[Subomie]

Pixie Lott - Pixie Lott
Pixie Lott has had a pretty rough year: her lack of radio support, her second single bombing and now her album sitting outside the iTunes Top 40, but is it warranted? Pixie really tried to do something different with this, bless her. The singles were promising, so I had hoped the album would match up...

Lead single Nasty opens up the album and has a definite Motown sound; It was intended for Christina in Burlesque after all. It's quite decent, but Pixie's weak vocals are only highlighted here since the track was intended for a big vocal diva like Xtina. The next song, Lay Me Down, is actually kind of amazing. The whistles are very nice, but her vocals are strained here. Still, it's probably the best song here. Conversely, Break Up Song is probably the worst song on the album. It's very boring and has no personality at all. Champion is another song that goes with the Motown sound very well, the Rocky reference is cute too. Complete ear candy, but it's too short. Kill A Man is a great throwback bop, but otherwise lacks substance. Ain't Got You is a nice song, but it does drag on for a bit. Heart Cry is one of the best tracks on the album, it catches you from the start and doesn't let you go. Ocean has some questionable lyrics (the opening line ), but it's quite a nice song other than that. The chorus is a highlight. Raise Up is a very Motown ballad. Starting slow, but building up to an almost theatrical climax. It's cute, but nothing more. Bang is the most out of place song on the album, it would be at home in 1969 on a Supremes album, but not on a 2014 Pixie Lott album. Otherwise it's nothing special. Leaving You and Cry and Smile are just middle-of-the road. Nothing wrong with them, but they aren't very interesting.

The album has many problems: the vocals are poor in many parts, it lacks character, it has some awful lyrics and some of the songs are just not noteworthy at all. However, when Pixie gets it right she's really great. The choruses are especially good. I feel the good here outweighs the bad, but whether ATRL agrees or not is yet to be seen. Overall I think the album is a pleasant listen. It's nothing groundbreaking, but it's a very cute album. Pixie did good.
Highlights: Lay Me Down, Champion & Heart Cry.


(8/10)

[Stevie]

Nicki Minaj - "Anaconda"


It's tough to say anything about this single that hasn't already been covered. Nicki Minaj has never been an advocate for classiness and subtlety. However, "Anaconda" decides to further push the bounds of her already boisterous persona into obnoxious territory. After the initial, deliberate shock of the single's cover dissipated, I don't believe any aftershocks occurred when we learned that the song samples "Baby Got Back". Getting to the song's content, Nicki manages to get a decent flow going before it gets severed by the loud sample in the pre-hook. In fact, everything keeps coming back to the Sir Mix-a-Lot sample because it serves as Nicki's metaphorical and musical crutch for "Anaconda". This makes me ponder - well, since "Baby Got Back" is one of the biggest novelty songs of recent memory, is "Anaconda" trying to achieve a similar feat, but just going about it in a much more unoriginal manner? I don't have an answer to this, as Nicki Minaj's intentions can frequently be quite nebulous, but I do know that "Anaconda" probably doesn't want to be taken seriously. Still, "Anaconda" will never reach the novelty status of "Baby Got Back", so it remains grounded on the plain of just being a silly song. Sadly, the silliness is all rather dense and difficult to take in, leaving me winded before the track is even half over. The cartoon-like exaggerations and antics get exhausting quickly. After almost five minutes, all "Anaconda" accomplishes is putting on a commemoration of Nicki's butt implants, if you call that an "accomplishment".

3/10

[Dom]

Yaaaaaas, Subomie great review, loves it! And it's a bummer that LMD debuted at 114

[alexanderao]

My Pixie review is done but I'm on mobile so I can't post it for another few hours

[Bloomers]

Originally posted by alexanderao

My Pixie review is done but I'm on mobile so I can't post it for another few hours

I'm legitimately excited to see the score!

[alexanderao]

The Lowdown: Pop-soul album is hit or miss with horrible lyrics but often shining production and vocals.

