Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | April 2, 2012 | |||
Recorded | 2011–2012 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 69:00 | |||
Label | ||||
Producer |
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Nicki Minaj album chronology | ||||
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Singles from Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded | ||||
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Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded [a] is the second studio album by rapper Nicki Minaj. It was released on April 2, 2012 by Cash Money Records, Universal Republic Records and Young Money Entertainment. Looking to transition from her debut studio album, Pink Friday (2010), Minaj wanted to make a follow-up record about "just having fun". Stylistically, the album is divided by a first half of hip hop tracks and a second half of dance-pop songs. As executive producer, Minaj enlisted a variety of collaborators.
Upon its release, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded received generally mixed reviews from critics, who were ambivalent towards Minaj's exploration of dance-pop. It debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 selling 253,000 copies in its first week, making it Minaj's second number-one album in the country, and her first to debut at the top of the chart. With that, Minaj became the first female rapper to peak at number one with her first two studio albums. In November 2024, the album was certified quadruple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for moving four million album-equivalent units, becoming Minaj's highest-certified album in the US yet. Internationally, the album peaked at number one in Canada and the United Kingdom, and reached the top five in Australia, Ireland, and New Zealand.
The album was promoted with six singles. Its lead single "Starships" peaked at number five on the US Billboard Hot 100 and was later certified Diamond by the RIAA. Follow-up singles "Right by My Side" and "Beez in the Trap" experienced moderate success on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. "Pound the Alarm" and "Va Va Voom" peaked at numbers fifteen and twenty-two on the Billboard Hot 100, respectively. "Automatic" was released as a single only in France, where it peaked at number 102 on the SNEP chart. The album was additionally promoted through the Pink Friday Tour and the Pink Friday: Reloaded Tour, which visited North America, Asia, Europe, and Oceania throughout 2012 following the album's release.
The album was reissued in November 2012, as Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded – The Re-Up . In addition to the original album, the reissue includes seven new songs and an additional DVD, which was filmed during the Pink Friday Tour.
"April 3 is gonna be a doozy. It's gonna be crazy, it's gonna be important for hip-hop and pop culture. It's gonna be very big."
Following the success of Minaj's debut studio album, Pink Friday (2010), Cash Money CEO, Brian "Birdman" Williams announced to Billboard that Minaj was aiming for a first quarter release in 2012. [2] In November 2011, Minaj announced on Twitter that the album would be released on February 14, 2012, though it was later rescheduled for release on April 3. The album primarily focuses on Roman Zolanski, one of Minaj's alter egos that was first featured on Pink Friday. The standard artwork was released on March 1, 2012, and the deluxe artwork was revealed on March 8, both through Twitter. [3] [4]
When Minaj was asked on Twitter to describe the album in one word, she tweeted "freedom". [5] In an interview following the premiere of the album's lead single, "Starships", Minaj told Ryan Seacrest, "I've never had this much fun recording music in my life. My first album I was very guarded. I felt like I was making music to please everyone else. I had to be politically correct, but this album I am just creating music, and there's such a big difference. Literally in the studio we were cracking up laughing, having fun, and enjoying ourselves. The music itself you're going to get every side that I've ever shown and then a little bit extra. I've tried to make it very, very balanced, because I don't ever want to be boxed in, and that's always what drives me. So I made a very diverse album." She added that with her first album, "I was a too open Nicki Minaj. It felt more to me like a diary, the songs were more introspective and stuff like that...with this particular album I felt that it was time to give people a moment to enjoy the lyrics, and enjoy the beats, and enjoy the voices. When I was going to do my first album people would say, 'What is she going to talk about? Is she just going to talk about sex?' So I made it my business to make an album that did not talk about sex at all. I made it my business to make an album that wasn't a vulgar album, because [on] my mixtapes I was very, very...outlandish on my mixtapes. With this album I'm going back to not necessarily to that sound, but that feeling. The feeling of 'I don't care what you think!' That's what it is." [6] Minaj also spoke on the concept behind her first two albums, saying: "Sometimes I felt the first album was a little too revealing, too emotional at times, and the other thing about your first album is that you've had all these emotions pent up inside to release and that's what you do on your debut. On the second album I was more concerned about just having fun". [7]
