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Discussion: PF: RR Metacritic score so far
Member Since: 1/27/2006
Posts: 51,546
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Quote:
Originally posted by Cap10Planet
So, they should only take into the consideration the rap side because it's good? They're reviewing the entire album, so no part of the album is off limits.
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Plus the pop side is unapologetically dragged on 10+ songs.
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Member Since: 10/29/2010
Posts: 29,249
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HIP HOP DX
Even more so than with most albums, how listeners feel about "Roman Reloaded" will be heavily influenced by what context they place Nicki Minaj in as an artist.
Nicki Minaj often refers to herself as a “Barbie,” and in addition to the glamorous outfits and inhuman physical proportions, she lives up to the nickname well with her ever-changing roster of personalities. Everyone has their favorite version of The Nicki Doll—the round-the-way girl from the mixtapes, the psychotic monster from the Kanye track, the Technicolor pop diva—but unfortunately, the accessories for each model don’t seem to be interchangeable. The new audience that came with Pink Friday doesn’t want the same thing that the old audience does, and while she seems to be trying a little harder to split the difference on Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, the clawed gloves just don’t fit in Nicki’s Dream House.
Although she vehemently claims not to care about the mixed reception to her first album on Roman Reloaded’s title track, Nicki front-loads her second album with the rap-tracks that many thought were lacking from her first. “I Am Your Leader” (featuring Cam’ron and Rick Ross, both playing to win) is a much-needed reminder of what made Nicki appealing to begin with—a fun streak of pink across an otherwise dark landscape. Also worth checking for is “Champion,” where an uncharacteristically restrained Nicki recruits Nas, Drake and Young Jeezy for a good ol’ fashioned “we made it” jam. On the other side of the spectrum, “Beez in the Trap” (with 2 Chainz) is considerably more playful, but it still works by stopping short of outright silliness.
When things do get silly, however, they get very silly. Opener “Roman Holiday” is another chapter in the tale of Nicki’s male alter ego, but the song makes about as much sense as the character does (none). “Come on a Cone” further proves that rapping more isn’t necessarily the answer: it starts out well enough, but devolves into over-the-top histrionics quickly. There’s a thin line between the rap tracks that work and those that don’t—the beats for five or six of them are completely interchangeable—but ultimately, there’s not quite enough of the good to appease those who would consider the rest of the album bad.
Meanwhile, that “rest of the album” is likely to spark the same debates that surrounded the first Pink Friday. “Starships” is perfectly designed for the increasingly popular House-inspired Dance Pop scene. So is “Pound the Alarm.” And “Whip It.” And “Automatic.” And almost everything else. That’s not to say that these songs are bad, but the fact of the matter is that even by the loosest definitions, Nicki Minaj is not making Hip Hop music. If you count yourself among the group who was disappointed by Pink Friday, you’ll be just as disappointed by two-thirds of Roman Reloaded.
Even more so than with most albums, how listeners feel about Roman Reloaded will be heavily influenced by what context they place Nicki Minaj in as an artist. If you’re looking for a Dance Pop album, this is actually a pretty good one, especially compared to other artists in the genre. If you’re looking for good Hip Hop, however, look elsewhere because there’s very little of it here. Pop Star Nicki is still going strong so her fans should have nothing to worry about, but those of us who started collecting with the original line should probably just find a new hobby—Mixtape Nicki has been discontinued.
RATING: 3/5; 60/100
http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/album-...roman-reloaded
Counts for MC.
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Member Since: 6/26/2010
Posts: 28,299
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The album has a better score than it deserves and the hiphop half is better than the pop half but let's not act like it's any good
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Member Since: 6/10/2011
Posts: 12,511
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Quote:
Originally posted by Swag
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Member Since: 5/1/2011
Posts: 9,640
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Quote:
Originally posted by Rico Shameless v2
Plus the pop side is unapologetically dragged on 10+ songs.
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From Starships to Automatic, feels like you're, listening the same damn song, even though they're four; it gets annoying so quick tbh..
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Member Since: 11/12/2009
Posts: 14,298
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Quote:
Originally posted by alkralkra
Because they trash your faves.  |
Nah. I still hate them when they praise them. They're just people like us. Just because they're critics doesn't mean they're more reliable than the casual listener. It all comes down to taste. Using metacritic scores as receipts is lame in my opinion Well, maybe I worded it wrong, It's not that I hate critics; I just hate the fact that some people think they're something accurate to be based on when it comes to knowing what's good and bad 
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Member Since: 8/26/2011
Posts: 5,129
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Member Since: 12/5/2009
Posts: 9,974
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Quote:
Originally posted by Julián
Nah. I still hate them when they praise them. They're just people like us. Just because they're critics doesn't mean they're more reliable than the casual listener. It all comes down to taste. Using metacritic scores as receipts is lame in my opinion Well, maybe I worded it wrong, It's not that I hate critics; I just hate the fact that some people think they're something accurate to be based on when it comes to knowing what's good and bad |
They are more reliable than crazy stans here, deal with it
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Member Since: 12/1/2010
Posts: 23,572
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Higher than a mutha*******
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Member Since: 11/7/2011
Posts: 2,338
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Well-deserved. The pop section is atrocious. Starships, Pound the Alarm, Whip It and Automatic could all pass for the same damn song.
