NEWS
Nicki Minaj has saluted her devoted fan base for sticking by her as Pink Friday 2 continues to break records.
The Barbz leader penned a heartfelt note to her fans — whom she’s deemed to be the greatest ever — on Instagram on Sunday (January 14) as Nicki learned that PF2 has sold over a million units and is eligible for a platinum certification.
“WTFFFFFFFF #PinkFriday2 has officially sold 1 MILLION in the US!!!!!! Thank you to every single one of you listening/supporting this album, the best label Republic Records, the GREATEST artists in the WORLD of our generation featured when I needed them the most every INCREDIBLE & GENIUS producer,” she wrote.
“Everyone who had ANYTHING to do with the music, every radio station, PD, DJ, interviewer, post, reaction video, VOGUE , #PapaBear, Zoo, PATTY DUKE, JUICE, and the um, ummmm…greatest fan base of all time… the barbz. BARBZZZZZ!!!!!!!!!!!!! #HeavyOnIt GOD is good see you on TOUR!!!!”
Billboard 200: #4(=) @NICKIMINAJ, 'Pink Friday 2' 52,000 (505,000 units since release). *peak: #1*
— chart data (@chartdata) January 14, 2024
All of @NICKIMINAJ's albums have now sold at least 1 million total units in the US. pic.twitter.com/5P6X9eqOrU
— chart data (@chartdata) January 15, 2024
According to Chart Data, Minaj’s new LP crossed the million-unit sales mark in the U.S. on Sunday (January 14). Now, all of Nicki’s albums have sold at least one million units.
Pink Friday 2 is still holding strong on the Billboard 200 where the project currently sits in the No. 4 slot after debuting at No. 1 in December.
Minaj’s latest offering broke another record last week by becoming the fastest album by a female rapper to surpass one billion streams on Spotify.
The Young Money hitmaker is now also the first female rapper in history to have five albums surpassing one billion streams on the streaming platform.
2010’s Pink Friday, 2012’s Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, 2014’s The Pinkprint and 2018’s Queen have all previously reached the milestone.
Pink Friday 2 also set a new record on the Billboard Hot 100 last month when 17 of its 22 songs landed on the chart, the most from any album by a female rapper.
Nicki beefed up PF2 by adding another collaboration with Future to streaming services over the weekend as they joined forces again for the ATL Jacob-produced “Press Play.” They already teamed up on the album for “Nicki Hendrix.”
Lizzo has made it clear that she never abandoned her album Love in Real Life.
The “Juice” artist recently responded to rumors that the project had been cancelled after fans expected it to arrive last year. Rather than putting out the album at the time, Lizzo instead released the mixtape My Face Hurts From Smiling in June.
During a new conversation with Billboard, the “Truth Hurts” singer explained that the album itself was never scrapped and is still the same body of work she plans to release on June 5 under its new title, B**ch.
“I think the biggest misconception about my album is that I shelved Love in Real Life when I didn't,” she said. “(B**ch) is technically the same album. I just changed the name. The music is the same.”
Lizzo shared that the main difference between the earlier version of the project and the upcoming release was taking away the original title track, which eventually led to the album being renamed.
“When you change the name of something, it changes its destiny,” the singer explained. “Like, when I went from Melissa to Lizzo, it changed my destiny.”
“When this album went from Love in Real Life to Bch, it changed the trajectory of its past,” she continued. “I do think that I feel like I can express myself the way that I want to express myself right now through Bch. I think Love in Real Life was really sombre and a little bit more introspective, and I think B**ch is a little bit more empowered and self actualised and bold.”
Before the newly titled album arrives, Lizzo has already released the singles B**ch and Don’t Make Me Love U.
The artist had previously spoken about stepping away from Love in Real Life during an earlier interview with Vulture, saying the project “just wasn't what I was feeling right now”.
She also mentioned that much of the album had originally been written back in 2022.
“By 2025, I've changed, the world has changed so much, and so much has happened,” she said. “I was like, ‘I need to do s**t differently, and I don't know what it is, but I'm going to just start following my instincts.’”
