P-Day for Nicki Minaj as eagerly-awaited album Pink Friday hits shelves



Her eagerly-anticipated album Pink Friday is released today - and Nicki Minaj made sure to pull out all the stops to garner some publicity for it.



The 26-year-old rapper stepped out in a garish fluorescent leotard and tights for a trip to the Late Show with David Letterman - and looked more like she was going to a 1980s-themed roller disco than a TV studio.

The star, who performed her single Right Thru Me on the show, is gaining quite a reputation for her unusual dress sense, which has been described as a cross between Lady Gaga and Rihanna.



But no matter how distracting the outfits, they won't be able to deflect attention from her album if it fails to live up to expectations.

Pulling faces: Nicki Minaj poses in her bizarre outfit outside the studios for the Late Show with David Letterman in New York last night



Prior to its official release today, Pink Friday was leaked onto the internet twice, such is the huge interest in it.

But the reaction from reviewers has been mixed.

Ann Powers in the LA Times said: 'Minaj doesn't always succeed on "Pink Friday", and I'm not even sure how thought out her split-personality approach is. But I for one admire her attempts to show range, vocally and emotionally, and to confront how confusing life for young women can be.'

Minaj on the 'Fuse Top 20 Countdown' in New York, showing off the behind that has had her accused of having 'butt implants', left, and pulling that face again



Finishing touches: The 26-year-old rapper has her hair touched up by her stylist

Granny chic: Minaj wraps her head in a scarf to keep out the New York cold



Andy Gill of The Independent (UK) gave it three stars out of five, adding: 'There's nothing on Pink Friday with quite the incendiary impact of her cameo on Kanye West's "Monster", but there's enough to confirm the buzz about Nicki Minaj being the future of female hip-hop.'

And Judy Berman of music blog Flavorwire said: 'After years of contributing jaw-dropping guest verses to other rappers’ songs and releasing some pretty great mixtapes of her own, Nicki Minaj’s debut album is, well, not good.'



Fellow rappers have also been giving their opinions.

Kanye West took to Twitter to praise the album - although he may be biased, as he appears on it.



''From what I've heard of @NickiMinaj 's album I know it's gone be crazy! I've got a couple verses on it too!!!' he said.

That's one way to turn heads: Minaj on a promotional tour earlier this week in the lead up to the release of her new album



Real or fake: The 26-year-old Lil Wayne protege has denied her curvaceous figure has been enhanced with derrière implants



Minaj has been on a non-stop promotional tour for Pink Friday this week.

As well as appearing on the Fuse Top 20 Countdown show in New York, she also turned up at the Wendy Williams talk show.

For Fuse Top 20, she toned her look down a little, wearing a simple leather jacket and PVC leggings.



But she hammed it up again for Wendy Williams, with fluorescent pink tights, a black lace bodysuit and pink bra seemingly inspired by Rihanna's racy wardrobe.

She accessorised the look with black and diamante ladder boots and multi-coloured square bangles.

Surprisingly concerned about keeping out the cold in her skimpy outfit, Minaj wrapped a pink and blue scarf around her neck.

Role model? The quirky rapper has said she's toned down her sexiness as she doesn't want to be a bad influence on her young fans

But it's not just her outfits that have people talking.



She has been at the centre of rumours she has had buttocks implants to increase her substantial rear end.

The protege of rapper Lil Wayne has said she is not concerned by the speculation.

She said: 'People will pick anything to talk about, and that happens to be the thing at the moment. I love being a conversation piece'.

She has recently joined with Black Eyed Peas frontman Will.i.am for the track Check It Out in which Cheryl Cole has a cameo role in the UK version.

Having won a slew of new artist awards this year, Minaj has claimed that she doesn't want to be defined by her sexual image.

'I made a conscious decision to try to tone down the sexiness, I want people - especially young girls - to know that in life, nothing is going to be based on sex appeal. You've got to have something else to go with that'.