| "Freedom" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single byNicki Minaj | ||||
| from the albumPink Friday: Roman Reloaded – The Re-Up | ||||
| Released | November 2, 2012 (2012-11-02) | |||
| Recorded | 2012 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 4:47 | |||
| Label | ||||
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| Nicki Minaj singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Nicki Minaj - Freedom (Explicit)" onYouTube | ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Nicki Minaj - Freedom (Network Version/Closed Captioned)" onYouTube | ||||
"Freedom" is a song by rapperNicki Minaj from thereissue of her second studio album,Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded – The Re-Up (2012). It was released on November 2, 2012 byYoung Money,Cash Money andUniversal Republic as the second single from the album. It was written by Minaj, producerMatthew Samuels, and Matthew Burnett. The song was released fordigital download in the US and Canada on November 2, 2012 and in other countries on November 6, 2012. It is downtempohip hop andR&B, featuring a "sonically breezy" soundscape, complied withambient riffs,pop-inspired synths, andsoft pop choruses.
"Freedom" peaked at number 17 on theUK R&B Chart, number 23 on the USRap Songs, and number 31 on the USHot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. The music video was released on November 15, 2012. It was shot mainly in black and white, and features Minaj in a variety of scenes such as a deserted area with a boat, dressed as a Queen on a throne, and is interspersed with scenes of nature.
In September 2012, Minaj announced thereissue ofPink Friday: Roman Reloaded, subtitledThe Re-Up, containing an additional disc with eight newly-recording songs and an exclusive behind-the-scenesDVD.[2][3] Minaj commented at the2012 MTV Video Music Awards, "I'm putting lots of new songs on there and I'm actually going to drop my new single like next week."[3] Production ofThe Re-Up was a main focus on Minaj's three-partE! special,Nicki Minaj: My Truth, which aired in November 2012.[4] OnOn Air with Ryan Seacrest, Minaj stated that "I feel like the music is such a better representation of me where I am now as an artist in my career. As long as people can hear the music, I'm good."[5]
Musically, "Freedom" is ahip hop andR&B.[6][7][8] The song features street-slang bravado and "venomous" rapping in the verses with thin, fragile vocals over whipsysoft pop choruses.[2][7][9] The instrumentation in "Freedom" mixes together smoothambient riffs,[1]pop-inspired crystal-clearsynthesizers,[7] and a smoothR&B beat,[10] creating a sonically breezy soundscape.[8] Lyrically, Minaj is confrontational yet reflective, talking about her life in the spotlight and rise to fame.[8] In the lyrics, Minaj states how other rappers "in the competition" will never thank her for opening the doors for them, and how they don't even thank their creatorJesus Christ for helping them get far, saying: "They'll never thank me for opening doors / But they ain't even thank Jesus when he died on the cross / 'Cause your spirit is ungrateful, bitches is so hateful, I remain a staple."[11]
Charley Rogulewski ofVibe said "The old Nicki Minaj is back on her latest track "Freedom."", while going onto note the songs "dreamy" production and compared it to "Right Thru Me," "Your Love" and "Save Me" off her debut album.[8]Entertainment Weekly reviewer Kyle Anderson called the song "middle-of-the-road R&B" and criticized Minaj for choosing to make music that appeals to pop radio, instead of being unique.[6] Josiah Hughes ofExclaim! was critical of the song, saying it was: "by-the-books Nicki, as she delivers venomous raps on the verses before giving saccharine-sweet melody a whirl on the choruses. Surprise, surprise — the whole thing is delivered atop poppy, crystal clear synths."[7]
Tom Eames ofDigital Spy complimented the video for its "glamorous" shots of Minaj,[12] a sentiment echoed by Liza Darwin ofMTV News, who said: "We already know Nicki's got her beauty and fashion game on lock these days, but for her new vid the singer ditches the bustiers, tutus, and Zenon-inspired ensembles for a toned-down (for her, at least) wardrobe of glittery gowns, decadent furs, and more than one crown. After all, if there's ANYONE fit to be queen bee, it's this lady."[13]
Minaj performed the song live for the first time on theAmerican Music Awards of 2012 on November 18, 2012.[14] For the performance, Minaj wore a white fur cape and boots, and was later joined on-stage by a choir.[14] "Freedom" was also performed onThe Ellen DeGeneres Show on January 15, 2013, where she sang in a slim red dress, surrounded by fog and gina chandeliers.[15] On January 25, 2013, Minaj performed the song along with "Va Va Voom" and onJimmy Kimmel Live! on January 25, 2013.[16]
| Chart (2012) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles (OCC)[17] | 107 |
| UK Hip Hop/R&B (OCC)[18] | 17 |
| USBubbling Under Hot 100 (Billboard)[19] | 7 |
| USHot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[20] | 31 |
| Country | Date | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States[21] | November 2, 2012 | Digital download | Cash Money Records |
| Canada[22] | |||
| United Kingdom[23] | November 6, 2012 | ||
| Australia[24] | |||
| Bulgaria[25] | |||
| New Zealand[26] | |||
| United States[citation needed] | November 27, 2012 | Urban contemporary radio | |
| United Kingdom[27] | November 28, 2012 | Mainstream radio |
