It's been four years since Nicki Minaj released The Pinkprint, and while her upcoming project has been in the works for a while, fans have more-or-less been left in the dark. And while Minaj has dropped the occasional single or guest appearance to keep us satiated, she generally managed to keep her name in the headlines through her frequent use of social media; in fact, the Barbz are among the most loyal and fervent fanbases in all of music. Therefore, it's no surprise that Minaj devotees were quick to notice that their queen has been absent from social media for over a month, with her last post occurring on December 30th.
The absence have left the Barbz in shambles, and plenty of fans have taken to their own accounts to voice concern over Minaj's absence. Some more web-savvy users have even made a website called "Finding Nicki" - the countdown currently reveals that Nicki has been missing for 38 days, twenty-two hours, and fifty minutes. And while it's clear that nothing serious has befallen the hip-hop icon, the absence is a little out-of-character. Perhaps Nicki is simply tired of social media, and opted to take a break from the internet. Perhaps she decided to buckle down and finish up her album without distractions.
It wouldn't be the first time an artist has done a "social media cleanse" as a means of promoting a project; perhaps this is simply the extreme version. Perhaps she's simply looking to return with a vengeance, using her triumphant return as a means of announcing some album related news.
