Nicki Minaj Returns With New Song ‘Last Time I Saw You’

Nicki Minaj is back with her second solo single of the year, "Last Time I Saw You." Unlike most of her songs, the Queens native raps over an R&B beat and is more vulnerable with her emotions, unlike her more recent songs.

"Handwritten letter, you pеnned it/Them nights we wish never ended/Those rules that we wish we bended/Heartbreak that we never mended/Those messages we unsended," Nicki raps in the first verse of the song.

She gave fans a one-minute snippet earlier this week which they overwhelmingly responded with excitement to the then-upcoming release.

"Glad you like the lyrics," the rapper replied on X (formerly known as Twitter). "The irony is that my fave part of the whole song is the very end… like the last 30 seconds. can’t wait for you guys to hear the whole thing."

"Last Time I Saw You" gives us a taste of the highly anticipated fifth studio album Pink Friday 2. The album is set to drop in November. She announced back in June that the album's release date had changed.

"Dear Barbz," Nicki began in the caption of the Instagram post addressing her fanbase. "I’ve been trying to find the right time to tell you this for a few days. Due to some really exciting news that I’ll share with you guys @ a later time, I’ve shifted the album date just a tad bit. Trust me, it’ll be WELL WORTH THE WAIT…but since I AM shifting the date just a tad, I’d like to give you guys a tiny SIP of some more album tea so that I don’t have to get cussed out [sad emoji] so…here it goes: [pink bow emoji] MY NEW ALBUM WILL BE RELEASED ON 11.17.23."

While fans will have to wait a little bit longer for the full album, which is a sequel to the rap star's Pink Friday debut, Nicki has released several tracks this year. She teamed up with rising rapper Ice Spice twice on her remix of "Princess Diana," and "Barbie World" for the Barbie film released in July. She also lent her talents on "Money" with Young Thug and the late Juice WRLD, Kim Petra's "Alone," "Poundtown 2" remix with Sexxy Red, "Endless Fashion," with Lil Uzi Vert, and more.

Listen to "Last Time I Saw You" below:

Drake's collaborative albums are a shift in the culture. The first joint project Drake had was with frequent collaborator Future. The two released the mixtape What a Time to Be Alive in 2015. The mixtape spawned songs such as "Jumpman," "Big Rings," "Diamonds Dancing," and more. What a Time to Be Alive debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. The project became both Drake and Future’s second albums to debut at No. 1 on the chart following If You're Reading This It's Too Late and DS2, respectively.

Future and Drake also collaborated on several singles before and after the mixtape was released, including "Way 2 Sexy," "Where Ya At," and their most successful single, "Life Is Good," which is now 11× platinum certified by the RIAA. Their most recent collaboration was for the Atlanta rapper's I NEVER LIKED YOU. Future, Drake, and Tems worked on "WAIT FOR U." The song debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. In addition, the song also won a Grammy for all three of the artists for Best Melodic Rap Performance during the 2022 Grammys.

Most recently, 21 Savage and Drake dropped Her Loss in November 2022. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 200 which marked Drake’s 12th and 21’s third leader. Popular songs from that album are "Spin Bout U," "On BS, "Treacherous Twins," "Rich Flex," "Jumbotron S--- Poppin," "Circo Loco," and "Major Distribution." The two are currently on the It’s All A Blur Tour which kicked off in Chicago in June. The tour will end in Columbus, OH, at the Schottenstein Center in October.

Prior to working together on Her Loss, 21 Savage and Drake collabed on "Knife Talk," "Mr. Right Now" and "Jimmy Cooks" from the Toronto rapper’s Certified Lover Boy which dropped in 2021, and more.

Which artists should Drake collaborate with next? Take a look below at who are some artists who Drizzy would pair well with:

Drake looks to Lil Wayne as a mentor, as the NOLA native was the one to give Drizzy his big break. Lil Wayne signed him to his Young Money Entertainment label in 2009. Drake has also praised Wayne’s lyrical ability on multiple occasions. Earlier this year, Drake dubbed Lil Wayne "the greatest rapper to ever touch a mic" when he brought him out for the Dreamville Festival in April. Lil Wayne and Drake have worked together several times, such as "She Will," "HYFR Hell Yeah F------ Right," "Right Above It," and more.

Nicki Minaj and Drake are former label mates. They both were signed to Lil Wayne’s Young Money Entertainment in the early 2000s. They’ve also been frequent collaborators and have worked on "Only," "Seeing Green," "Moment 4 Life," and more. The later was nominated for a 2012 Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance.

Drake and Rihanna owned the summer of 2016. The two dropped both "Too Good," and "Work" and even prior to that they've collaborated on "Take Care," and "What's My Name?" While the pair might not have worked out as a couple -- much to Drake's chagrin, as he talked about having a crush on her before he was even famous -- they definitely do well in the booth.

Drake and Travis Scott are a good team: every time they do come together they balance out one another. They've worked together on "Fair Trade," "Portland," "Company," "Meltdown," to name a few. One of their best collaborations from "SICKO MODE," which was nominated for Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards. Scott was the only guest feature on Drake's and 21 Savage's Her Loss when he appeared on "P---- & Millions."

When Drake and Rick Ross get in the booth together they bring a rich feeling to whatever track they're on. The two have collabed on "Aston Martin Music," "Lemon Pepper Freestyle," "Money In The Grave," and more. While a collab album between the two would be a dream, Ross told PEOPLE in 2021 it's still not set in stone. "Us doing a collab album is most definitely rumors... It's speculation. But is it like a possible realistic possibility? Of course it is," the Miami rapper said.

Earlier this year, Black Coffee, the producer who worked with Drizzy on Honestly, Nevermind said that Quality Control's co-founder Coach K Lee said that the Atlanta rapper and Drake are working on a project together. (Lil Baby is signed to Quality Control.) "Lil Baby and Drake are making an album," he told Podcast and Chill. The pair have previously worked on "Girls Want Girls" and both of DJ Khaled’s "Wants and Needs," and "Staying Alive."

While Drake and Kanye have seemingly buried the hatchet after their three-year beef, maybe they can collab together on an album to make up for the lack of memorable diss tracks during their time at odds. They've proven that they are better as when they do hit the studio they come up with classics. The pair have previously worked together on "Forever," "Show Me A Good Time," "Find Your Love," and the "All Of The Lights (Remix)."

Drake and J. Cole have the least amount of collabs but they have an amazing chemistry in the booth and respect for one another's art. The pair worked together on "In The Morning" and also Cole released a freestyle to Drake's "Pipe Down" titled "Jodeci Freestyle (feat. J. Cole). Cole recently joined Drake on his Montreal tour stop for the It's All A Blur Tour. He performed "No Role Modelz," "Wet Dreamz" and "Middle Child." Since 21 Savage was absent from the concert he also performed "A Lot," which both artists appear on.

Drake gave Cole his flowers during a 2021 concert, thanking the rapper for what he's done for the culture. "I gotta say this just ’cause, I don’t always wanna have like a heartfelt moment when we’re on stage together," he said. "I just want you to understand something—you are genuinely, without a doubt, one of the greatest rappers to ever touch the mic. It’s way too many people in the world that think and know that J. Cole is at top on the pole position."

Drake and J. Cole also co-headlined the North Carolina rapper's Dreamville Festival where gave Cole him his flowers. "We are f****** wowed, amazed, blown away by your greatness, bro," he said. "It gives me chills to see you do this s*** at the highest level, non-stop and constantly serve us and bless us with the fucking soundtrack to our lives. I am blown away by your greatness. Y’all make some f***ing noise for Drizzy Drake!"