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Special Event: atrlcritic | Ed Sheeran's new songs after the upgrade
Member Since: 11/16/2011
Posts: 32,177
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Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 2,576
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Nicki Minaj - Anaconda
This song is a fun, get down and dirty song. The beat is SICK, and Nicki sounds like she is having a blast. It's a fun song, and it should be taken as nothing else. She killed it lyrically, and still made it a fun song to listen to. My only complaint is that the last 1/3 of the song seems a bit empty, but I still get down with that beat.
8/10
Beyonce ft Nicki Minaj - Flawless (Remix)
Bey gone and pulled another surprise release. This remix is SO GOOD. Beyonce's new verse is spectacular, and she always knows how to throw in a bit of controversy . We all know she can sing better than 99% of us, so the autotune didn't annoy me too much. The "bridge" before Nicki's verse is cute, but doesn't do a lot for me.
THEN. One word changes everything - Onika.
Nicki comes in and SLAYS THE SCENE. I was NOT prepared for her verse. The MJ line, the cockiness in her voice, even Bey's random rap lines are good. And it just keeps getting better as she goes on. "The queen of rap slinging with Queen Bey". Then the throwback to the Monster verse puts the icing on the cake. Best remix of the YEAR for me.
10/10
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ATRL Administrator
Member Since: 6/29/2002
Posts: 77,601
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Nicki Minaj - Anaconda
I've never really liked "Baby Got Back" all that much, and this remake does nothing to change my mind. If you're gonna make a dumb song it should at least be catchy, but the only catchy parts are taken from the original, which we've already heard thousands of times. It's just annoying now. The production is decent but forgettable, Nicki's flow and lyrics are lazy. An embarrassing effort all around.
2/10
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Beyoncé f/ Nicki Minaj - ***Flawless (Remix)
The first 20 seconds of this remix are pretty incredible. The awesome beat, Beyoncé's background vocals, the beginning of her verse. Her lower register always sounds great. Sadly, the good impression doesn't last. Her initially promising verse quickly becomes grating the higher her voice goes, and the autotune doesn't help either. After a minute or so of the original "***Flawless" and its cool vibe, the beat disappears and the song completely falls apart. It's like they had this lame Nicki verse lying around and they decided to tack it on. It's Nicki at her worst, parts talking slowly and parts babbling incoherently, picking and choosing random words just because they rhyme. The song ends abruptly, and there's little to connect Nicki's half to Beyoncé's. They might as well be two different songs.
Overall just a bad song, it feels rushed and poorly produced.
3/10
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Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 43,973
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Artist: Nicki Minaj
Song: Anaconda
After the lukewarm reaction to her first single Pills & Potions, Nicki came back with a vengeance (with some help from Sir Mix A Lot). When I heard this song, I immediately loved it but most of her fans were angry and I can see why. But I love when artists take risks and do something unexpected even though this booty shaking anthem isn't that unexpected from Nicki Minaj. Or maybe they were afraid radio stations wouldn't play this song and honestly who cares. The last thing Nicki needs is a radio friendly song especially after they snubbed the radio ready Pills And Potions.
This song is everything, it's fun, it's hilarious and you can't help yourself but to start twerking even if you have an ass as flat as a pancake.
Score: 8/10
PREVIOUS REVIEWS
Drake's 0 To 100/ The Catch Up
Beyoncé & Nicki Minaj's ***Flawless Remix
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ATRL Senior Member
Member Since: 9/26/2001
Posts: 22,475
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Quote:
Originally posted by Almighty Gaga
Get that acclaim
Mods
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Guess I should have tried to apply to be a mod before atrlcritic started. Would have bumped the mod score up.
Trying to decide if I want to review either of these songs. Maybe I'll do "Anaconda", just for giggles.
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Member Since: 2/2/2014
Posts: 5,804
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Flawless - 10/10
Beyonce proved again that she has no limits.
Spitting bars beside the biggest rap chick in the game.
Major stuff.
I loved it.
Everyone (sans the typical haters) loved it.
Anaconda 9/10
Really fun song.
I was pleasantly surprised.
Gets you going at the gym.
