NICKE MINAJ | "Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded" Track-By-Track Review

I always thought I could write pop songs for someone else or I could write R&B records for someone else, but I didn't think that people would accept me writing those type of songs and me singing them and just being who I am," Nicki Minaj recently told Complex about her hotly anticipated sophomore album "Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded," which leaked on Wednesday (March 28) ahead of its April 3 release date. "And I guess that's the point... The goal is to not want their acceptance, the goal is to just do you and they'll come around." 

Indeed, the first half of "Roman Reloaded" is the sound of Minaj doing a victory lap - already established enough in hip-hop to compete with her male counterparts, she leaves plenty of room for guests like Rick Ross, 2 Chainz, Drake, and Chris Brown to take the mic. This time around, however, she seems to have her sights set on competing with Jennifer Lopez, Lady Gaga and Madonna, based on the album's pop-heavy second half. If you thought her David Guetta single "Turn Me On" was a major departure last summer, get ready for five more songs that sound pretty much exactly like that. 

In short, Minaj spends more time exploring her musical identity on "Roman Reloaded" than she does perfecting one, which makes the album sound bloated and rushed. It's also her most overtly commercial work to date, and will rapidly expand her fan base while alienating a good chunk of her core to focus on singing instead of imaginative rhymes.

Which "Roman Reloaded" track will lead Nicki Minaj to the chart domination she and her Young Money team are known for? Here's our track-by-track review of each song. 

1. "Roman Holiday": Minaj kicks off the album with her unpredictable alter ego, Roman Zolanski, saying, "I'm a lunatic and this can't be cured with no elixir." Also unpredictable are the random sonic drops on several of "Roman Reloaded" tracks. Exhibit A is a crooning version of, "O Come, All Ye Faithful." 

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2. "Come On a Cone": Minaj takes three minutes to boast and fade those who've closed their eyes or challenged her on what sounds like part two of "Did It On Em." Don't be surprised if you walk away singing "Dick in your face/ Put my dick in your face," off key. 

3. "I Am Your Leader" feat. Rick Ross and Cam'ron: To stunt or to son? That is the question. Minaj chooses to do both through out the first part of the album. The nostalgia of Cam's return trumps the overall catchiness of the song. 

4. "Beez In the Trap," feat. 2 Chainz: The Kenoe-produced cut is one of the stand-out tracks of the album, reminiscent to Minaj's mixtape days. Good call on Minaj's behalf to recruit hip-hop's MVP, 2 Chainz. 

5. "Hov Lane": Minaj's energy lives up to the bass heavy beat, but her rhymes are unimaginative on the ode to Jay-Z's legacy. "Big ass chain/ I'm heavy… Fuck you said bitch?/Fuck you, porn star" 

6. "Roman Reloaded," feat. Lil Wayne: Aside from Wayne stealing her spotlight, Minaj contradicts herself, denying her transition to pop (see "Starships" and beyond). "So I laugh at hopefuls/ 'Nicki pop'/ Only thing that's pop is my endorsement op/ Fuck around and have to go and reinforce the gloc," Nicki raps. 

7. "Champion," feat. Nas, Drake, Young Jeezy: Minaj sheds light in her journey from struggle to success, "Bitches don't know the half like they flunked at math/ Bitches ain't have cut up crack up in the stash… Cause they killed my little cousin, Nicholas/ But my memories only have the images." Hip-hop heavyweights Nas, Drake and Young Jeezy, come in to celebrate their resilience. 

8. "Right By My Side," feat. Chris Brown: Minaj lets her guards down on the duet with Chris Brown. The song is sonically similar to Jordan Sparks and Brown's "No Air." The highlight is Minah's honesty, "It ain't your spit game, it's your dick game that got me walking around ready to wear your big chain." 

9. "Sex in the Lounge," feat. Lil Wayne and Bobby Valentino: Sonically and lyrically subpar, Minaj, Wayne and Bobby take turns to speak on their turn-ons while out in the streets and in between the sheets. 

10. "Starships": From the moment Nicki announces "Let's go to the beach / beach," on this current single from RedOne, it's become abundantly clear that the pop half of the record has kicked in. The most polarizing single in Minaj's career to date, "Starships" nevertheless has monstrous pop hooks that overshadow its throwaway lyrics ("I'm on the floor / I love to dance / If you want more / Then here I am.") If you don't care for this track, this may be where the album ends for a solid eight tracks for you. 

