🎵 Weekly Music Newsletter: Nicki Minaj is a Super Freak

Nicki Minaj samples Rick James. The Game drops Eminem diss track. Beyoncé duets with the Isley Brothers. Black Thought & Danger Mouse modern classic.

Bill Pittman, a renowned guitarist from the legendary collective The Wrecking Crew, passed away at the age of 102. His most revered work included The Beach Boys’ Wouldn’t It Be Nice, The Ronettes’ Be My Baby, Bob Dylan’s Mr. Tambourine Man, and hundreds of other Top 40 hits.

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Nicki Minaj has returned. After a three-year hiatus, the rapper has finally dropped her first solo release since 2019’s MEGATRON. The new single, Super Freaky Girl, flips Rick James’ 1981 funk classic Super Freak, and, well… we’re glad Rick isn’t around to hear it.

Nicki has clearly run out of ideas because Super Freaky Girl is a blatant attempt to repeat the success of 2014’s Anaconda, which turned Sir Mix-A-Lot’s Baby Got Back into a similarly bouncy, hyper-sexualized track. However, unlike Anaconda, which reached №2 on the charts, was certified double platinum, was nominated for a Grammy, and won an MTV VMA, Super Freaky Girl is unlikely to make it to the end of the summer. The uninspired single features one of Nicki’s worst hooks and wastes a legendary sample.

Earlier this year, on The Dana Cortez Show, Nicki said, “But to me, it still feels like overkill […] If it’s too much of the sexual stuff, it’s just not making me feel super comfortable anymore.” It’s only been six months since that interview, and now we’re left scratching our heads as Nicki sings evocative, NSFW lyrics; “I can lick it, I can ride it while you slipping and sliding / I can do all them little tricks, and keep the d**k up inside it / You can smack it, you can grip it, you can go down and kiss it .”

It’s also worth noting that the single was produced by Dr. Luke, a controversial hitmaker who has been accused of being somewhat of a “super freak” himself. In recent years, artists have distanced themselves from Luke, including Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Doja Cat, Demi Lovato, and Kesha, who sued him for sexual abuse. Nicki’s partnership with Luke is part of a larger…