As executive producer, Minaj enlisted a variety of producers, including Alex da Kid, Alex P, Pop & Oak, Benny Blanco, Blackout, Carl Falk, Cirkut, David Guetta, DJ Diamond Kuts, Dreamlab, Dr. Luke, Flip, Hitboy, Jimmy Joker, J.R. Rotem, Kane Beatz, Kenoe, KoOol Kojak, M.E. Productions, Pink Friday Productions, Rami Yacoub, RedOne, Rico Beats, Ryan & Smitty, Nikhil S. and T-Minus. Minaj also collaborated with different artists for the album, which includes: Cam'ron, Rick Ross, 2 Chainz, Lil Wayne, Nas, Drake, Young Jeezy, Chris Brown, Bobby V, and Beenie Man. [5]
Stylistically, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded is divided into two parts, the first of which focuses mainly on hip hop tracks while the second contains dance-pop songs. [8] Minaj raps in her unhinged alter ego "Roman Zolanski" over the former tracks' hard-edged beats and mostly sings on the latter half; [9] she returns to rapping on the album's final track "Stupid Hoe". [10] Music journalist Jody Rosen delineates the album's music as comprising "'Side One' for the hip-hop headz, 'Side Two' for teenyboppers." [11] Slant Magazine 's Matthew Cole comments that the album is "partitioned almost exactly between a rap half and a pop half". [12] Pitchfork 's Ryan Dombal denotes the second half as tracks following "Roman Reloaded" and writes that they "range from brittle Euro-trance to milquetoast R&B to washed-out balladry." [13] Music critic Kitty Empire cites the song "Pound the Alarm" as a "compromise" between the album's two stylistic halves. [14]
"Starships" was released as the lead single from the album on February 14, 2012. [15] The song was an international hit, peaking inside the top ten in over fifteen countries. In the United States, the song charted at number five on the Billboard Hot 100. The song is also Minaj's second most certified single to date. "Right by My Side" was sent to US rhythmic radio and US urban radio on March 27, 2012, [16] [17] [18] as the album's second single. The song, which features additional vocals from Chris Brown, has since peaked at number 51 on the Billboard Hot 100. "Beez in the Trap", which features 2 Chainz, was sent to US rhythmic radio on May 29, 2012, [19] as the third single from the album. The song peaked at number 48 on the Billboard Hot 100.
"Pound the Alarm" was released as the fourth single from the album. [20] It was sent to US Top 40/Mainstream radio on July 17, 2012. [21] The song peaked at number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 as well as in the top ten in other countries including Australia, Canada and the UK. "Automatic" impacted French contemporary hit radio on October 18, 2012 as the fifth single from the album. It peaked at number 102 on France's SNEP chart. [22] "Va Va Voom" was released as the sixth and final single from the album. It was sent to US Top 40/Mainstream radio on October 23, 2012. [23] The song peaked at number 22 on Billboard Hot 100 and in the top 20 in Canada and the UK.
Minaj performed "Roman Holiday" at the 54th Grammy Awards on February 12, 2012, making Minaj the first solo female rapper to perform at the award show. [24] The controversial performance borrowed elements of the classic horror film, The Exorcist (1973). Minaj said in an interview with Rap-Up , "I had this vision for [alter-ego, Roman Zolanski] to be sort of exorcised—or actually he never gets exorcised—but people around him tell him he's not good enough because he's not normal, he's not blending in with the average Joe. And so his mother is scared and the people around him are afraid because they've never seen anything like him. He wanted to show that not only is he amazing and he's sure of himself and confident, but he's never gonna change, he's never gonna be exorcised. Even when they throw the holy water on him, he still rises above." MTV said the performance "was the most elaborate of the night's Grammy performances and had everyone talking." [25]
On February 26, 2012, Minaj performed "Starships" live for the first time along with "Moment 4 Life", "Turn Me On" and "Super Bass" at the 2012 NBA All-Star Game. She also performed "Starships" on the eleventh season of American Idol on March 29, 2012. In April 2012, Minaj held album signings in New York City, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and London. [26] That month, she traveled to the UK for a week of promotion. On April 4, 2012, she performed a 40-minute mini-concert for BET's 106 & Park . [27] She performed "Starships", "Right by My Side", and "Super Bass" in Times Square, hosted by Nokia, on April 7, 2012. [28] On April 19, 2012, HMV held a competition for fans, where 500 winners would get the chance to meet Minaj in one of their stores in Bayswater, London, where she would sign their albums. [29] Minaj also made an appearance on The Graham Norton Show , which was aired on April 20, 2012, [30] and on that same day, she visited BBC Radio 1 for an interview with Nick Grimshaw.
