Nicki Minaj Performance ("Bang Bang" with Jessie J and Ariana Grande). "The Pinkprint" was officially released on December 15, 2014, and debuted at number two on the US "Billboard" 200, with first week sales of 244,000 overall units (198,000 in pure album sales and 46,000 combined album-equivalent units and streams). Upon release, the album received generally positive reviews from critics. "Billboard" magazine's Niki McGloster called it "her best album to date". Sheldon Pearce of "The A.V. Club" thought that "The Pinkprint" is "the closest Nicki Minaj has ever gotten to balancing her tendencies". Randall Roberts from the "Los Angeles Times" wrote that
Freedom (Nicki Minaj song) of the project was a main focus on Minaj's three-part E! special, "Nicki Minaj: My Truth", which aired in November 2012. On "On Air with Ryan Seacrest", Minaj stated that "I feel like the music is such a better representation of me where I am now as an artist in my career. As long as people can hear the music, I'm good." Musically, "Freedom" is a hip hop and R&B song that follows a similar style to other Minaj songs heard on her debut album, "Pink Friday". The song features street-slang bravado and "venomous" rapping in the verses with thin,