seven songs that are so fantastic it's indescribable. The majority of them being album tracks that would've all been fantastic singles but I won't focus on each one otherwise this would be an essay and not a commentary. I'll just leave a quick note her thanking Your Love for being the song that started it all for me being the first ever song I heard from her. 'When I was a Geisha he was a Samurai, Somehow I understood him when he spoke Thai' still being one of my favourite lyrics from her.

Girls Fall Like Dominoes was the first Nicki track I learnt every lyric too (mainly due to that utterly genius name-dropping verse) and I still remember showing my mum that I'd learnt the lyrics or something in like 2011 and having to cut out all of the swear words :lol:

Finally, I'd like to show some appreciation to Super Bass for being an absolute tune and one of my favourites of all time. Another essential party tune from Nicki.

Sadly the album does have a few lower moments (of which none are bad but just not 11/10 like the rest of the album) such as Roman's Revenge and Last Chance but we'll just brush those under the carpet I think.

Edited January 14, 201510 yr by Josh.

Iconic album with wall-to-wall hits. Can't even begin to pick it apart because there's so many highlights. 'Moment 4 Life' is my #1 Nicki song, but there's so much more to the album beyond that too. That score too !

 

Had no idea it ranked as your favourite album of all time!! What an honour it holds for you then <3

 

I'll just leave a quick note her thanking Your Love for being the song that started it all for me being the first ever song I heard from her. 'When I was a Geisha he was a Samurai,

YES. Love the song and this lyric makes it. :wub:

lol at me missing out moment 4 life oops, yes it's an absolute moment bal! video is fab too, she looking fierce

 

Happy to see the Pinkprint at #2 too, I'd agree with that because it's definitely her most mature output so far. The production from the outset is sublime too.

Edited January 14, 201510 yr by Josh.

Wow I'm a hater for giving it an 8? Shows how high everyone regards it then.

I am a big fan of it but it wasn't as strong as I thought it would be after I first heard 'Massive Attack'. Will always be annoyed that didn't make the tracklist!

 

http://i.imgur.com/Wr315My.jpg

 

01. Pink Friday - 10.06

 

I hear they coming for me,

because the top is lonely.

What the f*** they gon say?

 

Lovers: 11 - jsilv, Liam, troylovesmusic, Neil, Haus, Tyler, Jonjo, Acoustic

Haters: 8 - Cameron, Cremey

 

First things first, let's admire how this has an average of over 10 and thankfully Buzzjack has got this decision exactly correct. Pink Friday is probably my favourite of all time (that or Florence + the Machine's Lungs) and is just the most perfect introduction to Nicki anyone could've asked for.

 

It begins with the incredible self-assured track I'm The Best. A fantastic song and I think this'll always be one of my ultimate favourites from Nicki. The hook itself is so sassy and sing-a-long-able but the charm comes from the rap verses and it's lines such as 'Got two bones to pick I'm a only choose one, you might get addressed on the second album' where she really shines.

 

Did It On 'Em provides us with a huge guilty pleasure which we know we shouldn't like but man do we sing it loud when it comes on. 'Shitted on 'em, Put your number 2's in the air, If you did it on 'em'.

 

Right Thru Me is the moment where I realised Nicki was something special and still one of my absolute favourites from her. Even in my 50s I don't think I'll ever forget the lyrics to this just due to the amount of times I do rap to it. One of her more heartfelt moments and she really nails it here.

 

The huge collaboration between Nicki and Rihanna is next, Fly is also one of her best tracks and one of her most underrated I feel. The chorus delivered by Rihanna is perfect and executed extremely well but as a huge Nicki fan I'm always going to say the raps are my favourite parts. Another song I've rapped along to countless times but the raps are just so fab and the flow is outstanding. My favourite lyric from this if I had to pick one would be 'Cause I am not a word, I am not a line, I am not a girl that can ever be defined'.

 

After this we have one of the most flawless run of tracks I've ever seen on an album. Save Me through to Your Love is just seven songs that are so fantastic it's indescribable. The majority of them being album tracks that would've all been fantastic singles but I won't focus on each one otherwise this would be an essay and not a commentary. I'll just leave a quick note her thanking Your Love for being the song that started it all for me being the first ever song I heard from her. 'When I was a Geisha he was a Samurai, Somehow I understood him when he spoke Thai' still being one of my favourite lyrics from her.

 

Girls Fall Like Dominoes was the first Nicki track I learnt every lyric too (mainly due to that utterly genius name-dropping verse) and I still remember showing my mum that I'd learnt the lyrics or something in like 2011 and having to cut out all of the swear words :lol:

 

Finally, I'd like to show some appreciation to Super Bass for being an absolute tune and one of my favourites of all time. Another essential party tune from Nicki.

 

Sadly the album does have a few lower moments (of which none are bad but just not 11/10 like the rest of the album) such as Roman's Revenge and Last Chance but we'll just brush those under the carpet I think.

 

I agreed with review of the album right until you slated Roman's Revenge -_-

 

Pink Friday is a f***ing beast of a record. I think it's my #2 most played. The smashes don't let up. Blazin in particular is exquisite.

Roman's Revenge is an amazing song - although Nicki didn't like it original version herself tbf.

Actually I'd give the Pink Print an 11 now that I've had time to listen to it ^_^ it's stunning! Even slightly (*slightly*) better than Pink Friday :o

Actually I'd give the Pink Print an 11 now that I've had time to listen to it ^_^ it's stunning! Even slightly (*slightly*) better than Pink Friday :o

 

I agree. The Pinkprint has now become my favourite album by her. It's very consistent and filled with so many amazing tracks.

Pink Friday is definitely her best album so definitely a deserving winner there!

Oh my God, that Roman's Revenge shade. Sing whaat. It's a total eleven.

 

Is this the thanks I get for puttin you bitches on?

Is it MY FAULT that all of you bitches gone?

Shoulda left a thank you note, you little HO,

Now I'mma wrap your coffin with a bow!

 

Freshly slain every damn time.

Yeah 'Roman's Revenge' is one of the (many) highlights!

10. The Night Is Still Young - 8.50

My only motto in life is don't lose

Lovers: 10 - April, Ryan, CDC, Joseph, Tyler, Jonjo
Haters: 3 - Davidson

This song is a lot more commercial than the rest of the album, it's a catchy upbeat pop song similar to Starships with a bit less autotune. It's catchy and I do like it but I don't think I'd have it that high in my personal rankings. It just seems like an attempt at a hit and it's not what 2014/15 Nicki is really about anymore if you get what I mean. I won't deny it'd be a good party tune though.

Edited January 15, 201510 yr by Josh.

I gave that a 10!? I enjoy it, but i definitely wouldn't have it up there with my other 10/10 Nicki tracks :o

 

As fun as it is, i really don't want her to release it as a single either. It'd be quite a step back for her i think, and i'd rather she went with the braver choices on the album.

No, you gave it a 9. Luckily that's an error in me reading my spreadsheet and not the calculations. Edited because it was actually Joseph!