11. "Pound The Alarm": "I'm a bad bitch, no muzzle" Nicki warns on this "Starships" soundalike from Red One. Nicki does a little bit more singing than she does on her current single, but otherwise the two tracks are virtually indistinguishable. Even the chorus is a rewrite. "Oh oh oh come fill my glass up a little more / We 'bout to get up and burn this floor / You know we getting' hotter and hotter / Sexy and hotter / Let's shut it down," 

12. "Whip It": If Lisa Lisa went to Ibiza, it would sound a lot like this Latin freestyle-infused party jam. One of the better dance cuts on "Roman Reloaded," "Whip It" is good enough to make J. Lo jealous she didn't snare it as a follow-up to "On The Floor." 

13. "Automatic": The musical equivalent to a Prada bag from Chinatown. It looks and even sounds like a shiny Dr. Luke's jam off Britney Spears' "Femme Fatale," with Balearic beats a la "Hold It Against Me" and a dubstep breakdown out of "Hold It Against Me," but the production and execution are a bit shoddy. Minaj sounds so anonymous on this track that if she didn't name-check herself at several points you'd forget it was her song. 

14. "Beautiful Sinner": Yet another four-on-the-floor dance track where Nicki does more singing than rapping, this song is perhaps most evident of Minaj's weakness as a vocalist. The bad-boy love story would be better suited for a stronger singer like Kelly Rowland or even Jennifer Hudson. 

15. "Marilyn Monroe": An introspective ballad from Minaj that bears a striking resemblance to JoJo's 2011 single "Disaster," "Marilyn Monroe" contemplates her current celebrity status. "If you can't handle my worst / You ain't gettin' my best / Is this how Marilyn Monroe felt?" Of the three mid-tempo pop cuts here, this stands the best chance of pop crossover. 

16. "Young Forever": A Jay-Z sequel this is not, "Young Forever" is Minaj's take on a power ballad in the vein of Beyonce, with a melody that sounds like something you'd hear on U.K. pop radio. In the hands of, say, Leona Lewis this would probably become a big hit on the adult-contemporary circuit, but under Minaj's guidance it's squarely Top 40. 

17. "Fire Burns": A sonic successor to "Save Me" from 2010's "Pink Friday," with the same kind of heart-monitor rhythms and swelling synths that made that cut a dramatic standout. Here, Minaj kisses off a two-timing ex, "I hope your fire / fire burns baby / I hope you lay dow in your sleep / And you choke on every lie you told."

18. "Gun Shot" feat. Beenie Man: It wouldn't be a Nicki album without a taste of her Trinidadian culture. Minaj slows it down with the winding-worthy, reggae-pop crossover collaboration with a reggae artist who's fond of pop himself.

19. "Stupid Hoe": Minaj closes the album the way she opened the album, as Roman. On "Stupid Hoe," Roman does what he does best: fire shots. "Bitch talkin' she the queen when she looking like lab rat," Minaj raps in the beginning of "Stupid Hoe." Do we still think Minaj is talking about the Queen Bee?

Source: Billboard | Andrew Hampp and Erika Ramirez

MADONNA's new album 'MDNA': Track-By-Track Review | A collection of thoroughly pumping pop tunes, some of which are slices of sheer brilliance

Madonna is still very much the Queen of Pop.

Nearly 30 years after first hitting the Billboard charts in late 1982 with her debut single "Everybody," Madonna is still showing the pop world how it's done.

"MDNA" -- her 12th studio album -- is a collection of thoroughly pumping pop tunes, some of which are slices of sheer brilliance. Not only does Madonna take us to the club with "MDNA," she exhausts us, drains us, and confides in us. Five minutes after an aerobic workout on the dance floor, we're in her private booth, where she's spilling her guts about relationships and how things just didn't turn out the way they planned. Then, another five minutes later, we're back to dancing up a storm to a song like "Gang Bang."

Yes, "Gang Bang."

The track is one of the album's many stand-outs. It's a dark, throbbing tune that is twisted and surprising and altogether pop-tastic. (Yes, that's a word.)

Also notable is the summery pop nugget "Turn Up the Radio," the full-throttle digital rave-up of "I'm Addicted" and the driving, clever word play of "Love Spent."

"MDNA" reunites Madonna with her "Ray of Light" co-producer William Orbit, who polishes her songs with cosmic flourishes and rushes of fuzzy-retro bits. Madonna also enlists the production assistance of Martin Solveig, the Demolition Crew, Benny Benassi, Alle Benassi, Hardy "Indiigo" Muanza and Michael Malih.

Curiously, the set's first single -- the rah-rah "Give Me All Your Luvin'" -- doesn't properly prepare the listener for what they're going to get on the album. Basically: set it aside and go into "MDNA" with a clean slate.

