Nicki Minaj + Trey Songz @ Barclaycard Arena, 3rd April 2015
The arrival of tonight’s headliner is imminent. We know this of course, not as a result of any deferential announcement made across the public address system, but rather, as a result of the thunderous shock wave of bass abruptly erupts from the stage, invading every inch of the vast Birmingham venue, shaking the stragglers from the nooks and crannies of the arena, demanding that they hasten to the main room for the main event that is the colossal Nicki Minaj.
The much sought after support slot for this tour is occupied by Trey Songz – one of the many collaborators that Minaj has worked with previously, and in whom, Minaj can rely on to whip the Birmingham audience into a frenzy, whilst in no way infringing upon her matriarchal rule.
Trey Songz delivers a predictable onslaught of sensually charged bundles of R&B. At times, it is difficult to decipher what receives the biggest reaction from the crowd, the opening notes of Songz next number, or the accompanying, and seemingly obligatory removal of yet another item of clothing. ‘Dive In’ and ‘Bottoms Up’ ramp up the audience’s fervent screams, whilst a swathe of mobile phones glisten around the arena, capturing a valued souvenir for each owner. ‘Na Na’ is the pinnacle moment of Songz set. He playfully encourages the audience to emulate his vocal gymnastics, before leaving the stage shirtless, and in no doubt as to his ability for coaxing inhibitions from even the most guarded of us.
The level of Nicki Minaj’s fame is simply gargantuan. All the accoutrements required of any successful artist in the musical landscape of the twenty first century are in place – the millions of ardent followers on social media, the multiple millions of hits on the likes of YouTube, and crucially, the record sales to boot. So it is no surprise then, that at precisely a quarter past nine, Minaj takes the stage, and with that, the hearts and minds of the thousands of fans jostling for the slightest acknowledgement from their idol.
Minaj’s set opens with the first three songs from her new album ‘The Pinkprint’ – ‘All Things Go’, ‘I Lied’ and ‘The Crying Game’. Whilst the songs allude to an openness and sharing of vulnerability, Minaj projects an image seemingly at odds with this sentiment. In these early moments, Minaj maintains a guarded figure, wrapped in a lace veil. This all changes the instant the veil is removed. Minaj flashes the crowd her beaming smile, to which, the screams are simply deafening, and must surely have banished any nerves from the Trinidadian-American phenomenon.
The majority of the set list will vehemently focus upon the new record, with the occasional deviations into Minaj’s back catalogue. Indeed, there is one point in the evening when Minaj delights in teasing the crowd with snippets of her past – her 2010 collaboration with Jamaican reggae singer Gyptian on the song ‘Hold Yuh’. As the crowd sing-a-long to every word of this lesser known venture, Minaj is clearly impressed, and moved to swipe a video camera from a stagehand and video the moment from her perspective.
This level of fandom is not only measured by the crowd’s knowledge of the past, Minaj tests the audience on their ability to have grasped every nuance of her new material, most notable during the performance of ‘Lookin Ass’ – “Let’s see if Birmingham knows this”.
The transition between songs is sometimes instant and an impressive feat when you consider that in addition to Minaj, there are also the seamless changes by the dancers, the lighting technicians and essentially, the musicians to be considered. The terrain covered by Minaj during the evening also includes monster hits like ‘Anaconda’, ‘Moment 4 Life’, ‘Did It On Em’ and even a brief snippet of Beyonce’s ‘Flawless’.
After a brief departure, Minaj returns to the stage following a costume change and takes her position next to the grand piano that now occupies the stage. During this portion of the night, Minaj demonstrates that in addition to her unfathomable rapping ability – most notably on ‘Want Some More’ – she is more than capable of navigating a heartfelt ballad successfully. ‘Pills N Potions’, ‘Save Me’ and ‘Marilyn Monroe’ are sublimely delivered, before Minaj ascends through the stage floor once more, returning with a truly “once in a lifetime” moment for several of her fans.
It is common knowledge that on this current tour, Minaj will regularly choose several audience members to assist her on ‘Whip It’. Tonight, opportunity knocks for Tyler from Telford, with whom, Minaj delights in interrogating, in her impressive take on the English accent.
After one final costume change, Minaj ascends through the stage floor once more to perform a rousing version of ‘The Night Is Still Young’ and ‘Starships’. Nicki Minaj has clearly enjoyed herself tonight, and will no doubt make another visit to the city in the future, any doubt of this banished as Minaj declares “You’re perfect Birmingham. Do you believe me?” “I’m in love with Birmingham!”.
Review: Chris Curtis
Photographs: Grizz Lee Arts