Today was my first time listening to Pixie Lott. Her third studio album, Pixie Lott is as smooth as it is repetitive, and as relaxing as it is boring. The album begins in a very promising way with Nasty, which has a pleasant, soulful retro sound. Pixie's vocals are sassy, and the production is clean and slick. I like the chorus in its simplicity and attitude, and the song has a nice vibe overall; the atmosphere is triumphant and the song instantly likeable. Lay Me Down, a faster song with the same attitude and style, follows. The piano in this song is good, but I felt that the verses should have differentiated more from the chorus. Even though the lyrics are unoriginal, the instrumental (which is cool) saves the song. It gets a bit boring at the end, but to be completely honest this album starts with two good songs. Break Up Song is track number three, and although it doesn't have much lyrical or musical substance (and the slightly nasal vocals are a bit irritating), the chill drums-and-guitar beat over the well-timed synths drew me into the song. This song continues merrily on its way for over three and a half minutes, sounding solid but appearing fairly safe and unremarkable by the time it's all over. Despite that, the production was almost immaculate, and I have to say I liked the song. After this song ended, I was seriously considering the fact that my first-ever positive atrlcritic review might go to Pixie Lott. Unfortunately, I guess what goes up must come down. Champion tries to follow up the rather impressive start to the album and falls flat. The retro instrumental is way too cheesy and dramatic, as is the backup choir. This song was very predictable and broke zero ground. At least it had a nice, upbeat sound so it didn't completely put me to sleep. Kill A Man was even worse in my opinion because Pixie is often getting drowned out by another dramatic instrumental with trumpets and retro piano and synths galore. The instrumental seems like a more aggressive version of background or elevator music.

Ain't Got You gets the album halfway back on track with a refreshing change of pace from the frenetic Champion and the powerful Kill A Man with a lighter, airier piece. The song starts with simple guitar riffs and synths and lets Pixie showcase her (albeit slightly whiny) vocals. The lyrics are so clichéd, but I really like how the song gradually builds up into a very good second verse. Ignoring the horrible lyrics, the song is a very good pop song. The instrumental is great on its own. I do, however, have something against the choir that pops in near the end of the song; their vocals don't go with Pixie's at all. All in all, it's a satisfying nugget. This song again brought up my hopes for the album. Unfortunately, Pixie regresses with Heart Cry, the seventh song on the album. When the exciting, dramatic, retro intro kicks in, I could have sworn I had already heard this song earlier on the album. The vocals are obviously overproduced on this track but are still drowned out by the loud, annoying beat. It's boring, repetitive, and has no substance. Heart Cry is definitely the worst song on the album. Ocean is quite unimpressive, and again the vocals are overproduced. The song quickly turns into the standard for this album; loud drums, trumpets, sassy attitude, et cetera. This is another track that feels very safe and repetitive. There's not much else to say because of this approach.

Fortunately, Raise Up arrives to save the album. A sincere piano intro is followed by more overproduced vocals. However, the slower tempo is nice and relaxing and even though the vocals are overproduced they are still nice to listen to. A slow snapping begins over the piano and a quiet drum beat follows, which was pleasing for me. Although I wasn't a fan of the dramatic cymbals during the chorus, it is nevertheless a solid chorus and I definitely appreciated Pixie's willingness to include a power ballad on this album, which is definitely not a power ballad-oriented album. A decent song overall and much better than the two tracks preceding it. Bang, the tenth song on the album, is probably the cheesiest. On an album filled to the brim with clichés and corny analogies, Bang is the worst offender. The instrumental is headed by drums, bass, and a light guitar, but somehow manages to seem more basic than most of the songs on this album. I especially like the melodies during the pre-chorus, and they're pretty catchy. The production is again super-smooth. The beginning of the next track, Leaving You, feels like a rehash of Raise Up with another calming piano intro and an only-piano-and-vocals beginning. The lyrics are again almost unbearably cheesy, and she is quite whiny throughout portions of this song. A made-for-HAC-radio drum beat and instrumental kicks in and makes the song orders of magnitude betters but removing flow from it by distancing itself from the piano intro. It definitely doesn't sounds like it was made in the 2010s. Like other good songs on this album, it blends elements of pop and soul music extremely well. Even though the song sounds relatively sentimental (in a happy way), it actually is a breakup song, which makes it a bit awkward but increases its potential usage nevertheless. The last track on the album, Cry And Smile, begins with 45 seconds of just Pixie's vocals, which are raw but too nasal again. This introduction evokes emotion but is slightly excessive. A gradual increase in elements to the song results in another song that would surely please AC or HAC radio. The lyrics are slightly less cheesy but not innovative at all. The ending was extremely perplexing, with a collection of upbeat dated sound effects.

