You didn’t think Nicki Minaj’s reformed look of elegant red carpet gowns and subdued makeup was permanent, did you?
After a cool five or six months of playing it safe, the Queens, NY rapper is up to her old tricks again.
The NSFW cover art for her newest lead single “Anaconda” features the buxom beauty in nothing more than a bubble-gum-pink G-string bikini and a bright pair of basketball sneakers, posing seductively in the camera with her grand posterior exposed in full view.
This look is miles from the stylish and sophisticated apparel worn by the Young Money artist as of late.
Just a few months ago, while promoting her film debut in “The Other Woman,” Minaj assured the press that the artist with an affinity for wild wigs, skimpy clothing and neon makeup was long gone.
She told Power 105’s The Breakfast Club morning radio show in May that she had been planning the switch-up for a while: “The album is more personal, so the look being stripped down goes really well with the third album,” she explained to the hosts.
Well, that was all until the single “Pills N Potions” dropped and failed to have an earth-shattering impact on the music charts. Iggy Azalea, Minaj’s unnamed nemesis, is in the thick of her glory days with her hit song “Fancy” riding high on the music charts and, for the first time, Minaj has some competition.
As she embarks on a whirlwind promotional tour for her upcoming album called “The Pink Print,” (release date to be determined) the 31-year-old had to do something to get the gossip mill churning.
Well, it worked.
Not only did Minaj’s sexy cover art leave tongues wagging, she provided a platform for debate by comparing the reception of her sexy image to those of Sports Illustrated models like Chrissy Teigen and Kate Upton in a series of Instagram posts.
She has a point, too: Why is it okay for them to be praised for flaunting their bums on magazine covers, while she gets shamed for doing the same thing?
After igniting a firestorm, Minaj backed away by pushing the release of “Anaconda” back a week, to Aug. 4. She’s currently promoting her pop collaboration with Jessie J and Ariana Grande, “Bang Bang,” released on Tuesday.
If Nicki Minaj’s fashion game seems to be regressing at all, it’s because she’s a walking, talking marketing campaign, and she’s been this way from the start.
Yes, she’s also talented, but her real skill lies in her savvy at snagging lucrative fashion lines, fragrances, beverages, movie deals and more. So, this means backing off of promises if an idea doesn’t pan out as expected.
What crazy outfit will she pull out of her hat for the MTV Video Music Awards next month? Who knows — just know it’s bound to drum up plenty of controversy.