Oh, the many faces of Nicki Minaj' - how I love them all.
I'm not saying that she's flawless but I am saying that she's fabulous. Her style (like her music) is all over the place right now, let's call it growing pains. Some say that she is doing too much and I'd agree but I'd also argue that too much is better than not enough. It has to be intense to be that talented, creative and inspired and to have crazy amounts of fame dropped in your lap. She seems to be trying to please every new fan - trying to fit every outfit, every song, every concept in all at once.
I haven't seen her live but I've read that her show is overwrought with costume changes and lacks fluidity. She's trying to spotlight a closet full of "personas" and while that may be a mistake it's impressive that she can even be three or four different women over the course of one concert.
Sure, her "rap" fans feel confused and betrayed and her "pop" fans don't appreciate the harder stuff but her catalog is made for someone like me. I love tough, grimy rap as much as I love a solid dance track. My favorite song from Pink Friday is "Did it on 'Em", hands down, but "Starships" is for sure my summer jam. I appreciate how clean "Beez in the Trap" is and I can't resist a hot mess like "Stupid Hoe". I may be the minority but I don't think that experimentation is the same as selling out.
It's lazy to accuse her of biting Lady Gaga or Lil' Kim. If you pay any attention to music or fashion then you understand that neither would exist without influence, inspiration and a little bit of flat out borrowing. Nicki's style is outlandish, experimental, bizarre and almost always on point. She is brave, funny and seriously sexy. In photo shoots she packs a supermodel's talent into a five foot four frame and don't even get me started on all of her lovely assets. It's hard to imagine a future where she is not relevant or one where she's settled into a style. I think that like Lady Gaga (and certainly Madonna before both) we are witnessing the beginning of something special. Some may call it an identity crisis but I say she's just being herself - whoever herself happens to be on any given day.
Cheers to self expression!
xo - jocelyn
Images: nickidaily.com
