The album features guest vocals from Eminem, Rihanna, Drake, will.i.am, Kanye West, and Natasha Bedingfield.

Pink Friday received generally positive reviews, with some critics ambivalent on Minaj's exploration of R&B and pop.

[3][4] Minaj also confirmed to Entertainment Weekly that the Black Eyed Peas member and record producer will.i.am contributed production to the album.

[8] Minaj responded by saying that the song "was sent to Mariah Carey and Keyshia Cole over a year ago", but did not "make it on Pink Friday, due to clearance issues".

[22] Straying away from the standard rap song construction of three verses and a hook, Nicki performs a brain-dump of sorts on the track, spitting as if she's making a speech to both her fans and detractors.

[12] "Super Bass" utilizes electronic music and bubblegum pop in its composition, while Minaj raps over a hip hop beat,[24][25][26] Minaj explained the song's concept, stating: "'Super Bass' is about the boy that you are crushing over, [...] And you kind of want to get your mack on, but you're taking the playful approach.

Initially, the song had never been planned for release, but due to abounding airplay it was mastered and used as the follow-up to "Massive Attack".

[citation needed] "Super Bass" was released as the album's fifth single and officially impacted radio on April 5, 2011.

In its seventh week on the Billboard Hot 100, the song had peaked at number 3, making it Minaj's first top ten placement as a lead artist.

[41] Minaj's official website and related social networking outlets later announced that the digital download version of the album would be available for pre-order through iTunes on October 30, less than a month before the release date of the physical edition.

On August 3, 2010, Minaj went on Ustream to call fans who emailed her their phone numbers and to reveal the album's title.

Minaj announced via the social networking site Twitter that she would kick off a five-date promotional tour a month before the album dropped.

[68] Marc Hogan of Spin said it succeeded more as "a budding artist's love letter to pop – well-wrought and exuberantly penned",[62] while Pitchfork critic Scott Plagenhoef believed "even when she's aiming down the middle of the road, she's at least better than almost anyone else", while citing the hip-hop bonus tracks "Blow Ya Mind" and "Muny" as among the album's best.

"[60] AllMusic's David Jeffries wrote that the album "both dazzles and disappoints", stating "Feed off the production, the great musical ideas, and Minaj's keen sense of her surroundings, and Pink Friday is an outstanding success".

[56] Allison Stewart of The Washington Post wrote that the album "nibbles at the edges of what female rappers are allowed to do, even as it provides a steady helping of pop hits".

[69] Robert Christgau from MSN Music called Minaj "the quick-lipped hoyden of the year" who is "proud to be shameless, with the hooks to back it up",[59] and later named Pink Friday the 12th best album of 2010.

Andy Gill of The Independent felt that "Right Thru Me" is the only track that exhibits "adequate use of [Minaj's] R&B vocal skills" among an album of unoriginal "rap braggadocio".

[58] Slant Magazine's Jesse Cataldo praised Minaj's versatility on tracks like "Roman's Revenge", but was disappointed with the collaborative "Moment 4 Life", noting she could have shown more confidence by acting as a foil for Drake, but didn't.

[72] Rich Juzwiak of The Village Voice criticized the album's "R&B crossover" material and found it lyrically "underwhelming".

[84] Internationally, Pink Friday peaked at number eight in Canada, and within the top twenty in Australia, Ireland and the United Kingdom.

[89] According to DeMicia Inman of Nylon, Pink Friday's commercial success "propelled [Minaj] into worldwide fame, which comes with more weight and responsibility than handing out mixtapes and street DVDs in club parking lots" and also "expanded the constraints that previously contained women to battle it out for a metaphorical throne".

[90] Dayna Haffenden of Complex wrote that "throughout the 13-song tracklist, she proved her pen game was not to be questioned, while showcasing her vulnerability and chameleonic abilities".

[92] Billboard credited Pink Friday with helping Minaj reintroduce female rap into the mainstream in the United States.

[93] Writing in 2021, Ellish Gilligan of Junkee wrote that "the influence of Pink Friday in pop, rap and even hyperpop in undeniable" and added that it is still inspiring albums like Doja Cat's Planet Her (2021).