After a number of promo single including Boss Ass Bitch and Lookin' Ass being released over the past few months, the official lead single of rapper Nicki Minaj's highly anticipated third LP The Pink Print was released on Wednesday the 21st. How does the song compare to the numerous amount of promo tracks that preceded it? Find out after the jump!
The song starts off with a hard, haunting drum beat, coupled with a piano to round out the instrumental side. Minaj then starts in on the track, softly singing in a manner we've yet to hear from her, that honestly, sounds beautiful, before jumping into the hook, which features more R&B centered vocals. We then jump into the first verse, which features laid back heavy rap vocals from Nicki. The speed of the rap picks up slowly throughout the verse right up until the end, before we jump right back into the pre-hook the song began with. We continue this pattern once more, before the song comes to an end.
The song, while not exactly new rap-wise, is something we really haven't heard from Minaj. The powerful ballad centered hook is surprising coming from her, but her voice works it beautifully. The song also triumphs lyrically, as the song is centered around someone who has obviously betrayed her, but she won't hold grudges. The lyrics are laid out perfectly, and the track really tells a story.
Overall, this is not what I was expecting from the female emcee. With the plethora of heavy rap promo tracks we've received in the past few months, a rap/ballad hybrid was not what I was expecting. However, the track is formulated excellently, and the instrumental track works seamlessly with the vocals. I could easily see this being played on the radio, however, it is different enough from most radio songs today that it could stand out amongst the many pop tracks we hear today. This, in my opinion could be one of her biggest crossover hits today.