All in all, I was pleasantly surprised by this album. Although a significant amount of songs followed roughly the same formula, there were some steps taken to shake the album up a bit and give it some variety. The album still managed to be quite cohesive, an impressive feat. If the lyrics were just less corny I would be paying more attention to the melodies and vocals. Whenever Pixie tried to go retro, it ended up sounding almost the same. Her vocals were often overproduced, too nasal for my liking, and drowned out. All that being said, I enjoyed a lot of this album. She really shines on the songs where she mixes pop and soul seemingly effortlessly while still creating a very good HAC song. Whoever did the production also deserves recognition- most of the song were smooth, flowed well, and never had too much of one thing. I commend the producers for that, and also for creating some solid, fairly catchy instrumentals. I have to say that I had a very hard time assigning a score to this album. The good stuff doesn't outweigh the bad stuff by very much on Pixie Lott, and some tracks I will likely never listen to again. If you haven't heard it yet, I recommend listening to the full album just to give it a chance and then pick out your favorite songs and listen to those. A lot of this album is just well done pop with a small dose of soul, and it mostly ends up pretty decently.

Reviews:

Drake - 0 to 100 / The Catch Up (4.0)
La Roux - Trouble In Paradise (2.3)
Azealia Banks - Heavy Metal and Reflective (2.0)
Jessie J, Ariana Grande, & Nicki Minaj - Bang Bang (5.8)
Hilary Duff - Chasing The Sun (0.5)
Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga - Anything Goes (4.9)
Nicki Minaj - Anaconda (2.0)
Beyoncé f/Nicki Minaj - ***Flawless Remix (3.7)
Pixie Lott - Pixie Lott (6.0)
FKA Twigs - LP1 (1.7)
Hilary Duff - All About You (4.1)
Taylor Swift - Shake It Off (7.1)
Charli XCX - Break The Rules (4.6)
Ariana Grande - My Everything (5.2)
Maroon 5 - V (5.4)
Banks - Goddess (8.2)
Calvin Harris f/John Newman - Blame (8.6)
Lorde - Yellow Flicker Beat (8.8)
Fergie - L.A.LOVE (la la) (2.5)
LIGHTS - Little Machines (6.7)
One Direction - Steal My Girl (2.0)
Carrie Underwood - Something In The Water (5.3)
Gwen Stefani - Baby Don't Lie (5.4)
Iggy Azalea f/MØ - Beg For It (7.7)

[iHype.]

Nicki Minaj — Anaconda
August 7, 2014

Summary: Nicki Minaj's steamy 2nd single "Anaconda" is released following recent singles such as "Pills N Potions" & "Bang Bang". Genre(s): Rap, Pop-Rap Release Date: August 5, 2014

Nicki Minaj's follow-up to the underperforming "Pills N Potion" fails to strike a liking to me. I was amped for a proper follow up; PNP was disappointing, a snooze. Now Nicki has done the opposite; she raised the bar to something too annoying, too gimmicky, and desperate. 'Anaconda' was an on-going site of mess from the minute the publicity craving artwork was released. Then from there, an LQ failed to sit so well with most. The HQ changed some opinions, but when I heard it, yet again, came disappointment. Has Nicki lost it this era? The intro is embarrassing, all of her rapping is embarrassing, the sampling is a tragedy. Who listens to this in a studio and sees potential, let alone single potential? Granted there's bandwagoners now that it hit #1 on iTunes, but I'm sure they'll go away if the video fails to have it smash with Streaming. Nicki is seen as a gimmick to me, yet another eras proves it. Disappointed.