"Girl Gone Wild" The second single from "MDNA" is also the dance floor-ready opening number from the set. In a way, it's very dance-by-the-numbers with Madonna -- a "good girl gone wild" -- singing about her "burning hot desire" to have some fun. The production is familiar Benny Benassi -- all driving, thumping, electronic beats. It's comparable to his remix of Madonna's own "Celebration" single. The track does a good job of getting stuck in one's head, thanks in large part to its "hey-yay-yay" sing-song chorus. One notable difference in hearing this track on a proper stereo setup with quality speakers: you get carried away a bit more by the "whoosh," shall we say, of the song. 

"Gang Bang" Commence freaking out, hard core Madonna fans, as "Gang Bang" is the song you've been waiting for. It's dark, clubby, driving, thumping and altogether sickening. (Meaning: It's fantastic, y'all.) Consulting our notes, the scribbles include the words "OMG," "dubstep breakdown" and "GOD THE BEAT." So yeah, it's freaking amazing.

Eight songwriters, including British pop singer Mika (?!), collaborated on the song. On March 8, he Tweeted that it's "weird as fuck, underground and lyrically cool, it's amazing and bizarre. I love it, she sounds so good singing words so harsh." Madonna sing/speaks over the tweaky production about how she keeps her "enemies close" and how she "shot my lover in the head." Truly, "Gang Bang" is going to be one of the most talked-about tracks on the album and is completely unexpected after hearing "MDNA's" first two singles (the cheery "Give Me All Your Luvin'" and dance-by-numbers "Girl Gone Wild"). 

"Gang Bang's" lyric "Drive bitch!" -- so eloquently used in the song -- will become quite the catchphrase in the coming months. (Notably, as "Gang Bang" is explicit -- and perhaps un-editable -- it will be omitted from the "clean" version of "MDNA." A shame.) 

"I'm Addicted" Hey, you wanna go dancing? We'll meet Madonna at the club, as she's got this fantastic, swirling, digital get-down number she wants to play for us. "Something happens to me when I hear your voice and I have no choice," Madonna sings on the hypnotic, Daft Punk-y song. And when Madonna says in a cool, instructive tone, "I need to dance," you know what -- you'll need to dance too. (And now we know where the title of the album comes from, as Madonna chants "MDNA" in "I'm Addicted.") 

"Turn Up the Radio" A cousin to "Girl Gone Wild," this tune is a summery pop number that's as effortless as it is simple. It's mindless fun where Madonna sings about how the "temperature's pounding'" and longing to "escape" and how she's "sick and tired of playing this game." (Haven't we heard that before? Enough with the games Madonna!) -- Basically the point of the song here is: "turn up the radio until the speakers blow." While the lyrics aren't provocative or necessarily new, it's still a peppy little tune that would sound great "on the radio." 

"Give Me All Your Luvin" (featuring Nicki Minaj & M.I.A.) You've already heard "Give Me All Your Luvin'," the album's lead single, which peaked at No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The throwback cheerleader-like song almost seems like it was a commercial for Madonna's Super Bowl halftime show as opposed to a proper promotional single for "MDNA." Its lyrics and vibe aren't indicative of "MDNA" as a whole and mislead the listener into thinking the album is going to be full of singsongy jingles with by-the-numbers lyrics.

"Some Girls" The album's second William Orbit co-production, "Some Girls" will likely remind listeners of his work on the "Ray of Light" album. The tune has his trademark swirly, cosmic-like flourishes that zig-zag out of the speakers. On the track, Madonna lyrically references herself with the line "put your loving to the test" (oh hay "Express Yourself!") whilst elsewhere singing "I never wanna be like some girls."

"Superstar" Notably this track features the backing vocals of Madonna's eldest child, Lourdes (credited as Lola Leon), and name checks everyone from Marlon Brando and Michael Jordan to Julius Caesar and Abraham Lincoln. The gist here is: "Ooh la la, you're my superstar" and "I'm your biggest fan, it's true." Armed with yet another kicky dubstep bridge, Madonna also amusingly sings about how the "Superstar" subject of her devotion is "like John Travolta, getting into the groove." (Get it? She's referencing herself again -- but in a smart, cheeky way.)

"I Don't Give a F" (featuring Nicki Minaj) A very rat-a-tat-tat song, where Madonna barrels through a list of rants that vaguely reminds one of her rapping on the "American Life" single. She sings about how she "tried to be your wife" (Hey, Guy!) and "in the end it was a failure." Nicki Minaj puts in her second appearance on the album, where she closes her feature with the swipe "There's only one Queen and that's Madonna. Bitch!" The song ends with a rather lengthy orchestral bit that's epic and sweeping, but comes out of nowhere.

