Album: Nicki Minaj, Pink Friday Roman Reloaded (Island)

The early American reaction to Nicki Minaj's follow-up to Pink Friday has been "mixed" – which is entirely appropriate, given that the album itself has an almost schizophrenic character.

The first half finds her in hardcore hip-hop mode, swapping filthy single-entendres with Lil Wayne. Then, halfway through, as guest rappers stop littering the proceedings, the album does a 90-degree shift and becomes a banging club affair, stuffed with David Guetta-style synth-stompers. Most impressive examples of each style are the anthemic "Champion", featuring she, Nas, Drake and Young Jeezy, and "Marilyn Monroe", on which she claims tortured emotional sisterhood with the late star. The weirdest track is opener "Roman Holiday", for which she adopts a mockney delivery to express the pressure felt by her alter-ego Roman Zolanski (don't ask).

DOWNLOAD THIS Marilyn Monroe; Champion; Starships; Young Forever