To further promote Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, Minaj embarked on her first concert tour, entitled the Pink Friday Tour. [31] The tour comprised 41 show dates, including, 19 in North America, 15 in Europe, 4 in Asia, and 3 in Oceania. The tour began in May 2012 with shows in Australia and Asia. The tour then continued on to Europe and North America in June, July, and August 2012. The tour came to a close on August 14, 2012, in New York City at the Roseland Ballroom. The final show was a part of a free Pepsi promotional concert. The tour was officially announced by Minaj on May 1, 2012, featuring a stage resembling Barbie 's Dreamhouse. [32] Minaj stated that she will play radio and outdoor festivals in conduction with arenas and theaters. [33] She described the tour as being "intimate yet big". Laurieann Gibson served as creative director and choreographer for the tour. [34] Minaj also embarked on the Pink Friday: Reloaded Tour, which visited arenas throughout October and December 2012. [35]
On September 6, at the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards, Minaj announced the reissue of Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded [36] . In November, she added that the expanded album would contain an additional disc with seven newly recorded songs and an exclusive behind-the-scenes DVD to supplement the standard edition of the original album. [37] Project, titled Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded - The Re-Up , was released on November 19, seven months after the original record. The new material incorporates hip hop and R&B styles. [38] Upon its release, The Re-Up received generally positive reviews from music critics. [39] Commercially, it helped the original album to return to the top-100 of the Billboard 200 chart, reaching the 27 spot. [40]
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AnyDecentMusic? | 5.4/10 [41] |
Metacritic | 60/100 [42] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [43] |
Entertainment Weekly | B [44] |
The Guardian | [45] |
The Independent | [46] |
MSN Music (Expert Witness) | A− [47] |
NME | [48] |
Pitchfork | 6.7/10 [13] |
Rolling Stone | [11] |
Spin | 8/10 [49] |
The Times | [50] |
Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded received mixed reviews from critics upon its release. [51] At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 60, based on 30 reviews. [42] Although he complimented its first half as "an amusement park for production lovers", AllMusic editor David Jeffries criticized the album's "iffy pop" and called it "a frustrating mix of significant and skippable." [43] Randall Roberts of the Los Angeles Times complimented its "minimal and bouncy hip-hop tracks" for highlighting Minaj's "charm and achievement", but wrote that the "disjointed, artistically confused" album "drives off a cliff" with "dance pop songs as simple as they are generic". [8] Emily Mackay of NME found its disparate music "just baffling" and "zany for the sake of it". [48] Kitty Empire, writing in The Observer , interpreted Minaj's pop songs as "an aggressive bid for Gaga's territory." [14] David Amidon of PopMatters accused Minaj of "doubling down on her cartoonish elements" and criticized its first half as "very poorly thought out rap music masquerading as pop". [10] John Calvert of The Quietus described the album as "pop postmodernity in an advanced state of hollow, banal meaningless[ness]" and felt that the pop songs have "absolutely nothing to do with Minaj's art". [52] Slant Magazine's Matthew Cole panned it as a "mediocre rap album" and felt that "Minaj conveys no personality" when she does not rap. [12] "Too many of its 19 tracks leave Minaj simply treading the territory of other radio divas", wrote Kyle Anderson in Entertainment Weekly . [44]
In a positive review for Rolling Stone , journalist Jody Rosen called it a "filler-free mega-pop album" and stated that "the energy never flags". [11] Jessica Hopper of Spin praised Minaj's "rap offerings" as "nearly flawless" and wrote of the album's portion of pop tracks, "Her artistic potency dissolves, and she's just another well-finessed quirky diva". [49] Tom Ewing of The Guardian said that it "doesn't matter" that the album is inconsistent and "makes no attempt to marry its rap and pop impulses ... at their best the styles are wedded anyway by a particular frenzy, a sense that Minaj comes with no off switch or lower gear." [45] Robert Christgau said in his review for MSN Music that Minaj "raps exceptionally well, sings quite well, rhymes inconsistently but sometimes superbly", and that the album's deluxe edition starts and ends "strong", with a "fun" middle that veers between "mawkish and loud". Christgau recommended it to listeners who "enjoy contemporary pop whose market-tested blare offends both rockist philistines and IDM aesthetes". [47]
Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 253,000 copies in its first week, ending April 10, 2012. [53] This marked Minaj's second number-one album in that country following her previous studio album, Pink Friday (2010), which peaked at number one in February 2011. On June 22, 2012, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), for shipments of one million copies in the US. [54] The album sold 785,000 copies throughout 2012 in the US. [55] Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded was the best-selling rap album released in 2012 in the US, and overall the album was the third highest-selling R&B/Hip-Hop album of 2012 in the US. [56] [57] According to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded was the 25th best-selling album globally of 2012, with sales of 1.4 million copies worldwide during that year. [58] As of February 2015, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded has sold over 905,000 copies in the US. [59] On November 18, 2024, the album was certified quadruple platinum by the RIAA for combined album sales, track sales, on-demand audio, and video streams equivalent of four million album-equivalent units. [54]
Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart and the UK R&B Albums Chart, with first week sales of 47,000 copies. [60] [61] In doing so, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded became the first album by a female rap artist to chart at number one in the United Kingdom. Additionally, the album sold 242,000 copies in the UK throughout 2012, making it the thirty-seventh best selling album of that year. [62] Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded also debuted at number one on the Canadian Albums Chart, [63] and debuted at number five on the Australian Albums Chart. [64] In Mexico, the album reached the top 40 in its first week of release. [65]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Roman Holiday" |
| 4:05 | |
2. | "Come on a Cone" |
| Hit-Boy | 3:05 |
3. | "I Am Your Leader" (featuring Cam'ron and Rick Ross) |
| Hit-Boy | 3:33 |
4. | "Beez in the Trap" (featuring 2 Chainz) |
| Kenoe | 4:28 |
5. | "HOV Lane" |
|
| 3:13 |
6. | "Roman Reloaded" (featuring Lil Wayne) |
|
| 3:16 |
7. | "Champion" (featuring Nas, Drake and Young Jeezy) |
| 4:56 | |
8. | "Right by My Side" (featuring Chris Brown) |
| 4:25 | |
9. | "Sex in the Lounge" (featuring Lil Wayne and Bobby V) |
|
| 3:27 |
10. | "Starships" |
| 3:30 | |
11. | "Pound the Alarm" |
|
| 3:25 |
12. | "Whip It" |
|
| 3:15 |
13. | "Automatic" |
|
| 3:18 |
14. | "Beautiful Sinner" |
| 3:47 | |
15. | "Marilyn Monroe" | 3:16 | ||
16. | "Young Forever" | 3:06 | ||
17. | "Fire Burns" |
|
| 3:00 |
18. | "Gun Shot" (featuring Beenie Man) |
| Kane Beatz | 4:39 |
19. | "Stupid Hoe" |
|
| 3:16 |
Total length: | 69:00 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
20. | "Turn Me On" (David Guetta featuring Nicki Minaj) |
|
| 3:19 |
21. | "Va Va Voom" |
|
| 3:03 |
22. | "Masquerade" |
|
| 3:48 |
Total length: | 79:10 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
20. | "Va Va Voom" |
|
| 3:03 |
21. | "Masquerade" |
|
| 3:48 |
Total length: | 95:51 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
22. | "Up in Flames" |
| 5:05 | |
23. | "Freedom" |
|
| 4:47 |
24. | "Hell Yeah" (featuring Parker) |
| Parker Ighile | 4:11 |
25. | "High School" (featuring Lil Wayne) |
|
| 3:37 |
26. | "I'm Legit" (featuring Ciara) |
| Mel & Mus | 3:18 |
27. | "I Endorse These Strippers" (featuring Tyga and Brinx) |
|
| 4:22 |
28. | "The Boys" (with Cassie) |
|
| 4:08 |
Total length: | 105:18 |
Notes
Credits adapted from the liner notes of Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded. [73]
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA) [95] | Gold | 35,000^ |
Denmark (IFPI Danmark) [96] | Gold | 10,000‡ |
Ireland (IRMA) [97] | Platinum | 15,000^ |
Poland (ZPAV) [98] | Gold | 10,000* |
Sweden (GLF) [99] | Gold | 20,000‡ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [100] | Platinum | 242,000 [62] |
United States (RIAA) [101] | 4× Platinum | 4,000,000‡ |
Summaries | ||
Worldwide | — | 1,400,000 [58] |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
Regions | Dates | Format(s) | Label(s) |
---|---|---|---|
Germany [102] | April 2, 2012 | CD, digital download, LP | Universal Music, Cash Money |
United Kingdom [103] | Universal Island, Cash Money | ||
France [104] | Universal Music, Cash Money | ||
Australia [105] | |||
United States [106] | April 3, 2012 | Universal Music, Young Money, Cash Money | |
Canada [107] | |||
Japan [108] | April 11, 2012 | Universal Music Japan, Cash Money | |
Brazil [109] | April 23, 2012 | Universal Music, Cash Money | |
China | |||
Denmark | |||
New Zealand | |||
Netherlands |
Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty, known professionally as Nicki Minaj, is a Trinidadian rapper, singer, and songwriter. Regarded as the "Queen of Rap" and one of the most influential rappers of all time, she is credited as a driving force in the mainstream resurgence of female rap in the early 2010s. Known for her dynamic rap flow, witty lyrics, musical versatility, and alter egos, Minaj first gained recognition after releasing three mixtapes between 2007 and 2009.
