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Needle (song)

For The Screaming Jets song, see All for One (The Screaming Jets album). For the Born Ruffians song, see Birthmarks (Born Ruffians album).
"Needle"
Song by Nicki Minaj featuring Drake
from the album Pink Friday 2
ReleasedDecember 8, 2023
Recorded2022
Genre
Length3:55
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)

"Needle" is a song by Trinidadian rapper Nicki Minaj featuring Canadian rapper Drake from the former's fifth studio album Pink Friday 2 (2023). It was produced by Boi-1da and YogiTheProducer.

Background

During a guest appearance on Kai Cenat's Twitch stream, Nicki Minaj revealed the song was originally intended for Drake's album For All the Dogs. She said:

And right when I got it the first time, I was like, "I hope something happens and it ends up being on my album, 'cause I like it. Then at the end, Drake, when he was about to turn in For All the Dogs, he sent me two songs. Anyway, to make a long story short, that same day he also told me, "Hey, I'm not using it for the album 'cause it doesn't fit the sonic vibe. Do you want it?" And I was like, "Fuck yes!"[3]

Composition

The song opens with a sampled voicemail from American singer SZA.[4][5] In regard to style, "Needle" is inspired by dancehall[5] and Afrobeats,[6] and has also been described as "tropical house bop"[2] and "bumpy, island-tinged R&B".[1] Through sing-rapping vocals, Drake performs the first verse and chorus, in which he sings: "Pull up the Maybach and bend your leg back / Let's engage that, don't delay that / You're like a needle, life's a haystack / Friends they can leave us, you could stay back".[4] The track also makes lyrical reference to Icelandic singer-songwriter Björk. [7]

Critical reception

Alexander Cole of HotNewHipHop wrote, "This song has some nice wavy production, with Drake kicking off the song with some song vocals. Nicki Minaj matches this energy and provides some solid vocals of her own. The chemistry between these two artists is still there, and you can't help but love hearing them together again."[8] With respect to Minaj's performance, Julianne Escobedo Shepherd of Pitchfork commented that "Flashes of her notorious humor emerge" in the song.[9] Jon Caramanica of The New York Times regarded the artists' collaboration as "surprisingly listless".[10] Nick Malone of PopMatters described the song as "an obvious leftover from Drake's For All the Dogs, defined by his signature anesthetized mumble-singing and an uninspired Nicki verse that cries out for the lightweight fun of 'Only' or 'Truffle Butter'."[11]

Charts

Chart performance for "Needle"
Chart (2023–2024) Peak
position
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[12] 32
Global 200 (Billboard)[13] 43
New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)[14] 6
Nigeria (TurnTable Top 100)[15] 67
Sweden Heatseeker (Sverigetopplistan)[16] 1
UK Singles (OCC)[17] 58
UK Hip Hop/R&B (OCC)[18] 11
US Billboard Hot 100[19] 34
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[20] 7
US Rhythmic (Billboard)[21] 35

References

  1. ^ a b Thomas, Fred (December 18, 2023). "Pink Friday 2 Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
  2. ^ a b Smith, Nadine (December 8, 2023). "Nicki Minaj review, Pink Friday 2': Queen of rap rests on her laurels instead of proving why she still deserves the crown". The Independent. Archived from the original on December 9, 2023. Retrieved December 9, 2023.
  3. ^ Walker, Joe (December 14, 2023). "Nicki Minaj & Drake's 'Pink Friday 2' Collab Was Originally Meant For 'For All The Dogs'". HipHopDX. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
  4. ^ a b Rossignol, Derrick (December 8, 2023). "After Their Missing 'For All The Dogs' Collab, Nicki Minaj And Drake Reunite On 'Needle,' Which Also Features A SZA Cameo". Uproxx. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
  5. ^ a b Levine, Nick (December 8, 2023). "Nicki Minaj – Pink Friday 2 review: blockbuster sequel lives up to the hype". NME. Archived from the original on December 8, 2023. Retrieved December 8, 2023.
  6. ^ Diep, Eric (December 12, 2023). "Nicki Minaj Caps Off Her Comeback Year With Style & Swag On 'Pink Friday 2'". HipHopDX. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
  7. ^ "Nicki Minaj (Ft. Drake) – Needle".
  8. ^ Cole, Alexander (December 8, 2023). "Nicki Minaj Recruits Drake For Vibey New Track "Needle"". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
  9. ^ Shepherd, Julianna Escobedo (December 11, 2023). "Nicki Minaj: Pink Friday 2 Album Review". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on December 11, 2023. Retrieved December 21, 2023.
  10. ^ Caramanica, Jon (December 11, 2023). "Nicki Minaj, a Role Model for Herself, and Others". The New York Times. Retrieved 20 December 2023.
  11. ^ Malone, Nick (December 12, 2023). "Nicki Minaj Reigns on 'Pink Friday 2'". PopMatters. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
  12. ^ "Nicki Minaj Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved December 22, 2023.
  13. ^ "Nicki Minaj Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved December 22, 2023.
  14. ^ "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. December 18, 2023. Retrieved December 22, 2023.
  15. ^ "TurnTable Nigeria Top 100: December 29th, 2023 - January 4th, 2024". TurnTable. Archived from the original on 9 January 2024. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
  16. ^ "Veckolista Heatseeker, vecka 50". Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
  17. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved December 22, 2023.
  18. ^ "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved December 22, 2023.
  19. ^ "Nicki Minaj Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved December 22, 2023.
  20. ^ "Nicki Minaj Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved December 22, 2023.
  21. ^ "Nicki Minaj Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
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