5 Tracks On Nicki Minaj's "Queen" Album Highlighting Girl Power
By: Alexis Oatman
It's been nearly three years since Nicki Minaj released her highly anticipated fourth album titled Queen.
Following its initial release back in August 2018, many barbs and music critics offered the project mixed reviews, noted the album had flashes of brilliance but mainly was "eclipsed in chaos," said one Fader magazine music critic.
The album comes almost four years after her critically acclaimed work, The Pinkprint.
However, looking back, the album not only serves as a modern-day hip-hop feminist manifesto but showcases Minaj reasserting her status as hip-hop royalty.
Minaj defends her crown with blaring beats and infectious samples, all while giving homage to her Trinidadian roots thanks to collaborations with a host of hot producers ranging from Boi-1-da to Mike Will Made It.
Concurrently, the rapper also launched her own radio show on Beats 1, appropriately titled Queen Radio. Minaj used the platform to dispel rumors surrounding her relationship with then-fiancé Kenneth Petty, her very public beef with Remy Ma, and her on-and-off-again beef Cardi B.
Never lacking charisma and attitude, Minaj's slick metaphors and wordplay are still heavily present throughout the 19-track project, featuring only a handful of features, including Eminem, Ariana Grande, The Weeknd, and more.
As a black woman in a male-dominated industry, Minaj has had to scrape her way to the top.
Queen showcases Minaj's raw nature through her toughness, menacing lyrics, and soft edges. Whether she's answering to the "bitches” who are her "sons" or dispelling rumors, Minaj takes listeners on an intense ride while she defends her royal status.
Her journey is most visible in five songs on Queen.
"Majesty"
Minaj kicked off the record dripping with a menacing swagger as she hoots, "Yo, I got the money and the power now/The G5'll get me out there in an hour now." Minaj made it clear that she worked hard for her spot and has earned everything she has gotten. Appropriately titled, “Majesty” guest singer Labrinth offers Minaj a beautiful yet chilling introduction as her highness during the song's chorus. This track even features the "Rap God” himself, Eminem, as he blasts off into a sneering, lighting quick verse speaking on everything from new hip-hop to sleeping with strangers.
Nicki Minaj - Majesty
"Barbie Dreams"
This hilarious rap attack is an homage to Notorious B.I.G.'s "Just Playing (Dreams)" and his rip on famous R&B singers at the time—except this time, Minaj serves a beat down for the men of the hip hop industry. "Drake worth a hundred milli, always buying me sh*t/But I don't know if the pussy wet or if he's crying and sh*t." The rapper even took a lighthearted jab at her ex-boyfriend, rapper Meek Mill. "Meek still be in my DMs/ I be having to duck him/'I use to pray for times like this' face ass when I f*ck him." The song showcased Minaj's upbeat and fun side, a side we haven't seen lately, barbs remember feeling this kind of energy from Nicki early on during her mixtape days.
Nicki Minaj - Barbie Dreams
"Hard White"
Minaj storms the track calling out her suspected haters once again, noting how she has to "work hard just to get half back." The albeit creeping hop shows Minaj enjoying herself while cementing her legacy as the top woman in rap. "My legacy could never be undone/I'm a prodigy, R.I.P Thun-Thun/Got these bitches shook, they shocked, no stun-gun." Minaj clarifies that she created the blueprint for a lot of female artists who followed her, but doesn’t get her proper credit, and she is right.
Nicki Minaj - Hard White
"Chun Li"
The first official single off the album, "Chun-Li," silenced anyone who thought the pop-crossover artist didn't still have bars. With a blaring saxophone and sporadic gong, Minaj reminded her "sons" that "Ayo, I been on, b*tch, you been corn" and fully embraced her new persona and the notion that some entities were "paintin’ me out to be the bad guy.” The song peaked at No.10 on the Billboard Hot 100, coming after her four-year hiatus working on The Pinkprint album.
Nicki Minaj - Chun-Li
“Good Form”
No Nicki record is complete without a twerk anthem, “Good Form” offers a needed break from the serious tone of the album. The track serves as subtle appreciation for big derrieres and is also accompanied by a bright and colorful visual featuring other popular women in the industry, including “New New” herself Lauren London, the Clermont twins, Instagram influencer Ari, and more. “Who on Barbie D? Who on Barbie D? Everybody (Go!),” Minaj yells, making it know that everyone’s gaze remains fixed on her and what she does next.
Nicki Minaj - Good Form ft. Lil Wayne
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