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Nicki Minaj’s startling appearance at the 2012 Grammy Awards was an ominous preview of her new album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, released April 3. She walked the Red Carpet dressed as a glamorized Red Riding Hood and latched on the arm of a man adorned in traditional Pope attire. Later that evening, she debuted a new song “Roman Holiday.” Minaj gave an outrageously frightening and potentially sacrilegious performance.
The exorcist-themed story behind the performance was so bizarre that it blurred the talent and uniqueness that Minaj should have been showcasing for her new release. After her disturbing Grammy performance, doubt arose surrounding the remainder of the songs on Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded.
Fortunately, Minaj pulled through with an authentic and enjoyable final product. The majority of her songs are filled with raw, hardcore rap that shows off her abilities as a credible female rapper. Minaj’s stylistic versatility really shines in this album, and not one song is really worth passing over. Each one is unique and has a completely different vibe and story. Songs such as “Starships,” which currently sits at No. 9 on the iTunes Top 10 list, “Va Va Voom” and “Pound the Alarm” are great dance beats that will appeal to the fans of her previous hit “Super Bass.”
What makes these songs and many others on the album so special is that Minaj is finally celebrating herself as a solo artist. In the past, she has been keen on collaborating with other musical talents such as Rihanna, David Guetta and will.i.am, but a majority of this album is made up of solo tracks – and the results are better than ever. She includes a couple featured artists, such as Beenie Man, Chris Brown and Lil Wayne, but none of them outshine her. Roman Reloaded truly defines Minaj as an artist and proves her talent.
Similar to Beyonce’s I Am…Sasha Fierce, Minaj chooses to unleash her alter ego in Roman Reloaded. Roman Zolanski, the alter ego, makes many appearances throughout the album. She claims he is her twin, homosexual brother who was born inside of her, out of rage. When she is angry, she turns into Roman. Listeners can decipher when Roman is rapping instead of Nicki because he is angry and aggressive when he raps, which is a unique style fans hear in many of Minaj’s songs. In music videos, Roman is present when Minaj is wearing a blond wig and pink lipstick. Minaj’s new album is compiled of 22 songs with the “Roman” alter ego making many enticing appearances. As odd as Minaj may sound for having a possessed alter ego, Roman adds feisty attitude and zest to many of the songs, making the album more powerful as a whole.
These two Minaj-born personalities have created a fun, energizing and provocative album that is worth listening to. Even if you’re easily offended, listen to the album – but wear a helmet and proceed with caution.
