For many, Nicki Minaj has always been explicit, versatile, and fearless when experimenting with music throughout her career. At the recent stop in Vienna, Austria, of her ‘Pink Friday 2 World Tour,’ Nicki held something from within that steered her toward a new musical path.
When Nicki finally performed her hit track “Starships,” people started spinning and dancing—lost in the music. From this overwhelming response, Nicki thought of composing more pop songs. She took to Instagram to share her thoughts, saying,
“Vienna, Austria, you guys were so amazing. When ‘Starships’ started playing, that’s when I knew the kind of crowd they were. Well, you should’ve seen that they were doing circles in the crowd and just having their little moment. It made me feel like, ‘Oh my gosh, maybe I should write a couple more pop songs.”
Nicki Minaj says she feels like she should make more pop songs:
“Vienna, Austria, you guys were so amazing. When ‘Starships’ started playing, that’s when I knew the kind of crowd they were. Because you should’ve seen, they were doing circles in the crowd and just having their… PIC.TWITTER.COM/P1BHRTTODH
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) JULY 6, 2024
However, Nicki’s relationship with “Starships” has been complex. Performing at a New Year’s Eve concert in Miami, she suddenly stopped singing the track and referred to it as a “stupid song,” which reflected her mixed feelings about the hit.
Nicki Minaj has always had that special something that allows her to read her audience and execute; her genre-bending abilities—from rap to pop, reggae, and R&B—cemented that she would continuously come up with something new. Her latest statement about staying deeper in pop attests to her staying in touch with her fans and their unwavering interest in seeing her evolve as an artist.
Making pop music is nothing new to Nicki. With tracks like “Super Bass” and “Starships,” she had already proved how easily she could turn out catchy, dance-worthy music. Having risen on the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 3, “Super Bass” was one of her biggest singles and a success for any solo female rapper. These did not just scale the charts; they were well received by everyone, which showed that all of Nicki’s pop exploits had been successful.
This is greatly aided by her lyrical approach. Nicki once explained her philosophy on lyrics, saying, “I want them to be digestible. I don’t want them to fly over people’s heads and they never catch it.” That mindset ensures her songs—either rap or pop—are accessible and relatable to listeners.
Collaborations with pop artists such as Ariana Grande and Katy Perry cement Nicki’s ability to do the same in pop. Tracks like “Bang Bang” and “Side to Side” clearly show that it is so easy to pump her rap background into mainstream pop alone. Moreover, these collaborations broadened her musical basis and opened her up to other listeners.
The decision to finally transition further into pop was also strategic. Nicki understands her music and is always ahead of the game by knowing when new trends are coming and adjusting the type of music produced to meet demand. With music constantly in turmoil, staying open to experiment with new genres makes her one of the most formidable players. Because “Starships” did so well in Austria, that spoke volumes: her fans wanted more of the pop sound.
