Nicki Minaj Gets Sentimental on New Single “Pills N Potions”: Listen

Everything Nicki Minaj has released in the run-up to her third album, The Pink Print — offerings like her “Boss Ass B-tch” remix, “Lookin Ass,” “Yasss Bish” with Soulja Boy— suggested rap’s reigning queen would go hard instead of flirting with pop stardom. That’s why it comes as a surprise, then, to hear that the fiery femcee’s first single, “Pills N Potions,” is so sentimental.

Produced by hitmaker Dr. Luke and co-written by “Super Bass” writer Ester Dean, the track finds Minaj singing softly about taking the high road and loving her enemies. She’s not the first emcee to rap about self-serving sycophants, but it sounds just as fresh as her more flamboyant material: “Self-righteous and entitled but they swearin’ on the Bible/ That they love you when really they no different from all your rivals/ Still don’t wish death on ’em / I just reflect on ’em.”