Nicki Minaj's 'Starships' reaffirms her pop star aims
Like it or not, Nicki Minaj is making sure shes on the tip of your tongues. After riling up Catholics andtraumatizing the rest of America with her controversial performance at Sunday's Grammy awards, the rapper has premiered a new single, "Starships."
Though it was always the plan for Minaj to follow up Sundays performance with the debut of the track on Ryan Seacrests morning radio show on KIIS-FM (102.7), it's abundantly clear that shes doing what plenty of provocative pop stars have done before her: cashing in on the controversy.
The rapper's new single, just like her Grammy performance, reaffirms Minajs aims for pop star status.
The new single will undoubtedly divide Minajs fan base.Longtime fansmay want the cypher queen they fell in love with when she was young and hungry on the mixtape circuit, while her newer, sugar pop-lovingdelegationwill likely crave the quirkier verses -- and cotton candy-colored wigs -- of today's Minaj.
Minaj dominated pop radio last year with the crossover smash Super Bass. Her collaboration with David Guetta, Turn Me On (which she says is now on the new album), i! s curren tly seated at No. 5 on Billboards Hot 100. But what made those singles ubiquitous was Minajs rapid-fire delivery and sticky chorus on Super Bass. Turn Me On felt like a temporary attempt at conjuring up pop tartness. Starships desperately tries to push her toward a pop boundary that feels unnecessary -- her massive success last year proved she had already found that crossover, so let's not force it.
Following Sundays performance and now the new single, Minaj should brace herself for Lady Gaga copycat claims. When she hit the scene, critics quickly slugged her as raps Lady Gaga because of the wigs and kooky outfits, but Minaj proved herself the minuteshe opened her mouth -- whether it was on her own single or stealing the spotlight from someone else.
Her over-the-top shtick at the Grammys for the unveiling of "Roman Holiday, a new track from her upcoming album, felt familiar. She arrrived on the Staples Center red carpet in an overflowing red dress and matching cloak, accompanied by an actor dressed as a pope. During her performance of Romans Revenge and Roman Holiday, she levitated, writhed, appeared to speak in tongues and romped through a stained glass-windowed set surrounded by white-robed backup dancers.
While we applaud her for pushing the boundariesand offering a spectacle that you just dont see within the rap genre, the moment didnt feel wholly original. Possibly because she tapped Lady Gagas former creative director Laurieann Gibson to stage the performance; it was only a few years ago that Gaga turned the 2009 Video Music Awards into her version of an ethereal cathedral.
And it doesnt help that RedOnes best and most interesting work to date has been with Gaga. Were just saying.
Take a listen to the safe for work version of Starships below.
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-- Gerrick D. Kennedy
Photo: Cover of Nicki Minaj's "Starships" single. Credit: Young Money/Cash Money Records