Pink Friday is the debut studio album by Trinidadian rapper Nicki Minaj. It was released on November 22, 2010, by Cash Money Records, Universal Motown Records and Young Money Entertainment. Minaj began recording the album after signing a recording contract with Young Money Entertainment in 2009. Musically, it is primarily a hip hop, R&B and pop record that incorporates electronic music. The album features guest vocals from Eminem, Rihanna, Drake, will.i.am, Kanye West, and Natasha Bedingfield.
"Did It On'em" is a song by rapper Nicki Minaj. It was released on April 7, 2011 by Young Money and Cash Money as the sixth single from her debut studio album, Pink Friday (2010). It was written by Minaj with J. Ellington and Shondrae "Bangladesh" Crawford, who produced the track.
"Marilyn Monroe" is a 2012 song by American rapper Nicki Minaj. The song was written by Minaj, Daniel James, Leah Haywood, Ross Golan and J.R. Rotem, while production was handled by J.R. Rotem and Dreamlab. Musically, "Marilyn Monroe" is an introspective mid-tempo ballad that contains an upbeat piano, synth beats, and features influences of bubblegum pop. Lyrically, the song alludes to oneself questioning the status of their relationship. The song makes frequent references to pop icon Marilyn Monroe, with many of her quotes woven into the song.
"Starships" is a song by American rapper and singer Nicki Minaj. It was released on February 14, 2012, by Young Money, Cash Money, and Universal Republic as the lead single from her second studio album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded (2012). The song was written by Nicki Minaj, Nadir Khayat, Carl Falk, Rami Yacoub, Bilal Hajji, and Wayne Hector, and it was produced by RedOne, Yacoub, and Falk.
"Roman Holiday" is a song by rapper Nicki Minaj, released as the opening track from her second album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded (2012). It was written by Minaj, Larry Nacht, Winston Thomas and Safaree Samuels, and produced by Blackout (Thomas) and Pink Friday Productions. Two months prior to the album's official release, Minaj performed what many viewed as a controversial rendition of the song at the 54th Grammy Awards ceremony on February 12, 2012, which received controversy from the Catholic Church for the usage of religious imagery. Minaj was the first solo female rapper to perform at the Grammys.
"Roman Reloaded" is a song by rapper Nicki Minaj featuring Lil Wayne, from Minaj's second studio album Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded. After being premiered on February 23, 2012 on Hot 97 radio, "Roman Reloaded" was released to digital outlets the next day as a promotional single. It was produced by Rico Beats.
"Right by My Side" is a song by Trinidadian rapper Nicki Minaj featuring American singer Chris Brown. It was released on March 27, 2012 by Young Money, Cash Money, and Universal Republic as the second single from Minaj's second studio album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded (2012). "Right by My Side" was written by Ester Dean and Minaj, while production was handled by Pop & Oak. On March 27, 2012, "Right by My Side" was released as the second official single from the album to Rhythmic and Urban radio in the U.S.
The Pink Friday Tour was the debut concert tour by Trinidadian rapper Nicki Minaj in support of her first two studio albums, Pink Friday (2010) and Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded (2012). The tour was officially announced on May 1, 2012.
"Va Va Voom" is a song by rapper Nicki Minaj from the deluxe edition of her second studio album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded. It was released on October 23, 2012 by Young Money, Cash Money, and Universal Republic as the sixth and final single from the album.
"Beez in the Trap" is a song by rapper Nicki Minaj, featuring American rapper 2 Chainz. It was released on May 29, 2012 by Young Money, Cash Money, and Universal Republic as the lead single from Minaj's second studio album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded (2012). It was written by both artists, alongside producer Kenoe.
