Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded – The Re-Up Explained

Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded –
The Re-Up
Type:studio
Longtype:(reissue)
Artist:Nicki Minaj
Cover:Nicki Minaj - Pink Friday Roman Reloaded - The Re-Up.jpg
Recorded:2012
Genre:
Label:
Producer:
Prev Year:2012
Next Title:The Pinkprint
Next Year:2014

Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded – The Re-Up is the reissue of rapper Nicki Minajs second studio album, (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 and pop styles. As co-executive producer, Minaj enlisted collaborators Boi-1da, Juicy J and T-Minus.

Upon its release, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded – The Re-Up received generally positive reviews from music critics, who complimented the balanced variety of genres. Its three singles "The Boys", "Freedom", and "High School" peaked at numbers 41, 31, and 20 on the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart respectively, and the latter peaked at number 64 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album was additionally promoted through the and Minaj's performance of "Freedom" at the 2012 American Music Awards.

Background

At the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards, Minaj announced the reissue of Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, commenting "I'm putting lots of new songs on there and I'm actually going to drop my new single like next week. Barbz, you are gonna spaz. You are gonna love it. You are gonna go crazy!"[2] Its artwork was released the following month, featuring an image of Minaj from the music video of her song "I Am Your Leader".[3] 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.[4] The project served as the main focus of her three-part E! special Nicki Minaj: My Truth.[5]

Composition

Minaj commented on On Air with Ryan Seacrest that "I feel like the music is such a better representation of me where I am now as an artist in my career. As long as people can hear the music, I'm good."[6] Much of the new material incorporates hip hop and R&B styles previously seen in Minaj's earlier mixtapes. The opening track "Up in Flames" incorporates a "slow, heavy and melodramatic beat", where Minaj addresses her wealth and delivers negative remarks directed towards her adversaries.[7] [8] The second song "Freedom" was compared to material from her debut studio album Pink Friday (2010);[9] it utilizes minimal production[10] and reflects on Minaj's rise to prominence.[9] The third song "Hell Yeah" features Parker and further criticizes Minaj's opponents. She references her much-publicized on-set tension with fellow American Idol judge Mariah Carey in the line "But I'm quick to check a bitch if she’s outta line" and references the series' personnel in the line "Shout out Mike Darnell and Nigel [Lythgoe] / Why these bums so mad that the queen on Idol".

The fourth track "High School" features Lil Wayne and discusses sexual desires with a man who had been in prison.[11] The fifth song "I'm Legit" features Ciara and was characterized by having "snappy flows" and being "primed for the streets and clubs". The sixth track "I Endorse These Strippers" features Tyga and Brinx; its lyrics were described by Sal Cinquemani of Slant as "less clever than inexcusably archaic". The seventh song "The Boys" features American recording artist Cassie. It incorporates both hip hop and electropop influences,[12] and has been described as a "girls' night anthem". The final track "Va Va Voom" was previously included on the original deluxe version of , and also contains prominent electropop styles.[13]

Singles

"The Boys", a collaboration with Cassie, was released as the lead single from The Re-Up on September 13, 2012.[14] The song peaked at number 41 on the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.[15] Its music video premiered through Vevo on October 18, 2012.[16]

"Freedom" was released as the second single digitally through iTunes on November 2, 2012.[17] The song peaked at number 31 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.[15] Its music video premiered on 106 and Park on November 19, 2012.[18]

The third single "High School" features Lil Wayne and was released on April 16, 2013.[19] The song peaked at number 64 on the Billboard Hot 100, and at number 20 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.[15] [20] Its music video was released by MTV on April 2, 2013.[21]

In 2021, the track "I'm Legit", featuring Ciara received a resurgence almost 9 years since its original release on TikTok, being used in many videos.

Critical reception

Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded - The Re-Up received generally positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 72, based on eight reviews, an improvement over the average score of 60 received by the original release of Roman Reloaded.[22] [23] David Jeffries of AllMusic opined that "the too-pop Roman Reloaded now feels more balanced once this eight-track EP worth of material tips the scales", adding that the additional tracks and DVD is "the better deal and bigger picture" than the original. Dan Weiss of the Boston Phoenix complimented Minaj's rapping, commenting that "the rapper who rhymes "fri-vo-lous" with "po-ly-ga-mist" is X-Acto sharp as ever". The Los Angeles Times Gerrick D. Kennedy noted the variety of genres incorporated in the reissue, stating "Sure, she flirts with dance pop and R&B balladry, but you can forgive her for wanting to satisfy different tastes. Here, it actually works". Andy Gill of The Independent provided a mixed review, feeling that the material was generic and "does not add much to the Minaj experience". Slant Magazines Sal Cinquemani criticized the lyrical content and featured guests, adding that "as long as [Minaj] keeps comparing herself to Jesus, we probably shouldn't hold our breath". Kyle Anderson of Entertainment Weekly panned the album and placed it at number two on his list of The Worst Albums Of The Year, writing that the album was "soul-less, lazy, and totally unnecessary."[24]