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Member Since: 6/1/2010
Posts: 65,177
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I feel like this album was extremely rushed to capitalize off the success of PF as well. Female pop stars release albums at such a fast rate these days (with a few exceptions of course). Even the way the era is executed shows that Nicki wants to be a pop star or just here for the money & fame.
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Member Since: 11/12/2009
Posts: 14,298
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Quote:
Originally posted by alkralkra
They are more reliable than crazy stans here, deal with it |
But why?
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Member Since: 11/23/2011
Posts: 46,048
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Am I the only one who likes the pop section of PF:RR? 
Whip It, Automatic, Beautiful Sinner and than all the beautiful ballads...MARILYN MONROE, Young Forever, Fire Burns, GUN SHOT, Masquerade!
It's so painfully beautiful
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Member Since: 12/16/2008
Posts: 59,380
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Quote:
Originally posted by EdgeOfAddiction
Am I the only one who likes the pop section of PF:RR?
Whip It, Automatic, Beautiful Sinner and than all the beautiful ballads...MARILYN MONROE, Young Forever, Fire Burns, GUN SHOT, Masquerade!
It's so painfully beautiful |
I love it too sis.
The album is really good IMO, yeah they'll trash the dance tracks because she's a hip-hop artist but they're good, basically they're giving more weight towards the pop side.
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Member Since: 6/1/2010
Posts: 65,177
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Quote:
Originally posted by UnusualBoy
I love it too sis.
The album is really good IMO, yeah they'll trash the dance tracks because she's a hip-hop artist but they're good, basically they're giving more weight towards the pop side.
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I think this perfectly states how many people feel about the album:
Quote:
Meanwhile, that “rest of the album” is likely to spark the same debates that surrounded the first Pink Friday. “Starships” is perfectly designed for the increasingly popular House-inspired Dance Pop scene. So is “Pound the Alarm.” And “Whip It.” And “Automatic.” And almost everything else. That’s not to say that these songs are bad, but the fact of the matter is that even by the loosest definitions, Nicki Minaj is not making Hip Hop music. If you count yourself among the group who was disappointed by Pink Friday, you’ll be just as disappointed by two-thirds of Roman Reloaded.
Even more so than with most albums, how listeners feel about Roman Reloaded will be heavily influenced by what context they place Nicki Minaj in as an artist. If you’re looking for a Dance Pop album, this is actually a pretty good one, especially compared to other artists in the genre. If you’re looking for good Hip Hop, however, look elsewhere because there’s very little of it here. Pop Star Nicki is still going strong so her fans should have nothing to worry about, but those of us who started collecting with the original line should probably just find a new hobby—Mixtape Nicki has been discontinued.
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Member Since: 1/27/2006
Posts: 51,546
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Quote:
Originally posted by UnusualBoy
I love it too sis.
The album is really good IMO, yeah they'll trash the dance tracks because she's a hip-hop artist but they're good, basically they're giving more weight towards the pop side.
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Not completely. If she'd brought her personality/wittiness and didn't settle for subpar productions and basic lyrics, it could've been better. Instead she's just a second rate Ke$ha, and that's not a diss to K$. A lot of the reviews point that out.
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Member Since: 12/1/2011
Posts: 24,324
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Member Since: 12/16/2008
Posts: 59,380
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Quote:
Originally posted by Cap10Planet
I think this perfectly states how many people feel about the album:
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Quote:
Originally posted by Rico Shameless v2
Not completely. If she'd brought her personality/wittiness and didn't settle for subpar productions and basic lyrics, it could've been better. Instead she's just a second rate Ke$ha, and that's not a diss to K$. A lot of the reviews point that out.
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I guess you're both right, hopefully this won't affect her sales.
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Member Since: 2/19/2012
Posts: 5,441
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STILL 4 REVIEWS ONLY??
WTF
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Member Since: 12/7/2011
Posts: 21,578
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source: http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/...oman-reloaded/
Quote:
Minaj’s first album was perhaps more than anything an exercise in refurbishment, as the former New York street rapper was reconfigured into a variety of forms both misshapen (aborted single “Massive Attack”) and oddly comfortable (“Your Love”). But it was a track you could only find on the Deluxe Edition, “Super Bass”, that propelled Minaj into what she’s been portrayed to be—namely, pop superstar. And so one might naturally think that cue would be followed to a tee for her sophomore album, rather many of her biggest previous mistakes are amplified here for the pleasure of an unknowable populace.
