Last Time I Saw You

Last updated

"Last Time I Saw You"
Nicki Minaj - Last Time I Saw You.png
Single by Nicki Minaj
from the album Pink Friday 2
ReleasedSeptember 1, 2023 (2023-09-01)
Recorded2023
Genre Pop [1]
Length3:36
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Nicki Minaj singles chronology
"Endless Fashion"
(2023)
"Last Time I Saw You"
(2023)
"Everybody"
(2024)
Audio video
"Last Time I Saw You" on YouTube

"Last Time I Saw You" is a song by Trinidadian-born rapper Nicki Minaj from her fifth studio album Pink Friday 2 . It was released on September 1, 2023, through Young Money and Republic Records as the third single from the album. [2]

Contents

Background and composition

On June 29, 2023, Minaj announced the sequel to her debut studio album Pink Friday and began teasing the release of the album in the following weeks. [3] On August 14, the rapper shared a short snippet of a "vulnerable" track on an Instagram livestream. [4] The snippet was described as "emotionally charged" with lyrics "about a loved one from the distant past". [5] When asked for the title of the song, Minaj replied that it was called "Last Time That I Saw You". [6]

On August 25, Minaj shared the pre-save link of the song, where it was confirmed that the single name was "Last Time I Saw You". At the same time, she posted the single artwork. [7] The song was produced by Hendrix Smoke and ATL Jacob. [8] The cover depicts Minaj wearing a "glistening" dress, [9] in front of a pink backdrop with her hands raised. [10] Minaj further teased the release by posting more promotional images and video clips of the photoshoot. [11] On August 28, via Instagram Live, she confirmed that the single would be released on September 1.

Critical reception

Trent Fitzgerald of XXL wrote that the song is "heavily more pop than her previous singles". [12] Alex Gonzalez of Uproxx also pointed out that the rapper "taps into her vocals, delivering a pop and R&B-influenced hit with a painfully relatable message". [13] In her review for Consequence, Jo Vito described the song as "dreamy" and "melancholic" capturing "a feeling of loss, it also offers a message of hope". The writer also wrote that "Minaj’s vocals carry the melodies and really hit home the reflective vibe, with the perfect amount of ethereal delay effects to boot". [14]

Tom Breihan of Stereogum wrote that the production sounds "lush and layered" and that it was a "shimmering pop song with a whole lot of singing" where Minaj "never gets too specific, and she barely raps on the track" talking about "regretting losing touch with someone". [15] Kyann-Sian Williams of NME defined the song "emotional". [16] Raphael Helfand of The Fader wrote that Minaj "expands on the sentiment in a familiar, slightly Seussian flow" showing her "emotional spectrum". [17]

Live performances

On September 12, 2023, Minaj performed "Last Time I Saw You" for the first time at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards, as well as a then-unreleased track from Pink Friday 2 entitled "Big Difference". [18] The performance featured Minaj standing mostly stationary and singing onstage in a bulbous black coat, awash in a magenta neon light background. Rolling Stone's Larisha Paul praised the "stunning vocal performance in a rare reminder that she can sing nearly as well as she can rap". [19] On the other hand, Pitchfork 's Madison Bloom criticized the "dull performance" for lacking Minaj's "beloved eccentricity". [20]

Track listings

  1. "Last Time I Saw You" – 3:36
  1. "Last Time I Saw You" (sped up) – 3:00
  2. "Last Time I Saw You" – 3:36

Charts

Chart performance for "Last Time I Saw You"
Chart (2023-2024)Peak
position
Australia Hip Hop/R&B (ARIA) [23] 33
Canada (Canadian Hot 100) [24] 48
Canada CHR/Top 40 ( Billboard ) [25] 35
Global 200 ( Billboard ) [26] 36
Ireland (IRMA) [27] 67
Japan Hot Overseas ( Billboard Japan ) [28] 14
New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ) [29] 3
South Korea BGM (Circle) [30] 149
UK Singles (OCC) [31] 46
US Billboard Hot 100 [32] 23
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs ( Billboard ) [33] 6
US Pop Airplay ( Billboard ) [34] 23
US Rhythmic ( Billboard ) [35] 16

Release history

Release history and formats for "Last Time I Saw You"
CountryDateFormatVersionLabelsRef.
VariousSeptember 1, 2023Original [21]
United StatesSeptember 5, 2023Republic [36]
VariousSeptember 7, 2023
  • Digital download
  • streaming
Sped up
  • Young Money
  • Republic
[22]

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