I worked out to it this morning
It was nice
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ATRL Senior Member
Member Since: 9/26/2001
Posts: 22,475
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Nicki Minaj - Anaconda
5/10
Nicki Minaj roared onto my radar with the best guest appearance I've heard in a long time for a rap single in Kanye West's "Monster". On a track with some titans of rap and hip hop, Nicki stole the show (and then some). Since then, Nicki has...well, she's become a big star, that's for certain. But she hasn't ever come close to reaching the brilliance she achieved on "Monster". She's made some enjoyable songs, but it almost feels as if she doesn't want to strive for more than what she currently is. She's already on top of the mountain, so why would she try too hard? It's just a shame, because we could have seen the next great rapper in Nicki Minaj. Instead, all we really have is a high-personality and low-substance artist.
"Anaconda" is the prime example of what Nicki Minaj is. The personality shown here by Nicki is absolutely off the charts. She is high energy, high maintenance, and off the wall wacky. These are qualities I respect, because it has to be difficult to keep up this kind of energy over the course of a career, but Nicki always finds ways to keep the energy up. The problem is that, especially in her most recent efforts, she doesn't really offer much of anything as far as substance is concerned. I'm not referring to her songs being "dumb", per say. There have been plenty of dumb songs that offer substance elsewhere, like in great production or a great flow. This song doesn't really have either. The production is okay, but it's not fantastic. The best part of the production is the sample, but if I wanted to listen to "Baby Got Back", I'd listen to "Baby Got Back". The flow is also kind of lacking, especially when you compare it to previous efforts of Nicki's. Listen to her on "Super Bass" and then listen to her here, and you'll hear what I'm referring to.
Ultimately, "Anaconda" is just the latest in a string of Nicki Minaj songs that leave me feeling cold. I hate feeling this way, because I see a bunch of talent within her tiny, voluptuous frame. If she could match her talent with her personality more often, I'd have no problem falling in love with Nicki's music. The problem is that this doesn't happen enough. She's content with being the baddest and biggest bitch in the room, and because of that, that leaves little room for talent to seep in. But hey, if nothing else, we'll always have "Monster".
TL;DR:
"Anaconda" continues Nicki Minaj's career trajectory of being high-energy and low-substance. The problem is that the things that usually help to mask any sort of substance issues are lacking: Her flow is poor compared to previous efforts, and the production isn't spectacular. It's a shame, because Nicki has the talent to be a special artist. She just doesn't use it as much as I'd like.
(As you can see, I'm still experimenting with the layout a bit. I like this a little more, honestly, but we'll see what happens in the future.)
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Member Since: 2/2/2014
Posts: 2,522
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***Flawless
The Queen of Pop/R&B and the Queen of Rap once again earn their respective titles! Both of them come hard and spitting BARS. Bey comes through and starts addressing some matters w/ some females and controversy. She shows everyone who the real Queen is and why no one is touching her status in the game. Thus clocking everyone on the elevator incident. She then says it twice so everyone in the nosebleeds can hear her.
Then we have Nicki coming in to do what she does best. She's spitting also and going toe-to-toe w/ Bey. This is the collab everyone has been waiting YEARS for. And we now have the song and they both delivered effortlessly. Good job to both of the Queens.
Not a flaw in sight.
10/10
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Banned
Member Since: 6/25/2011
Posts: 37,192
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Beyoncé featuring Nicki Minaj - Flawless Remix
Not Without Flaws
Unfortunately the "surprise" of this remix was ruined by a constant flow of information in the proceeding week, but it's still here and a pretty damn big event, shooting to the top of the trending charts on Facebook, Twitter, and Google Search. Fans are clamoring for an iTunes release that may or may not happen. But what of the song itself? It begins well, with Beyoncé coming in with a low, menacing growl. As Kworb pointed out, her lower register sounds great here and she really should have stuck with it and rapped in that tone for more of the song. As her voice gets higher, it just doesn't sound as threatening or convincing. And honestly, the "elevator" line is kind of...weak and corny. So much that could be said about the drama and all you've got is "oh we're worth a billion dollars!" Bye.
Nicki's verse alternates between the best of her career at some points and cringeworthy at others, often switching back and forth in the space of 3 or 4 lines. Nothing really new for her. Obviously, the highlight of the track is the iconic horn riff of SpottieOttieDopaliscious dropping in right before Nicki's verse.
