Pink Friday 2 is the fifth studio album by rapper Nicki Minaj. It was released on December 8, 2023, by Young Money Entertainment, Cash Money Records and Republic Records. A sequel to Minaj's debut album Pink Friday (2010), it is her first studio album in five years following the release of Queen (2018). The album is a hip-hop and pop-rap record that borrows influences from other genres as well. Collaborations on the album include J. Cole, Drake, Lil Wayne, Future, Lil Uzi Vert, 50 Cent, Monica, Keyshia Cole, and various other collaborators.
Upon its release, Pink Friday 2 debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200, breaking several records including making Minaj the first female rapper in history to have three number-one albums. It earned over 228,000 album-equivalent units in its first week, with 92,000 coming from pure album sales, and achieved the largest vinyl sales week by a female rapper in history. Internationally, the album peaked in the top ten in Australia, Canada, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. The album received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised Minaj's consistency and innovation. Pink Friday 2 samples tracks by Billie Eilish, Cyndi Lauper, Rick James, among others.
Pink Friday 2 was supported by five singles, "Super Freaky Girl", "Red Ruby da Sleeze", "Last Time I Saw You", "Everybody" featuring Lil Uzi Vert, and "FTCU". The platinum-certified lead single "Super Freaky Girl" marked Minaj's first solo number-one on the US Billboard Hot 100, while all singles peaked within the top 25. To promote the album, Minaj has embarked on the Pink Friday 2 World Tour since March 2024.
Background and development[]
In June 2019, Minaj mentioned on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon that she had begun work on a new album with no official release date at the time and stated that she had not titled it yet. In September, Minaj announced her retirement from hip hop; however, she later withdrew her statement and apologized for her false announcement. That same month, in an interview with Elle, Minaj stated that the album would be, "fierce, fun, and unapologetic" and spoke about the project's ultimate sound.
It's probably the most excited I've been about an album release in a really long time. I'm happy that we're not making my fans wait for another album like I've done in the past. This one incorporates all the things people love about Nicki, but it also just has a way bigger sound, so it goes perfectly with the collection.
A year later on June 29, 2020, Minaj tweeted, "PF2" and "MEMORIES" which went on to be revealed as the initials of the album and a song. From 2020 to 2022, Minaj released various songs, a greatest hits album and rereleased her 2009 mixtape Beam Me Up Scotty. She also gained her first two number ones on the Billboard Hot 100 with a remix of "Say So" and "Trollz".
In July 2022, Minaj previewed a song from the album originally titled "Freaky Girl" on her social media. In May 2023, she teased that the album would "raise the bar to new and unreachable heights", and also teased an accompanying tour. In November, Minaj appeared on the cover of Vogue U.S., reporting that the album "was written from the vantage point of a woman who has gotten so many of the things she dreamed about".
Release[]
On June 5, 2023, Minaj initially announced the release date of the album would be October 20, 2023. On June 29, she officially announced that the album would be titled Pink Friday 2, and that the release date would ve pushed back to November 17. On October 25, Minaj announced that the album's release date was postponed to her birthday on December 8, 2023.
Pink Friday 2 was released on December 8, 2023 and made available for digital download and streaming as a 22-track album. The album was also available in several physical versions, which consisted of four vinyl editions (three retailer-exclusive versions each with different covers) and two CD variants (standard and signed). The physical versions only included 10 tracks, which was theorized to be because the remainder were not finished in time for pressing and release. On December 14, 2023 deluxe edition titled "Gag City Deluxe" edition was released through Minaj's webstore and made available to streaming platforms a day later. On January 13, 2024, another deluxe version, labelled the "Gag City Pluto Edition", was also released.
Title and artwork[]
The album's title was described as a callback to Minaj's Pink Friday (2010) with Minaj also confirming it as a sequel. Minaj first shared one of two official cover arts for the album in September 2023, depicting the rapper in an all-white Vetements ensemble traveling on a roofless metropolitan subway floating above pink clouds. On October 6, she shared the second album cover, which depicted her in an all-pink gown revealing her midriff and surrounded by a billowing pink satin sheet in front of a black background. In the remaining weeks leading up to the release, Minaj shared four additional album cover variations for vinyl and digital release, all of which were shot by British photographer Charlotte Rutherford.
Composition[]
Music and samples[]
The album opens with "Are You Gone Already" which samples Billie Eilish's "When the Party's Over". On the song, Minaj raps about her father's death and "love, loss, guilt, and fear". This is followed by "Barbie Dangerous" which was an interpolation of the Notorious B.I.G.'s "Notorious Thugs". Billboard described the song as a "lyrical exercise for the rap legend as she breezes through the Hollywood Cole production". "FTCU" samples a song by Wacka Flocka Flame and was called a standout on the album. This is followed with "Beep Beep" and "Fallin 4 U" which are both "powered by a catchy chorus". "Let Me Calm Down" featuring J.Cole spoke on Minaj's "grievances against her lover" and "explores the complexity of adult relationships". Cole's rap echo Minaj's where he "relates to Minaj's struggle, he takes a jab at the critics and references one of [his] most chaotic public relationship fall-outs".