Commercial performance

Charting together with the original Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded (according to the rules by Billboard), The Re-Up sold 36,000 copies in first-week sales and rose eighty spots on the US Billboard 200, from number 107 to number 27, with a 591% sales gain.[25] An associate from Billboard commented on the commercial performance of The Re-Up stating that "expanded reissues aren't always guaranteed big sellers. It really depends on the extra content and timing of the release ... Nicki's reissue was seemingly timed to profit from holiday shopping", also adding that the sales of The Re-Up were actually better than similar reissues by Minaj's contemporaries.[26] In New Zealand, the album charted within Roman Reloaded release and debuted at twenty-one.[27]

Minaj commented that of the album's limited availability, "it's hard to get the album because the stores basically said that the last few re-releases [stores] had put out did not do well and they didn't want to take a chance. Target and Wal-Mart are not selling the album, and Target is actually my biggest retailer. Best Buy only took limited [stock] because they wanted to play it safe. It kinda sets you up to fail."[28] Walmart responded that they do not issue albums with the Parental Advisory label, while Target sold the record on their website anyway.[26]

Track listing

Notes

Personnel

Credits adapted from Allmusic.[29]

Performance

Producers

Technical

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2012–2013)Peak
position
Belgium Flanders Albums Chart[30] 84
Belgium Wallonia Albums Chart[31] 118
Dutch Albums Chart[32] 79
French Albums Chart[33] 80
New Zealand Albums Chart21
Spanish Albums Chart[34] 97
US Billboard 20027
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums[35] 4
US Rap Albums[36] 3

Year-end charts

Chart (2012)Position
Australian Albums Chart[37] 48
Australian Urban Albums Chart[38] 4
New Zealand Albums Chart[39] 42
Notes

Release history

RegionsDatesFormat(s)Label(s)
United States[40] November 19, 2012CD/DVD, digital downloadUniversal Music, Young Money, Cash Money
Canada[41]
United Kingdom[42] Universal Island, Cash Money
Japan[43] Republic
France[44] November 26, 2012Def Jam Recordings
Poland[45] November 27, 2012Universal Music Polska
Spain[46] Universal Music Spain
Malaysia[47] December 18, 2012Universal Music Malaysia

