Nicki Minaj, MEGATRON | Track Review

Following the lukewarm performance of ‘Queen’ in 2018, Nicki Minaj returns sexed-up with plenty of attitude on her first solo single of 2019, “MEGATRON.”

“Brra-ta-ta-ta / Shots, shots, shots, I’m drinkin’ / It’s better when I’m drinkin’/I tune up when I’m drinkin’.” Nicki Minaj didn’t have the best 2018 – understatement.  Sure, she finally released her highly-anticipated fourth studio album, Queen, but the project didn’t perform extremely well.  It certainly didn’t give Minaj the comeback that she expected.  Regardless, she seems to have moved on beyond Queen and onto her next musical endeavor.  It all begins with single “MEGATRON.”

There’s lots to like about “MEGATRON.” From the start, Nicki Minaj is in full-on, energetic and unapologetic mode.  Arguably, she’s at her very best when she keeps the rhymes un-pitched and chocked-full of attitude.  Unsurprisingly, she’s sexed-up, delivering her fair share of memorably, naughty lyrics.  On the first verse, she asserts:

“They call me Megatron, just did a telethon
He got Margielas on, and I get my jealous on
I fuck him like I miss him, he just came out of prison
Bitches be talkin’ shit, but they ain’t got a pot to piss in.”

On the second verse, she’s even more risqué, asserting, “I put the squeeze on him, th-throw the Bs on him / Th-that ass clappin’ on the D, Hercules on him.” Honestly, you can’t make this stuff up – if I hadn’t heard it with my own ears, I wouldn’t have believed it.  Adding to the allure is the dancehall/reggae beat, which Minaj eats up.  The cons are the ‘take it or leave it’ sung vocals, which add character but can also be perceived as annoying and gimmicky. Furthermore, if you want to really nitpick, haven’t we heard records like “MEGATRON” from Nicki many times before?  She’s been sexed-charged her entire career.

Final Thoughts 

All in all, “MEGATRON” is definitely an improvement over some of the lackadaisical, forgettable moments that plagued Queen.  If this is indeed the starting point for studio album number five, then there’s clearly promise for Nicki Minaj.  “MEGATRON” won’t change your world mind you, but it’s hard to deny how catchy and utterly infectious the record is.

Takeaways

 Pros

+ Energetic, unapologetic performance from Nicki Minaj; she’s at her best when she’s un-pitched, delivering straight rhymes

+ The production work is respectable, particularly the infectious dancehall/reggae style beat

+ Catchy chorus by all means; instantly gets stuck in ones head

+ Minaj delivers some memorable lyrics, especially those filled with attitude

+ An improvement over some of the lackadaisical songs gracing Queen

Cons

– The autotuned pitched vocals by Nicki Minaj are take it or leave it

– Nicki Minaj has delivered this type of song multiple times throughout her career; Nothing ‘brand new’ by my estimation

– To some degree, doesn’t it feel as if Minaj is recycling, lost some of her edge

– Perhaps the sexed-up lyrics aren’t quite as potent as they once were

Key Lyrics

“I put the squeeze on him, th-throw the Bs on him

Th-that ass clappin’ on the D, Hercules on him

My name is baddie, baddie, I keep it tight for zaddy

He keep it comin’, comin’ he ain’t even drop the Addy.” [Verse 2]

“If you eatin’ it, do it precisely

‘Cause I’m a millionaire, this pussy pricey.” [Bridge]

Writer(s): Andrew Wansel, Brittany “Chi” Coney, Denisia “Blu June” Andrews, Haldane Wayne Browne, Onika Maraj | Producer(s): Nicki Minaj, Pop Wansel, NOVA Wav

Nicki Minaj • MEGATRON [Single] • Young Money / Cash Money • Release: 6.21.19

Photo Credit(s): Young Money / Cash Money