"I'm a Sinner" Reminiscent of William Orbit's own Ultra Violet remix of the "Ray of Light" single, the chugging track is so very, very Orbit. It's like the love child of "Beautiful Stranger" (another Orbit co-production) and "Ray of Light." Mid-way through, Madonna gets inspirational and recites "Hail Mary full of grace / get down on your knees and pray" followed by "Jesus Christ hang on the cross, died for our sins it's such a loss" and so on. (Yes, there's more, but we couldn't write that fast.)

"Love Spent" "You played with my heart, till death do we part," Madonna sings on this driving, building track. It's got these whooshes (yes, a technical term) that hark back to '80s tracks like Kim Carnes' "Bette Davis Eyes." It's a mesmerizing song that includes a wonderful little strummy bit (possibly a banjo?). The lyrics work some clever word play comparing love to money: "I want you to hold me like you hold your money / hold me in your arms till there's nothing left." Madonna co-wrote this track with a team of professional writers, and the assistance is evident and welcome. (We love you Madonna, but we also love it when you collaborate and produce amazing, beautiful pop, like "Love Spent.")

"Masterpiece" This was the first taste the public got of "MDNA," as it was unveiled late last year as the closing-credits song of the Madonna-directed film "W.E." (Though, at the time, it was unclear if the track would ultimately turn up on "MDNA.") The Golden Globe-winning track is very pretty -- percolating along with a clicky little beat, an acoustic guitar and delicate strings. Madonna's vocals are lovely, comparing someone to "a rare and priceless work of art."

"Falling Free" The quite gorgeous ballad reunites Madonna with her brother-in-law Joe Henry, who has co-written at least one song now on four different Madonna albums. He co-penned "Don't Tell Me" from 2000's "Music" album, as well as "Jump" from "Confessions on a Dance Floor" and "The Devil Wouldn't Recognize You" from the diva's last set, 2008's "Hard Candy." As an album-closer, it's perfect, with the lyric "I let loose the need to know / we're both free -- both free to go . . . "

Deluxe Explicit Album Bonus Tracks:

"Beautiful Killer" A concept song, certainly. Madonna goes on about how there's a "gun in my mouth" and "maybe that's what you've been dreaming about" and "maybe I'll let you shoot me down." There's an persistent string element here that brings to mind "Papa Don't Preach."

"I F****d Up" It's Madonna just straight out saying how craptacular a particular relationship turned out (we're guessing her marriage to Guy Ritchie). She sings, "I'm so ashamed, you're in so much pain," "wish I could take it back" and how she "destroyed the perfect dream." There's a whole lot of "couldas" here that just strike us as odd, as Madonna never was the "I'm sorry" kind of gal. She's all about no regrets and no apologies.

"B-Day Song" A fun girl-group ditty that's a throw back to Madonna's "True Blue" era of good time goof-off songs. It's light, fluffy and effortless -- and very stripped down. Think Go-Go's meets Madonna with lyrics like "Light my candles," "make a wish" and "give me a spankin'!" (Yes, really.) Sample silly lyrics include: "I wanna diamond, don't give me a fake!"

"Best Friend" Perhaps too personal of a song to be included on the "standard" version of the album, "Best Friend" can only be read as being about her ex-husband, Ritchie. Absolutely confessional in tone, Madonna sings "I feel like I lost my very best friend" but she has "no regrets" and that she "survived the biggest test." The song closes, monumentally, with the heartbreaking lyric: "It wasn't always perfect, but it wasn't always bad."

"Give Me All Your Luvin'" (featuring Nicki Minaj & M.I.A.) (LMFAO Remix) LMFAO reworks "Give Me All Your Luvin'" party rock style, dumping M.I.A.'s rap for lyrical insertions from Redfoo and SkyBlu.