Verdict: 6.5/10
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Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 2,054
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Beyoncé featuring Nicki Minaj - ***Flawless Remix
When describing JAY Z and BEYONCÉ's current tour, 'On The Run' Charlamagne Tha God wrote: "[What] I saw was two experienced, consummate professionals who have been in this game so long that their stage show is flawless. The execution of everything they do on that stage is perfect because both Jay Z and Beyoncé have mastered their crafts." In the same vain, Beyoncé and Nicki Minaj are able to explode beyond any set expectations with their first official collaboration, snatching the collective edges of the global music community.
Beyoncé roars before Nicki continues her verse: Them bitches thirsty, I’m Hungarian! Nicki, BB, eat in, diamond fangs, barbarian! Ah! . Their hunger is shown through their clever wordplay, evoking a personality we last saw from Nicki Minaj's iconic 'Monster' verse; Nicki herself alludes to this towards the tail of her verse, " He want monster Nicki in Sri Lanka". Numerous components of the Hit-Boy produced track bring back what made this the original smash it was on her self titled release. However, with the addition of the horns from the southern anthem 'SpottieOttieDopaliscious' the track sets Nicki up with her assist from Bey for the perfect remix of an already ***Flawless anthem.
10/10
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Member Since: 12/31/2010
Posts: 26,257
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| dddddddddd
...9.3 | Beyoncé - "***Flawless (feat. Nicki Minaj)" . . .A very "Beyzus" moment. |
| dddddddddddddd | I was blown away first listen with this one. Bey's new rapping verse delivers a more boastful and proud Beyoncé, one that with the opera-esque vocals in the background instantly reminds me of Kanye West (especially his most recent effort, Yeezus), one of the most talented and decorated rappers of our generation. Saying something so un-Beyoncé like "sometimes **** goes down when there's a billion dollars on an elevator" really brings something shocking yet well-welcomed to the table for Bey, as she's not one to open up about negative controversy in such a manner. The new components of production are great as is Nicki's featuring, which includes a line which Bey hustles through aggressively like "a barbarian," which strangely works for her. Overall, the song is one full of pride, bragging, and awareness of one's own greatness over everyone else. And Beyoncé and Nicki effortlessly pull it off.
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9.3/10 -- An extra 3/10 of a point because of Bey's instantly-iconic cackle at the end of the first verse.
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Banned
Member Since: 4/27/2012
Posts: 33,811
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Beyoncé f/ Nicki Minaj - Flawless
August 4th, 2014
Summary: The world-stopping surprise release was
a collaboration long-awaited by fans of both artists.
Genre(s): Rap/Hip-Hop
Release Date: August 3rd, 2014
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Woo, lord. I was made aware of this track almost immediately as it dropped as while in the midst of drunk tweeting someone tweeted me "Girl stfu and listen to this". I asked "OMG IS THAT THE REMIX?" despite the link being "Flawless.Beyonce.com" When I say there's nothing I love more than Hood Beyoncé..... Like nothing. The swearing, the southern accent, the cockiness, the self-name dropping... I love it ALL. It's like almost every line in the first verse gave me a separate PUNCH. "It's that Yonce yo Yonce in that lingerie on that chardonnay" "I'm texas forever like Bun B" "I'm rambo'ing these hoes""and of course the epic poundcake/baby mama and ICONIC elevator lines. Speaking of elevator-gate, I don't really understand what people mean when they say they wanted more on it. It's like, did you think sis was gonna air her family drama out like that? The billion dollars line was her basically saying "Look, every family has problems and more money, more problems. Don't worry about us.". I think it also pokes fun at how big the situation was, because in all honestly -- if they weren't as big and powerful as they are, the story wouldn't have been as talked about as it was. People love to see an empire break down and that was her basically her saying "That won't be happening to us." The Queens even shouted me out in one-line "Got malaysian, got that yaki, that wavy brazilian" It took me a while to warm up to Nicki's part but that eventually grew on me too. I love two artists getting together and having a cocky ass time. I really do. Which is why I know the video is going to KILL me.
