On November 22, 2010, rapper/singer/songwriter Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty, also known as Nicki Minaj, released her first ever studio album, “Pink Friday.” The album debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200, selling upwards of 375,000 copies in the first week, later peaking at number one, making it her first album to hit the milestone. 

     Now, over 10 years later, Minaj has released a sequel to the album, titled “Pink Friday 2.” It was her first studio album since “Queen,” which was released in 2018. “Pink Friday 2” is regarded as one of, if not Minaj’s most vulnerable album, awash with tracks discussing topics very personal to Minaj, such as the loss of her father (“Are You Gone Already”), her religion (“Blessings”), love and relationships (“Let Me Calm Down”), and more. However, the track list is certainly not without contrast, featuring plenty of Minaj’s signature animated rap flow and lyricism, as well as a track speculated to be dissing her previous collaborator, Megan Thee Stallion. 

     “I don’t know what Megan Thee Stallion did to piss off Nicki Minaj, or why Nicki can’t seem to tolerate the presence of other visible female rappers. But Nicki can really rap, and she can really, really rap when she’s mad about something,” Tom Breihan of Stereogum wrote. 

     “Pink Friday 2” has another striking feature–its samples. The 22-song album contains obvious and clear samples from huge artists like Billie Eilish, Cindi Lauper, Notorious B.I.G, Travis Scott, and Blondie. Though the album has been tremendously successful, gaining over 90 million streams in its first few days and making Minaj the first female rapper with three number one albums, listeners have not shied away from sharing critiques, some finding Minaj’s complaints to be insensitive. 

     “Much like “Drake’s For All the Dogs,” “Pink Friday 2” hyper-focuses on everything going wrong for someone with a lot to celebrate,” said Craig Jenkins of Vulture. 

     Other critics say that the album’s track list and production are messy and mainly intended to gain online popularity. “The album’s intention is muddled…[it] sounds less like genre innovation and more like an insidious ploy to worm its way into…TikTok,” Julianne Escobedo Shepherd wrote in a review for Pitchfork. 

    Regardless of personal opinion, no one can deny Minaj’s musical talent. Rapping at a record breaking 5.4 syllables per second (Yen News) with innovative and shocking lyrics, Minaj is an icon who has laid the foundation for the female rappers of the future. For The Ringer, Justin Charity wrote that “[Minaj is] a role model to the first generation of female rappers to have altogether outclassed their male peers in terms of success and acclaim.”