We all know that Nicki Minaj is THE queen of rap, with major hits like “Superbass” and “Anaconda.” So when she announced her fourth album appropriately titled Queen in 2018, we all had very high hopes - probably too high. The rapper hadn’t released an album since 2014's The Pinkprint, so fans were practically getting on their knees begging for new music… and when Queen didn’t live up to everyone’s expectations, fans were disappointed to say the least.
One of Queen’s biggest downfalls was its messy rollout. The era started in April 2018 with the two singles “Chun-Li” and “Barbie Tingz,” with the latter not ending up on the final project. As we’ve seen with other artists such as Camila Cabello with Romance (“Liar” and “Shameless”), releasing two singles to start an era often confuses the general public and each song is forced to share the spotlight. While the two singles are definitely some of the highlights on the album, they unfortunately didn’t get the attention they deserved.
After two more promotional singles and several release date delays, Queen was finally released in August 2018. The 19-song project seemed messy upon first listen and it was evident to many listeners that some songs easily could’ve been chopped from the tracklist and forgotten. “Sir” featuring rapper Future is one of the weakest songs on the album. Minaj’s repetitive flow, Future’s boring verse and the basic production make for a weak track and it's surprising that the same artist that released iconic songs like "Feeling Myself" put this on her comeback album. Another late-album track “Miami” is a lacklustre song on Queen that many listeners probably forgot about after their first listen. While Minaj’s charisma is undeniable, it doesn’t make up for these (and a few other) weak tracks.
Although if you were to filter out the filler tracks on Queen, it would actually be a very strong album. “LLC” is a fun and upbeat banger where Minaj raps about the standards she’s set in the female rap industry. The track standouts for its lyrics and precise and exciting delivery, not to mention the fun production and undeniable catchiness. “Barbie Dreams” is a light-hearted track where Minaj straight-up disses all the major male rappers. She raps “Drake worth a hundred mill, he always buyin' me sh*t / But I don't know if the ***** wet or if he cryin' and sh*t / Meek still be in my DMs, I be havin' to duck him / "I used to pray for times like this" face-a** when I f*ck him” in the first verse - and those aren’t even the deepest cuts. You can’t help but laugh when you listen to the 4-minute track that’s just digs on digs on digs!
Minaj also steps out of her comfort zone on Queen in terms of her singing abilities. We all knew that she could sing from her tracks like “The Night Is Still Young” and “Grand Piano,” but she really stepped it up on not one but two tracks off the album. “Nip Tuck” is one of the standout tracks on Queen because it’s nothing like Minaj has done before. She flawlessly sings the entire pseudo-ballad and also delivers one of the best verses on the album in the bridge. “Come See About Me” is another ballad where Minaj sings about balancing her personal life while still being in the limelight. She sings “They say it's all what you make it / Maybe it's all in the making / Love's always love, you can’t fake it / So please don't try to deny me of that” in the pre-chorus and Minaj’s vulnerability on the song makes it stand out from the pack.
In conclusion, while Queen may be stuffed with fillers, the many hidden gems on this album are what make us continue to love and appreciate Nicki Minaj.
Stream Queen by Nicki Minaj on Spotify and Apple Music.
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