"RNB" saw Minaj reuniting with her mentee, Lil Wayne, and singer Tate Kobang. The R&B song was an acronym. "Pink Birthday" was described as a "new birthday anthem" while "Needle" featuring Drake was called an anthem "oozing with island vibes". Minaj revealed that the song was originally intended for Drake's album For All the Dogs. This was followed by pop-inpsired songs, "Cowgirl" featuring Lourdiz and "Everybody" featuring Lil Uzi Vert. Minaj has stated that Doja Cat was originally featured on the former. The latter sampled "Move Your Feet" by Junior Senior. "Big Difference" and "Red Ruby da Sleeze" were both release prior to the album's release and saw Minaj boasting of her legacy and impact on the music industry. "Forward from Trini" saw Minaj showcasing her "Carribbean pride while connecting to her Trinidadian roots". Both the next songs, "Pink Friday Girls" and "Super Freaky Girl" sampled high-profile songs including "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" by Cindi Lauper and "Super Freak" by Rick James. This was followed with "Bahm Bahm", "My Life" and "Nicki Hendrix" featuring Future with the second song sampling "Heart of Glass" by Blondie.
"Blessings" featuring Gospel singer Tasha Cobbs Leonard was called a "palette cleanser from the dessert section" of Pink Friday 2 and saw Minaj rapping about "giving up the glory to God". "Last Time I Saw You" was compared to Minaj's 2018 "Come See About Me" and saw Minaj either "ruminating about the tragic loss of her father or another soured relationship". The song has a "guitar-driven instrumental". The standard album ends with "Just the Memories" which was called an "ethereal album closer" and saw Minaj rapping about the dark hurdles of her childhood, her come-up and her subsequent legacy.
The "Gag City Deluxe" edition of the album features a remix of "Beep Beep" with 50 Cent and a new track titled "Love Me Enough" with Monica and Keyshia Cole. The latter song saw Minaj rapping about "self-love, building yourself back up after a bad relationship, and ultimately putting yourself first". The "Gag City Pluto" edition of the album featured "Press Play" with Future.
Promotion[]
Gag City[]
Prior to the album's release, Minaj's fans began an online marketing campaign to share AI-generated images inspired by the backdrop of the album's cover, depicting "Gag City", a term Minaj previously coined and acknowledged on social media. The campaign gained traction and saw participation from a variety of celebrities including Tyla and Bia. Additionally, multiple companies and brands also participated in the trend including Spotify, Netflix, Bing, Amazon, Empire State Building, Chili's, Oreo, KFC, McDonald's, among others. The campagin was called a "viral win" for Minaj.
Singles and music videos[edit][]
"Super Freaky Girl" was released as the lead single from the album on August 12, 2022. Its music video, directed by Joseph Kahn, was uploaded onto Minaj's YouTube account on September 1. The song debuted at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 and the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. With this, Minaj became the first solo female rapper to debut at the summit of the Billboard Hot 100 since Lauryn Hill's "Doo Wop (That Thing)" in 1998 and the first female rapper to debut a solo song at number one in the 21st century.
"Red Ruby da Sleeze" was initially released as a promotional single on March 3, 2023, described by Minaj as her "street record" before her "next official single". It was officially sent to rhythmic contemporary radio on March 14, 2023, becoming the album's second single. Its music video, directed by Grizz and filmed in Trinidad and Tobago, was uploaded on YouTube on May 13. The song peaked at number 13 on the Hot 100 and at number four on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
"Last Time I Saw You" was released as the album's third single on September 1, 2023. The song peaked at number 23 on the Hot 100 and at number six on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. On September 12, Minaj performed "Last Time I Saw You" at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards, where she also debuted a new track from the album entitled "Big Difference" as a surprise.
"Everybody" featuring Lil Uzi Vert was sent to contemporary hit radio in the United States on January 9, 2024, serving as the album's fourth single. The song debuted at number 26 on the Hot 100, and later peaked at number 24.
"FTCU" was released as the album's fifth single on January 10, 2024, with an EP of various versions of the song also made available for streaming and digital download. The song impacted rhythmic contemporary radio in the United States on January 30, 2024. It debuted at number 42 on the Hot 100, and later peaked at number 15. A remix subtitled the "Sleeze Mix" featuring Travis Scott, Chris Brown and Sexyy Red was released on April 19, 2024.
While not release as an official single, on March 3, 2024, Minaj released an extended version of the song "Let Me Calm Down" featuring J. Cole.
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