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Gerrick D. Kennedy. Nov 20, 2012. Review: Nicki Minaj's 'Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded - The Re-Up'. Los Angeles Times. December 29, 2019.
  2. Web site: Nicki Minaj Readies 'Roman Reloaded – The Re-Up' for November. Rap-Up. April 13, 2013.
  3. Nicki Minaj "Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded The Re-Up" Tracklist, Cover Art & Snippets. Rasahad Phllips. HipHopDX. November 12, 2012. April 13, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130530001008/http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.21698/title.nicki-minaj-pink-friday-roman-reloaded-the-re-up-tracklist-cover-art-snippets. May 30, 2013. dead.
  4. Nicki Minaj 'The Re-Up' Track List: Lil Wayne, Ciara Featured. Erika Ramirez. Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. November 2, 2012. April 13, 2013.
  5. Web site: Nicki Minaj Shows Off Old-School Flow On 'High School' With Lil Wayne. https://web.archive.org/web/20181215123440/http://www.mtv.com/news/1697556/nicki-minaj-lil-wayne-high-school/. dead. December 15, 2018. Maurice Bobb. MTV News. Viacom. November 16, 2012. April 13, 2013.
  6. Web site: Nicki Minaj: ' 'The Re-Up' Is a Better Representation of Me'. Rap-Up. April 13, 2013.
  7. Web site: Nicki Minaj :: Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded the Re-Up. Jesal 'Jay Soul' Padania. Rap Reviews. April 13, 2013.
  8. Web site: Video: Nicki Minaj – 'Up in Flames'. Rap-Up. April 13, 2013.
  9. Web site: Nicki Minaj Releases "Freedom": Listen to the New "Roman Reloaded - The Re-Up" Track. Charley Rogulewski. Vibe. Vibe Media Group. November 3, 2012. April 13, 2013.
  10. Web site: Listen to Nicki Minaj's 'Freedom'. Jessica Sagger. Popcrush. Townsquare Media. November 4, 2012. April 13, 2013.
  11. Nicki Minaj - Pink Friday Roman Reloaded: The Re-Up. William E. Ketchum III. HipHopDX. November 26, 2012. April 13, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130201203230/http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/album-reviews/id.2007/title.nicki-minaj-pink-friday-roman-reloaded-the-re-up. February 1, 2013. dead.
  12. Web site: Nicki Minaj takes 'The Boys' to task in new single. Gerrick D. Kennedy. The Los Angeles Times. Tribune Company. September 13, 2012. April 13, 2013.
  13. Web site: Nicki Minaj: 'The Re-Up' - EP review. Lewis Corner. Digital Spy. Hearst Corporation. November 18, 2012. April 13, 2013.
  14. Web site: iTunes - Music - The Boys - Single by Nicki Minaj & Cassie. iTunes Store (US). Apple Inc. October 18, 2012. April 13, 2013.
  15. [{{BillboardURLbyName|artist=Nicki Minaj|chart=R&B/Hip-Hop Songs}} Nicki Minaj - Chart history]. Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. April 29, 2013.
  16. Web site: The Boys (Explicit). Vevo. October 18, 2012. April 13, 2013.
  17. Web site: Freedom - Single by Nicki Minaj. iTunes Store. Apple Inc.. October 3, 2013.
  18. Web site: Freedom (Explicit). Vevo. November 19, 2012. April 13, 2013.
  19. Web site: Top 40 Rhythmic Future Releases. All Access Music Group. April 13, 2013.
  20. [{{BillboardURLbyName|artist=Nicki Minaj|chart=Hot 100}} Nicki Minaj - Chart history]. Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. April 29, 2013.
  21. Web site: Nicki Minaj Premieres Steamy 'High School' Video: Watch!. https://web.archive.org/web/20140728103956/http://www.mtv.com/news/1704778/nicki-minaj-high-school-video/. dead. July 28, 2014. James Montgomery. MTV News. Viacom. April 2, 2013. April 13, 2013.
  22. Web site: Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded--the Re-Up. Metacritic. CBS Interactive. April 13, 2013.
  23. Web site: Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded Reviews. Metacritic. April 3, 2012.
  24. Anderson. Kyle. December 28, 2012. The Worst Albums of the Year. Entertainment Weekly. Time Inc. New York. April 28, 2013. October 6, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20131006230959/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20657954,00.html. dead.
  25. Caulfield. Keith. Chart Moves: Nicki Minaj's 'Roman' Reissue Spurs 591% Gain. Billboard. November 24, 2013.
  26. Web site: Montgomery. James. Nicki Minaj's The Re-Up: Why Target And Walmart Won't Carry It. https://web.archive.org/web/20140909143827/http://www.mtv.com/news/1698055/nicki-minaj-roman-reloaded-re-up-walmart-target/. dead. September 9, 2014. MTV. November 24, 2013.
  27. Web site: NZ Top 40 Albums Chart. The Official New Zealand Music Chart. April 13, 2013.
  28. Web site: Nicki Minaj Talks Reality Show Editing, 'The Re-Up' Not Being In Store & Mariah Carey (Video). https://archive.today/20130117230636/http://www.ballerstatus.com/2012/11/21/nicki-minaj-talks-reality-show-editing-the-re-up-store-mariah-carey-video/. dead. January 17, 2013. Baller Status. November 21, 2012. April 13, 2013.
  29. Web site: Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, the Re-Up - Nicki Minaj: Credits. Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. April 13, 2013.
  30. Web site: Nicki Minaj - Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded. Belgium Flanders Albums Chart. April 13, 2013.
  31. Web site: Nicki Minaj - Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded. Belgium Wallonia Albums Chart. April 13, 2013.
  32. Web site: Nicki Minaj - Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded. Dutch Albums Chart. April 13, 2013.
  33. Web site: Nicki Minaj - Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded. Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. April 13, 2013.
  34. Web site: Nicki Minaj - Pink Friday - Roman Reloaded. Productores de Música de España. April 13, 2013.
  35. Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Week Ending: December 8, 2012). Billboard. December 8, 2012.
  36. Top Rap Albums (Week Ending: December 8, 2012). Billboard. December 8, 2012.
  37. Web site: ARIA Top 100 Albums 2012 . . April 13, 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130307023544/http://www.aria.com.au/pages/aria-charts-end-of-year-charts-top-100-albums-2012.htm . March 7, 2013 .
  38. Web site: End Of Year Charts – Top 50 Urban Albums 2012. Australian Recording Industry Association. September 3, 2018.
  39. Web site: Top Selling Albums of 2012. Recorded Music NZ. September 3, 2018.
  40. Web site: iTunes - Music - Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded the Re-Up by Nicki Minaj. iTunes Store (US). Apple Inc. November 19, 2012. April 13, 2013.
  41. Web site: iTunes - Music - Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded the Re-Up by Nicki Minaj. iTunes Store (CA). Apple Inc. November 19, 2012. April 13, 2013.
  42. Web site: iTunes - Music - Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded the Re-Up by Nicki Minaj. 'iTunes Store (UK). Apple Inc. November 19, 2012. April 13, 2013.
  43. Web site: Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded- The Re-Up. Amazon.com (JP). November 19, 2012. April 13, 2013. ja.
  44. Web site: Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded- The Re-Up. Amazon.com (FR). November 26, 2012. April 13, 2013. fr.
  45. Web site: Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded - The Re-up (Limited Edition). EMPIK.com. November 24, 2012. April 13, 2013. pl.
  46. Web site: Pink Friday Roman Reloaded Reup. Amazon.com (ES). November 27, 2012. April 13, 2013. es.
  47. Web site: Asia Home Entertainment: Nicki Minaj - Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded - The Re-Up. Asia Home CD . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130224031951/http://www.asiahomecd.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=5_32&products_id=13699 . February 24, 2013 . December 18, 2012. August 29, 2019.

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