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ATRL Contributor
Member Since: 8/19/2013
Posts: 46,848
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These ***Flawless reviews so far
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Member Since: 8/16/2012
Posts: 14,988
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| NICKI MINAJ – ANACONDA
(bigger than the tower)
Nicki Minaj has always impressed me with her creativity and her songs. She has always served great bops one after one, even Stupid Hoe, a song that everybody for some reason hates is good. I myself love Nicki’s music, she’s a hit and a miss sometimes, but this time NICKI is a frickin HIT! This song “Anaconda” has given me all the things I missed, all the things I needed in music world. It’s such a fresh bop, it features a sample from an old song “Baby Got Back” and it’s just such a great move, it fits so well, Nicki’s verses are life, she slays them like a god she is. The most amazing rap singer these days isn’t she? This song is just such a good and life giving bop. It gave me major throwback feelings and I love Nicki for that. This song is just uh, so good. And it reminds me of “Can’t Touch This” by Mc Hammer. This song is fantastic, and you girls can stay hating, you all probably just jealous cause you ain’t got buns like Nicki.
Anyways this song overall as I said is f**kin bang bop, and that single cover is giving me life tho, Nicki’s ass is sooo hot. Oh my gosh look at her butt (my anaconda does want those buns ) One of the best song this year too, Queen Nicki getting dem coins from me! Slay queen! |
10/10
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Member Since: 1/31/2012
Posts: 19,942
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***Flawless (REMIX) - Beyoncé & Nicki Minaj
The song is fire. That's the best way to describe it because that's the heat that both artists come with. Beyoncé was rapping harder than she's ever rapped before and it came out fantastically. With crazy metaphors and the soon to be iconic elevator line, the song is absolutely fantastic. Then Beyoncé calls out "Onika" and it sounds like she is calling out a secret weapon. Nicki comes out harder and more vulgar than ever and just lays out almost all of her cards on the table. It's the female collab of the year and gives Fancy a run for it's money. Hopefully with an iTunes link Beyoncé can get her 2nd top 10 this era. The song is perfect. The original is a perfect 10, but with the new production, vocals, verse and everything else, this song is just as great.
10/10
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Member Since: 1/31/2012
Posts: 19,942
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Anaconda - Nicki Minaj
The song is a mess. I'm glad they removed the outro, but even without that outro the song is just stupid. The song isn't helping Nicki portray herself as the artist she wants to be known as; a good rapper. The song just accentuates everything people make fun of her for. Halfway through the song, you realize that Nicki Minaj has become a parody of herself. However, the song does have kind of a "so bad it's good" feel to it. The song is reminiscent to Stupid Hoe which is truly a tragic song, which is enjoyable. Although I don't like the song, it is kinda fun and could be fun to be played at parties, especially with the iconic Sir Mix-A-Lot sample.
With all of that, the song is still very stupid and doesn't do well for Nicki. She tried to show a serious side to her with PnP, but she completely did a 180 to her image with anaconda. Will it help? Who knows, but the song is charting better than PnP ever did, so there's that.
3/10
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Member Since: 6/22/2011
Posts: 6,997
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Flawless - Beyoncé feat. Nicki Minaj
As a huge Beyoncé fan, you could imagine my excitement when I woke up and saw that she had released a remix to an excellent song. However, my excitement transitioned hastily into dismay when I clicked play - this remix is simply terrible. Beyonce is a woman of many talents, but unfortunately rapping is not one of them. Her verse is jarring and awkward, her lyrical content is bland and uninspired, the auto tune is horrendous, and frankly the remix does little to add to the song. The album version of Flawless works because it is a succinct snapshot of confidence within an album that explores many different themes and emotions. As its own single, it comes across as overly cocky, as well as dull - yes Beyonce is amazing, we all know it, do we really need another song telling us so? As for Nicki's verse, it seems like a pointless addition to the already pointless expansion of the song. Also, the elevator line is tacky and unnecessary - it seems odd that Beyonce, who kept so quiet about the situation and offered no explanation as to what happened, would address it so publicly in a song, and kick up the settled dust.
Overall, not impressed. The song is as amazing as it was - no need for this banal, lazy remix.
1/10
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ATRL Contributor
Member Since: 3/15/2013
Posts: 39,618
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Can we review the Lil Kim remix next?
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Member Since: 8/6/2012
Posts: 5,333
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Quote:
Originally posted by EmRiNavy
Can we review the Lil Kim remix next?
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Member Since: 8/18/2013
Posts: 5,608
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Quote:
Originally posted by EmRiNavy
Can we review the Lil Kim remix next?
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I'd perch for this
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