3.2 out of 10

[Mrs. Aaron Paul]

I'm probably one of the few people who have actually heard of Pixie Lott before listening to this album. I remember seeing the video for her song Mama Do a lot and I thought it was a cute song. But then I heard her song Broken Arrow in a movie trailer and I dont think I even saw that movie but I listened to that song over and over again for weeks. I sang it all the time. Its a beautiful song with lyrics that I really connected to, and still connect to. I checked out her other music, but I found most of it to be pretty standard, forgettable pop music. Her voice has personality (and not much in the way of technique though she sounds at least decent almost always and she's far from the only popstar with this problem nor is she the most offensive case of it) but she isnt a particularly charismatic mic presence to save less than stellar material. I didnt know she had an album out but I was sort of curious to see how she's progresed artistically since I lost track of her.

Nasty: i liked how the song started off, and its catchy and has a nice soul vibe. i usually dont like that thing artists do when they spell simple words out in their songs. thats not lyricism The production is really good though. Very clean but also fun. Vocals are kinda messy as usual with her, but it works in a way i'm finding hard to explain. Good opener.
Lay Me Down: I really like the melody of this song, its an excellent pop/HAC song and it has a great hook. The vocals, however, are thin and a little grating. And again, nothing much to see here lyrically. We Found Love teas in the chorus tbh.
Break Up Song: I immediately was not feeling the instrumentation/production of this song. The lyrics of this song were a little too earnest for my taste, but for the first time on this album, they sounded genuine. Kind of reminded me of a drunk call. The melody is probably the weakest of the 3 so far- doesnt mean its terrible though- its not. The vocals on the bridge, while unpolished, sound really emotional and fit the pleading nature of the song.
Champion: This song's instrumentation has a throwback disco sounding vibe (RAM its impact is so underrated tbh). Were back to the very basics lyrically ('float me like a butterfly' 'fight for your fight, i'll be your champion'). But this song is just nice and fun to listen to. It reminds me a bit of something you might hear in a musical melodically. Not a song I'll be returning to, but I'd be lying if I said I'm not enjoying it while its on.
Kill A Man: This song seems decidedly 'angrier' than the others thus far. Vocals are okay, a bit flat sounding at parts. I really like the instrumentation of this song- especially the bridge is great. Its got energy without being a mess. The melody is solid if unspectacular. The soul influence that's present throughout this album is very present here.
Aint Got You: The vocals on the opening of this are beautiful and I kinda wish it were acapella because the artificial sounding synthy instrument kinda ruins that beautiful moment a it. The emotional quality works throughout the song. Lyrics are standard, with a couple of poignant lines and a whole lot of cliches. The instrumentation in the later part of the song picks up a lot and there is actually quite a gorgeous melody here. The choir took it a little too over the top cheesy, but I'm very happy with this song on the whole. Highlight thus far.
Heart Cry: This song is one of the more interesting ones melodically and instrumentally, but ultimately it doesnt really go anywhere for me. The whistles are annoying.
Ocean: This song is weird. It has a lot of nice little moments, but is overall kind of a mess. The title is ironic because her vocals sound like theyre drowning in an ocean on this song. Whoever mixed this did way too much on the poor sis.
Raise Up: I love the melody on this song. The vocals are great on the chorus, a little weak sounding on the verses. I love the instrumental- its prefect for the song and never overpowers Pixie on the mic while still having a crescendo. Lyrics are not good, but not the worst on the album, so that's something I guess- anyways I enjoy this song too much to care a lot, if I'm being honest. The vibe of it is great and it prefectly conveys its (very simple, uncomplicated, unoriginal) message very effectively
Bang: This song is very boring, and the parts that arent boring are bizzare. The bangbangbang part manages to be both, somehow, and the vocals are sub par
Leaving You: this song is pretty, and has pretty vocals. the vocals, like in break up song, are cheesy to the max but also sound genuine- thats aided by the vocal delivery which is both pretty and emotional. The chorus is pretty satisfying.
Cry and Smile: The acapella opening is a nice surprise, and pretty nice even if it would be better if the vocals were more on point. I think this is probably my favorite song on the album, lyrically. Not that the bar was sky high, but still. There's a nice melody here too, but I think it might be a little too close to the previous song in terms of vibe and that the album couldve been sequenced more effectively to let both shine. Because both are solid tracks.
[CENTER][B]Overall, this album is difficult to grade. I'm not really sure if I even liked it or not? Almost all songs had both good and bad parts. I dont think there are any standout amazing moments on this album but no song is devoid of redeeming qualities either. Overall, I think Pixie does a good job of keeping a cohesive sound while still mixing things up. The lyrics are on the whole very sub par. Vocals are hit or miss. Nothing on here is as good as Broken Arrow though, which I'll leave a link to because I think that song is underrated. Anyways, if you like pop and 'blue eyed soul' (i generally enjoy both of those, fyi) then its probably worth giving at least some of this album a listen, and you'll probably enjoy it too. But dont expect anything super memorable or brilliant.
Hightlights: Nasty, Aint Got You, Raise Up, Cry and Smile
Lowlights: Heart Cry, Bang, Ocean
GRAD

