Calling all Barbz: Nicki Minaj Drops 'Pink Friday 2' After a 13-Year Wait from the Original

 LOS ANGELES (AP) — Nicki Minaj has finally unveiled her highly anticipated fifth studio album, "Pink Friday 2," marking a significant musical milestone on her 41st birthday. This 22-track release, the artist's first full-length offering since 2018's "Queen," boasts an impressive lineup of collaborations featuring artists such as Drake, Lil Wayne, J. Cole, Lil Uzi Vert, and Future, among others.

During a recent livestream, the 10-time Grammy nominee expressed her excitement, stating, “This entire album will be the biggest gift I have ever given humanity thus far. I have never in my life been so in love with something that I’m working on.”

The original "Pink Friday" debuted in 2010, followed by the sophomore album, "Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded," two years later. The journey to "Pink Friday 2" has been an eagerly awaited one, with fans speculating about its release since the rapper's cryptic tweet in the summer of 2020 containing the three-character message "PF2." The album title was officially announced by Minaj in June, with the release date initially set for October 20 but later delayed twice.

In the lead-up to the December release of "Pink Friday 2," Minaj's devoted fan base, known as the Barbz, made headlines by creating "Gag City," a pink AI metropolis inspired by the album's cover.

Notably, Minaj, who hosted the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards in September, treated fans to a performance of her latest single, the ethereal "Last Time I Saw You." During the event, she also teased a dynamic new trap track from "Pink Friday 2," proclaiming, "I ain’t nothing like you, I’m on a whole other level."