Queen

Queen is the fourth studio album by rapper Nicki Minaj. It was released on August 10, 2018, through Young Money Entertainment, Cash Money Records and Republic Records. It was Minaj's first album in nearly four years, following The Pinkprint (2014). She started recording the album in late 2016 and finished in August 2018 and collaborated with a handful of producers to reach her desired sound. It features guest appearances by rappers Eminem, Foxy Brown, Future, Swae Lee, and Lil Wayne; along with singers Ariana Grande, Labrinth, and the Weeknd. The album's release date was delayed before ultimately being released a week ahead of schedule. It was supported by the singles: "Chun-Li", "Bed", "Barbie Dreams" and a remix of "Good Form". The single "Fefe" was added to streaming versions of the album after its release; both "Chun-Li" and "Fefe" peaked in the top ten of the US Billboard Hot 100. To further promote the album, Minaj launched her own radio show, titled Queen Radio, which aired on Beats 1, made several television appearances and live performances, and began The Nicki Wrld Tour in February 2019. Queen received generally positive reviews from music critics, who praised the production but derided the album's length and lack of direction. It debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200 with 185,000 album-equivalent units, of which 78,000 came from pure album sales. It charted within the top ten in other music markets, such as Australia, Canada, Netherlands, Ireland, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. The album was certified platinum by the RIAA in January 2019. Background and development Following the release of her third studio album The Pinkprint in 2014 and the end of The Pinkprint Tour in August 2015, Minaj went into Hot 97's Ebro in the Morning in October 2016, where she was asked for details about her upcoming album, responding, "The album is so freaking epic, but it's a journey right. Before my first album came out, I was on everybody's song; I had my own campaign without realizing it. Right now, I have to complete a few things for other people." During following interviews Minaj claimed her fourth studio album would be her "best body of work", "a classic hip-hop album that people will never forget," and an era "a billion times more epic than anything 'Anaconda' could have delivered."