[Legend E]

Originally posted by Doc

Wikipedia said it's Motown influenced, so I'll probably give it a listen too.

For whoever asked, the end date for Pixie will be in a week.

Thanks, Doc

[Vulps]

dddddddddd .. .7.0 Pixie Lott - 'Pixie Lott' . . .Pixie Lott's third album finds the singer exploring her own individual sound.

dddddddddddddd It’s been a few years coming but Pixie Lott appears to have finally pulled off the soulful throwback album that her past releases always seemed to yearn to be. While her sophomore effort Young Foolish Happy was indeed a definite move in that direction, it sounded awkward - like a mishmash of different genres that refused to meld together - resulting in an album that lacked cohesiveness and a definite sound. Pixie Lott on the other hand, finds the singer combining Motown with contemporary pop more successfully. The first half of the album shines with tracks such as "Break Up Song", "Champion" and "Kill A Man", along with lead single "Nasty" and follow-up "Lay Me Down". All of these tracks effortlessly sound both retro and modern at the same time, and come equipped with killer hooks and Lott’s distinct vocals. Unfortunately, Pixie’s inexperience begins to show around the second half of the album – a collection of songs that indeed showcase the sound she wants to portray but fail to bring anything to the table in terms of memorability and personality. This is a recurring problem that was seen in both her previous records and suggests the songstress might need a little more guidance when recording a full-length release. Of course, the latter half does have its moments – however brief. "Heart Cry" and "Bang" are both strong tracks, with the second providing a refreshing change of pace from the indistinguishable tracks that sandwich it. Combined with the tracks mentioned earlier, perhaps Pixie Lott would have fared better as an EP, without being brought down by the rest of the material featured. All in all, while Lott’s determination to record an album that is entirely her vision is applaudable, the Brit singer still struggles to write tracks that showcase her diversity and her personality. Despite this all, Pixie Lott is a promising step forward for an artist still finding her voice, which only bodes well for all that is to follow. --- *score out of 10

[Matty]

Nicki Minaj - "Anaconda"

After first single "Pills N Potions" didn't do as well as it should have, Nicki and her team decided to jump on to the second single. "Anaconda" heavily samples Sir Mix-a-Lot's 1992 hit "Baby Got Back" in both melody and lyrics. Nicki samples arguably the two most famous and known lines from Sir's track, 'My anaconda don't want none unless you got buns hun' and 'OMG Becky look at her butt.'

This track really shows off Nicki's playful side ala "Stupid Hoe", but it comes off less hard than the song mentioned. It has a fun upbeat beat that will have people booty popping in the clubs, possibly to future mash-up with "Baby Got Back". Nicki provides some good lyrics, and memorable, but it's nothing truly impressive of what she can do. Also, for me the song heavily trails off in a bad direction as the song goes on. The laugh, the talking, it just doesn't really work... but it will have you repeating them even if you don't want to.

Overall, it is a upbeat fun song that'll have you dancing. It truly isn't the best Nicki can offer lyrically and music wise, but as for a fun song that is not "Stupid Hoe", it is pretty good.

_

Grade: B

[BlueTimberwolf]

All of the Bey and Nicki stans are just giving Flawless a perfect score...

