“Last Time I Saw You” by Nicki Minaj
As of this writing Nicki Minaj, with the backing of Republic Records and Young Money, is gearing up for the release of “Pink Friday 2”, the sequel to her debut LP “Pink Friday” (2010). “Pink Friday” remains the most-successful project in her discography and her fifth studio album overall.
“Last Time I Saw You”, which was released on 1 September 2023, is one of the singles from “Pink Friday 2”.
This song, which Minaj first teased the month prior to its issuance, was written by the rapper in conjunction with its producers, who are in the persons of:
- Frankie Bash
- Bak
- TooDope
- ATL Jacob
- Hendrix Smoke
The Lyrics of “Last Time I Saw You”
This is an unconventional Nicki Minaj outing, in that it doesn’t really feature the Queen of Rap engaging in any braggadocio per se. Yes, the primary subject may, as usual, be the vocalist herself. However, it isn’t as if Nicki is once again boasting about her success and formidability.
To the contrary, she comes off as being quite vulnerable on this track, lamenting over the absence of a loved one. Or more specifically, as expressed in the chorus, the vocalist wishes she had shown the addressee more affection when the time was ripe. When the time was ripe would be when said individual was still around.
The lyrics firmly imply that this is not a song of bereavement, i.e. one in which the departed party is deceased. Instead, as noted in the bridge, Nicki feels as if she “pushed” the addressee “away”.
Indeed, one of the most interesting things about this song is that it does, to some degree, sport a genuine sense of general applicability. But all lyrics considered, the logical conclusion would be that the addressee is a romantic interest.
So ultimately, “Last Time I Saw You” can safely be considered a song of romantic heartbreak. And whereas the lyrics imply that both parties involved had commitment issues, ultimately it appears as if Nicki is putting the onus of the blame on herself for things falling apart.
