NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - SEPTEMBER 12: Nicki Minaj attends the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards at Prudential Center on September 12, 2023 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Catherine Powell/Getty Images for MTV)
Nicki Minaj has not stopped trending on social media since dropping her highly anticipated album ‘Pink Friday 2‘ on Friday. The 22-track project, which marks the rapper’s first body of work since 2018’s ‘Queen,’ is sure to leave the Barbz well-fed, with Nicki already confirming that four additional tracks will be released in the coming week.
It’s been a long time coming, but judging by the online response so far, Nicki has dominated platforms such as X, where ‘Pink Friday 2’ has been the most talked-about topic since midnight! So, let’s dive into things…
The album hasn’t even been out for a full day yet, and people are already choosing their favorite songs. From the J. Cole-featured track ‘Let Me Calm Down’ to slowing things down with ‘Blessings’ featuring Tasha Cobbs, Nicki is once again showing just how versatile she is as an artist.
1. Are You Gone Already
2. Barbie Dangerous
3. FTCU
4. Beep Beep
5. Fallin 4 U
6. Let Me Calm Down (Feat J. Cole)
7. RNB (Feat. Lil Wayne and Tate Kobang)
8. Pink Birthday
9. Needle (Feat. Drake)
10. Cowgirl (Feat. Lourdiz)
11. Everybody (Feat. Lil Uzi Vert)
12. Big Difference
13. Red Ruby Da Sleeze
14. Forward From Trini (Feat. Skillibeng and Skeng)
15. Pink Friday Girls
16. Super Freaky Girl
17. Bahm Bahm
18. My Life
19. Nicki Hendrix (Feat. Future)
20. Blessings (Feat. Tasha Cobbs Leonard)
21. Last Time I Saw You
22. Just the Memories.
As fans rushed to streaming platforms on Friday morning, the Barbz wasted no time indulging in the 22-track project before dissecting the lyrics to songs such as ‘Fallin 4 U.’
“Picture you not listening when I said you would dread that/I mean locked, h*e, you’s a chop h*e,” Nicki raps, which some people perceived as her blending the terms “locs, h*” with a particular rapper’s name: Latto.
Given that Nicki herself has not yet verified the lyrics, some fans initially thought they heard, “Picture you not listening when I said you would dread that/I mean Latto, you’s a chop h*e.” However, it seems that social media users are convinced that the line — whether directly aimed at Latto or not — was about her.
“I’m sorry Nicki is just sooooooo good at rap. No skips on that album. She’s owns rap at this point,” one person wrote after hearing the song.
“She mad bold calling out latto’s name, she said no indirects, directs only how can you not love her.”
But there’s more. The track ‘FTCU’ is gaining just as much attention for its play on words with the line, “Stay in your Tory lane, b*tch, I’m not Iggy.”
Social media users have gathered that this line appears to reference Tory Lanez, who was found guilty of shooting Megan Thee Stallion in August.
Rumors circulated that Tory and Iggy allegedly shared a relationship before his incarceration, though she later denied those reports, claiming that they were nothing more than friends. She also wrote a letter to the judge on behalf of Tory’s character, asking for his sentencing to be transformational.
According to the Daily Mail, Iggy and Megan had reportedly worked on a song together in 2019, which never came to fruition due to an alleged feud between the pair.
One fan theorized that Nicki wasn’t shading Iggy with the line, calling it a play on words towards Megan who was embroiled in a two-year court case with Tory over the shooting incident in August 2020.
The user took a screenshot of an unreviewed annotation on Genius that read, “Nicki uses this phrase to throw shade at Megan after Megan had been throwing unnecessary shade at Iggy, keeping her cool and not responding to anything Megan said.”
It’s undoubtedly a big day for Nicki, who celebrates her 41st birthday today. And while she hasn’t revealed how she plans to spend her very own Pink Friday, it’s fair to assume that the overjoyed reaction from fans is proving itself to be a birthday present in itself.
Roommates, have you listened to the album yet and what are your thoughts?