[Kane]

Nicki Minaj - 'Anaconda'

As the follow up to 'Pills N Potions', a lot was 'riding' on "Anaconda" to deliver something a little less mundane and soft and a lot more exciting and upbeat. "Anaconda" delivers on those grounds, using a sample of the classic 90’s party anthem known and loved by many, “Baby Got Back”. By taking two of the most quoted and memorable lines from the classic, they created what can only be described as a new meets old certified banger.

If anyone here is familiar with Minaj’s earlier repertoire, you might, or might not, be excited to hear Lewinsky make a bold and in-your-face return, with audacious sexually charged rhymes and spirited appeal. With raps such as “This dude named Michael used to ride motorcycles, dick bigger than a tower, I ain't talking about Eiffel's“ she presents herself as intrepid and feisty as ever. I have no qualms with admitting that this isn’t the best song in Minaj’s extensive catalogue of albums, mixtapes and features, but it does show how versatile and fun Nicki can be. With the latter being much needed after the not so fun lead single.

*It took me less than 5 minutes with no notes, I was worried about getting it in on time. Don't crucify me . I will come back and rewrite this once I have time. As long as the score get's counted that's all that matters.

_

Grade: A-

*Doc's format

Reviews:

Sia - '1000 Forms of Fear' (Grade: D- | 1.6/10)

Drake - '0 to 100/ The Catch Up' (Grade: D+ | 3.3/10)

La Roux - 'Trouble in Paradise' (Grade: C- | 4.2/10)

Azealia Banks - 'Heavy Metal and Reflective' (Grade: D | 2.5/10)

Hilary Duff - 'Chasing The Sun' (Grade: F- | 0/10)

Nicki Minaj - 'Anaconda' (Grade: A- | 9.1/10)

[Afferty]

it's the first time i'm seeing this thread and I really like it my english is not great to write essays about a song but i'll try


-------

Nicki Minaj - Anaconda

Nicki Minaj comes up with the second Stupid Hoe of her career. It's just another basic stupid fun song from her that she keeps mentioning her sex appeal. I don't approve neither the life style this song is about, or the dirty language she uses. Her obsession on her ass is getting boring, even her ugly laugh at the end of the song can't make me smile. Even though i think the chorus is catchy as hell, the verses are not as good and the song becomes repetitive after 2:00 and her buffoonery at the end of the song can't save it.

3/10


Beyoncé - Flawless ft. Nicki Minaj

I don't really know if Beyoncé is serious about this version of the song. She killed the best parts of the song and replaced it with her awful rapping and meaningless Nicki Minaj parts. It's one of the best examples of how to kill a great song with remixing it. I feel like Beyoncé did this for Nicki's favour because her new album is coming and she hasn't got a strong lead single so she needs every promo she can use. Be the angel you wanted to be Beyoncé but you ruined my favourite song on Beyoncé and i will not forgive you because of this.

2/10

[B-Luke]

Nicki Minaj - Anaconda

Previously people were yet again outraged about an eight-second snippet of an alleged song by Nicki Minaj. Who is there to blame? Surely not the fans when beforehand she released the power-ballad Pills n Potions with which a lot of people were disappointed as well. Those who weren't would've been shocked to hear that something like Stupid Hoe could happen again, after such a calm storm that was Pink Print's (rumour has it it's released in September) lead single. Is it smart to release a pure fun/troll song like that now? According to all indications, yes. The American rapper/singer proved nuts and zeitgeist enough to release a risky song at the probably best time possible. Our times indicate that we're about to retrieve the 90s in our music and culture. With Anaconda, Nicki could as well be a pioneer in starting a new segment of rap music. But ignoring all these superficial facts, we have yet to focus on the actual song. With a sample of the 90s rap classic "Baby Got Back" she found an extremely suitable beat to add her slow rhymes while the chorus was handed over to Sir Mix-a-Lot himself. Throughout the song, her raps are followed by "OH MY GOSH" loops that, if you didn't know the actual sample, could as well have been a part of the song "#Selfie" which went semi-viral earlier this year. When we thought she was finished with her parts she surprisingly punches back with wicked and psycho laughs. Actually nothing groundbreaking at all when we remember the quirky screams of Stupid Hoe so let's regard it as one of her trademarks when she feels like it. Overall, the final part makes up for a fair amount of cackles of the listener but nobody wouldn't mind if she left it out when the song is already fun and entertainment (at its most obvious level) enough. Nicki proves once again to be in the mood for carefree and agitated rap tracks which barely anyone else could afford to release. The one thing adding to this song that we're wating for now is a video that's widely expected to go viral. Well Nicki, thanks for sharing this guilty pleasure with us that no one should feel embarrassed to dance to when at the end of the day everyone does. Let's just twerk and overcome our inhibitons which we didn't lose when Miley did it.