Production Credits:

"Girl Gone Wild" Written by Madonna, Jenson Vaughan, Alessandro "Alle" Benassi, Marco "Benny" Benassi; Produced by Madonna, Marco "Benny" Benassi, Alessandro "Alle" Benassi 

"Gang Bang" Written by Madonna, William Orbit, Priscilla Hamilton, Keith Harris, Jean-Baptiste, Mika, Don Juan Demarco "Demo" Casanova, Stephen Kozmeniuk; Produced by Madonna, William Orbit, Demolition Crew 

"I'm Addicted" Written by Madonna, Alessandro "Alle" Benassi, Marco "Benny" Benassi; Produced by Madonna, Marco "Benny" Benassi, Alessandro "Alle" Benassi 

"Turn Up the Radio" Written by Madonna, Martin Solveig, Michael Tordjman, Jade Williams; Produced by Madonna, Martin Solveig 

"Give Me All Your Luvin" (featuring Nicki Minaj & M.I.A.) Written by Madonna, Martin Solveig, Nicki Minaj, Maya Arulpragasam, Michael Tordjman; Produced by Madonna, Martin Solveig 

"Some Girls" Written by Madonna, William Orbit, Klas Ahulund; Produced by Madonna, William Orbit 

"Superstar" Written by Madonna, Hardy "Indigo" Muanza; Produced by Madonna, Hardy "Indiigo" Muanza, Michael Malih 

"I Don't Give a F" (featuring Nicki Minaj) Written by Madonna, Martin Solveig, Nicki Minaj, Julien Jabre; Produced by Madonna, Martin Solveig 

"I'm a Sinner" Written by Madonna, William Orbit, Jean-Baptiste; Produced by Madonna, William Orbit 

"Love Spent" Written by Madonna, William Orbit, Jean-Baptiste, Priscilla Hamilton, Alain Whyte, Ryan Buendia, Michael McHenry; Produced by Madonna, William Orbit 

"Masterpiece" Written by Madonna, Julie Frost, Jimmy Harry; Produced by Madonna, William Orbit 

"Falling Free" Written by Madonna, Laurie Mayer, William Orbit, Joe Henry; Produced by Madonna, William Orbit 

Deluxe Explicit Album Bonus Tracks: 

"Beautiful Killer" Written by Madonna, Martin Solveig, Michael Tordjman; Produced by Madonna, Martin Solveig 

"I F****d Up" Written by Madonna, Martin Solveig, Julien Jabre; Produced by Madonna, Martin Solveig 

"B-Day Song" Written by Madonna, Maya Arulpragasam, Martin Solveig; Produced by Madonna, Martin Solveig 

"Best Friend" Written by Madonna, Alessandro "Alle" Benassi, Marco "Benny" Benassi; Produced by Madonna, Demolotion Crew; Co-produced by Marco "Benny" Benassi, Alessandro "Alle" Benassi

Source: Billboard.com | Keith Caulfield, L.A. | March 09, 2012 11:00 EST

NICKI MINAJ on COSMO and NAYA RIVERA on FHM! Who's hotter?

It's two of the hottest women on the magazine covers this November. Yeah, you guessed it! Just the right combination to keep you warm and with a smile on your face. So, enjoy!

Naya Rivera — One hot cheerleading lesbian

Full name: Naya Rivera 

DOB: January 12, 1987 

Place of birth: Santa Clarita, California 

Occupation: Actress

Naya Rivera facts

• She plays lesbian cheerleader Santana Lopez in your ultimate TV guilty pleasure, Glee.
• She used to work in telesales.
• She's been on the Fresh Prince of Bel Air

Why FHM loves Naya Rivera

Naya is by far our favourite hot lesbian cheerleader. We say that like we are constantly swamped with hot lesbian cheerleaders, which could not be less the case. No, Naya Rivera is the ONLY hot lesbian cheerleader we have ever seen. She is also a fictional lesbian.

Don't let that ruin your day though because she unbelievably gorgeous and she is on the cover of YOUR November issue of FHM, wearing (what could be) YOUR shirt (but isn't).

She's been gadding about being a top actress and singer for some time now, but says she had a very ordinary upbringing. She didn't go to a swanky drama school, no, just your average Joe state school where she says she 'wasn't very popular.' Unless it was a blind school, we find that hard to believe Naya.

She's been on The Fresh Prince and Baywatch, which are the two shows that pretty much defined who we are as men, so she can't be half bad. One of the rather heavier lowlights of Naya's career was watching comedian Redd Foxx die on set. Everyone thought he was faking a heart attack. He wasn't.

Naya Rivera Gallery On FHM.com

Nicki Minaj heats up the cover of Cosmopolitan magazine’s November 2011 issue, on newsstands Tuesday (October 11).

The 28-year-old “Super Bass” rapper chatted about where she sees herself in the next 5 to 10 years. Check it:

“I’ll have hundreds of millions of dollars. I will have put out five albums and will have an Oscar and Grammys,” Nicki dished. “And I will be getting married and, a couple of years after that, will have a bun in the oven.”

For more from Nicki, visit Cosmopolitan.com!

FYI: Nicki is wearing a Simone by Katie Nehra dress.

Source: FHM | Cosmopolitan | Just Jared