"I Am Your Leader" is a song recorded by Trinidadian rapper and singer Nicki Minaj for her second studio album Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded (2012). The song features additional rap vocals from hip hop artists Rick Ross and Cam'ron. Production of the song was handled by Fernando Garibay & Chauncey "Hit-Boy" Hollis, with writing coming from Minaj, Garibay, Hollis, Ross, and Cam'ron. Musically, "I Am Your Leader" is a midtempo hardcore hip hop and electro hop song that contains sparse beats, minimal instrumentation, repetitive, high-pitched, off-pitch synth hooks, and a booming, static bass. Lyrically, Minaj "dishes boast-heavy verses about how she’s better than all these other bitches", according to Adam Fleischer of XXL Magazine.
"Whip It" is a song by American rapper and singer Nicki Minaj, taken from her second studio album Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded (2012). It was written by Minaj, RedOne, Alex Papaconstantinou, Björn Djupström, Bilal Hajji, and Hector and produced by RedOne and Papaconstantinou. "Whip It" is a Eurodance song that utilizes musical genres such as Europop and Euro disco, while also being influenced by other genres such as Latin freestyle, electronic dance, techno and electro. Lyrically, the song is about an attraction to somebody at a club.
"Pound the Alarm" is a song by rapper Nicki Minaj. It was released on June 12, 2012 by Young Money, Cash Money, and Universal Republic as the fourth single from her second studio album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded (2012). The song was written by RedOne, Carl Falk, Rami Yacoub, Bilal Hajji, and Achraf Jannusi, with co-writing credits from Minaj, and production was handled by RedOne, Falk, and Yacoub. Despite the song not winning the poll where Minaj and her label asked fans to pick the next single from her album, the label went ahead and released "Pound the Alarm" due to a large number of airplay requests for the song.
"Come on a Cone" is a song by American rapper and singer Nicki Minaj, taken from her sophomore studio album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded (2012). Minaj, Garibay and Hit-Boy wrote it and Fernando Garibay & Hit-Boy produced it. Musically, it is a hardcore hip hop song that uses electronic beats. Lyrically, the song is rumored to be another diss song to Lil' Kim, following "Roman's Revenge" and "Stupid Hoe". "Come on a Cone" received mainly positive reviews from contemporary critics, while others criticized the chorus, calling it the main problem of the song.
"The Boys" is a song by rapper Nicki Minaj and American singer Cassie. It was released on September 13, 2012 by Young Money, Cash Money and Universal Republic as the lead single from the reissue of Minaj's second studio album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded – The Re-Up (2012). It was written by Minaj, Anjulie Persaud, Jonas Jeberg and Jean Baptiste, and produced by the latter two. It was Minaj's last single to be released by Universal Republic before the label went defunct and its artists roster moved to the revived Republic Records. Initially a track recorded by Cassie for her second studio album under the title "Money on Love," it was subsequently played for Minaj during sessions for The Re-Up, who decided to keep Cassie's vocals but wrote her own verses with certain production portions also being re-worked.
Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded – The Re-Up is the reissue of Trinidadian rapper Nicki Minaj's second studio album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded (2012). It was released on November 19, 2012, by Young Money Entertainment, Cash Money Records and Universal Republic Records. Released seven months after the original, The Re-Up features seven newly recorded songs and an exclusive behind-the-scenes footage DVD. The new material incorporates hip hop, dance-pop and R&B styles. As co-executive producer, Minaj enlisted collaborators Boi-1da, Juicy J and T-Minus.
"Freedom" is a song by rapper Nicki Minaj. It was released on November 2, 2012 by Young Money, Cash Money and Universal Republic as the second single from the reissue of Minaj's second studio album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded – The Re-Up (2012). It was written by Minaj, Matthew Burnett, and Matthew Samuels. Production was helmed by Samuels under his stage name Boi-1da. The song was released for digital download by Cash Money Records in the US and Canada on November 2, 2012 and in other countries on November 6, 2012. It was serviced to US urban radio on November 27 and to mainstream radio in the United Kingdom the following day. "Freedom" is a downtempo hip hop and R&B song that features a "sonically breezy" soundscape, complied with ambient riffs, pop-inspired synths, and soft pop choruses.
"High School" is a song by rapper Nicki Minaj, featuring American rapper Lil Wayne. It was released on April 16, 2013 by Young Money, Cash Money and Republic as the third and final single from the reissue of Minaj's second studio album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded – The Re-Up (2012).
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