9/10

[Kitt]

One would assume I'd be ******* excited over two out of the three of my faves collaborating, but that failed to be the case. At least, initially. Initial listening experience had me frazzled and caught a bit off guard. Bey strutting through strong with not only a completely new verse, rapping, tweaked production, and a new bridge caught me by surprise. And then of course, the now notorious “Of course sometimes **** go down when it’s a billion dollars on a elevator” line coming at you— and then again to make sure you understood the weight of it. It was all so much to take in, for anyone. Fast forward to Nicki. Loved the idea, not so much the execution. Unimpressive, underwhelming (considering) and forgetful. Another rehashed delivery filled with her usual flat falling punchlines, pompous and "we A-listers" "*****" "titties" vulgarity spam. I hardly feel any sort of secondhand empowerment from her contribution. The only thing tantalizing about Onika’s involvement is her credited name on the record next to King’s and the idea of two of the most successful black female artists coming together on such a feminist driven track. And that and that only, is all I ask for. The bittersweetness to this is how a negative analysis only fuels the original and always underlying driving point of the record, (*cue Ed McMahon closing ***Flawless with an underwhelming score to the wide-eyed and exhausted Girl's Tyme) that is embracing imperfection and weakness despite criticism. We've come full circle. Clever, Bey. ʜ ɪ ɢ ʜ ʟ ɪ ɢ ʜ ᴛ s "You wish I was your pound cake Boy you know I look good as **** You wish I was your baby mama Want me to come around and give you good karma" "Them bitches thirsty, I'm Hungarian ⁄ Nicki, Bey, be eatin' diamond fangs, barbarian, RAH!" "These bitches washed up and ain't no ****in' soap involved"

6 ⟩ lyricism   7 ⟩ production  8 ⟩ bey delivery  5 ⟩ nicki delivery
♡♡♡♡♡♡
hearts out of ten.

[alexanderao]

Originally posted by ATRL Feedback

Way too high.

[Kitt]

I'm posting my Anaconda review anyway

Like our very own Robbyyy stated after Anaconda's iTunes release: "The minute you let go of the idea of Nicki being an artist who cares about her image, the better you'll be." It’s too easy to glaze over the obvious satirical tone of this single and deem it as laughable and pure trash that has (most likely the intention) become it's charm. After grabbing my pink Nicki urBeats and locking my doors, windows, and myself in the closet to listen to the full LQ version, I wasn't sure what to think but let the unauthorized released track simmer. I didn’t pay it anymore mind until the MV snippet and that’s when I— well first, realized the HQ was out, then second, renewed my excitement for it. Anaconda isn't anything groundbreaking, but the fervor of a new release and fault-finding criticisms bearing from high expectations made it out to be a single capable of shooting Nicki in the foot. Obviously, a grower with hit-or-miss qualities, but this is nothing new from our self appointed Generation Y Queen of Rap. Anaconda is deliberately off the wall bonkers and is a more obvious release intended as an event rather than something to judge her credibility. Overall, I think this track has high potential to reignite some favor after the MV is released and as an element to The Pink Print's package after it's all said and done. As for the outro, I could overlook the cringeworthiness if my focus is attended elsewhere and I let the track ride, but let's be real, it'd be better for everyone if it never saw the light of day in the first place. Thank goodness for the radio edit. Now all review aside, I'm very delighted that she's found some solo chart success with a track that isn’t some RedOne rehash.

6 ⟩ lyricism   8 ⟩ production  7 ⟩ delivery
♡♡♡♡♡♡½
hearts out of ten.

[Kitt]

Grr. Still experimenting with this style format. I think the circle images can leave.

[alexanderao]

Originally posted by Kitt