In fact, in the build up to Roman Reloaded‘s release, the word “mistake” has come to define the campaign. Kickstarted by the laughably rhythmless “Stupid Hoe” and dutifully stoked by a woeful Grammy performance of “Roman Holiday”, long has Roman Reloaded been expected to be bizarrely fixated on sounding like a train wreck. Release date pushbacks certainly didn’t help either. But to actually experience the release of it, even if just to hear the studio versions of these two much-maligned tracks, is somehow even worse than expected. Every element of Minaj’s artistic personality has been pushed to 11 on a blown-out amplifier for this album. Her delivery is a put-on like no other rapper has believed palatable, at many moments to the point it truly feels like Minaj has taken the old mantra that “it’s not what you say but how you say it” to a poorly lit basement and performed malpractice surgery on the concept.
It’s only seven minutes into this CD before Nicki Minaj operatically sings “put my dick in your face”, a phrase she’ll repeat many more times throughout the Hit-Boy helmed, very poorly titled “Come on a Cone”. Thanks to the past few months it’s not a complete surprise that this isn’t the only surreal, incomprehensible moment on Roman Reloaded, but it’s especially jarring following “Roman Holiday”, a song with a ridiculous, Millionaires-esque chorus and completely unhinged rendition of “Come All Ye Faithful” wedged awkwardly into the middle. To receive a song that’s every bit “Roman Holiday’s” equal immediately after is just, frankly, insane.
Roman Reloaded seems to be the result of no one being brave enough to tell Minaj enough is enough. By doubling down on her cartoonish elements, she’s lost all remnants of lyrical ingenuity she around the time “Monster” first leaked, let alone her various mixtapes. Roman Reloaded takes great pleasure in emphasizing this awkward lack of accountability as well. While the first half consists of very poorly thought out rap music masquerading as pop, the second half sees Lady Gaga producer RedOne take a leading role on the production end while Minaj sings pop songs that are notable only for their total lack of character. These are songs aim for the empty sentiments of Chris Brown’s Graffiti or Rihanna’s Loud, so lacking are they in reasons to believe in them it’s a bit shocking to see an entire 40 minutes devoted to them.
Minaj has handled herself very capably in previous pop constructs—see “Save Me” or Lil’ Wayne’s “Knockout”—but here it’s all pomp and circumstance. Even then, if the songs were any good, or the performance admirable on any level other than novelty, Roman Reloaded would stand a chance. But Minaj’s shrieking and tongue-speaking here is oddly off putting. Listening to Roman Reloaded quite honestly feels like the hype one might feed a pot-smoking sophomore about Syd Barrett’s Madcap Laughs, except you actually got the soundtrack to an artist losing their mind rather than a charmingly unhinged pop album. Or more contemporaneously, the audio equivalent of Minaj and Katy Perry’s annual attempts to outweird Lady Gaga on the red carpet of the Grammys: pointless and futile.
Being an album whose rap half boasts features from Cam’ron, Nas and Lil’ Wayne as well as 2 Chainz’ usual dose of pure machismo, there are a few highlights. If “I Am Your Leader” were Minaj-less or “Beez in the Trap” two verses shorter, they could find strength in the summer. But, again, conservatism is not what you would come to Roman Reloaded. You’re here for an album where Nicki Minaj claims “only thing pop is my endorsements” 15 minutes before an entire section of boring, trite attempts at playing Katy Perry or Rihanna (particularly “Marilyn Monroe”, which comes complete with Rihanna’s islander vocal affectations). You’re here to listen to a Kool Keith album from his late-2000s dark period as interpreted by your kid sister’s Barbie collection… you’re here, honestly, because you’re an audiomasochist.
“Stupid Hoe”, infamous for its number of dislikes on YouTube and BET’s banning of the video, is dumped at the end of the tracklisting for reasons unknown. One might think it was to admit the song was a mistake, but the rest of the album certainly doesn’t try to make that case. If it’s to remind us that Minaj is a rapper after 30 minutes of frilly, unessential pop music that only succeeds at being far less annoying than Minaj doing what she’s marketed for, then I suppose it succeeds. But only insomuch as to put the final nail in the coffin of Minaj’s fading hype as a true talent. If Nicki Minaj were Tracy McGrady, this would be the point in her career where her back gives out and she unceremoniously fades from the highlight reels and marque. To quote her Young Money compatriot Drake, Nicki, “I’m just sayin’ you could do better. Tell me have you heard that lately?”
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