Nicki Minaj's first Milwaukee headlining concert ever was more than worth the 13-year wait

The Milwaukee Barbz who sold out Fiserv Forum had waited 13 years for this night — so, in the grand scheme of things, they could wait 53 minutes more.

For the first time in her illustrious career, Nicki Minaj headlined a Milwaukee concert Saturday. The show, part of her "Pink Friday 2" tour, came 13 years after her lone performance in the city, opening for Britney Spears at Summerfest.

She was supposed to take the stage at the Milwaukee Bucks arena at 9 p.m., an hour after longtime friend DJ Boof's set. But he didn't take the stage himself until 9 p.m., and the lights didn't go dark for Minaj's set until 9:53 p.m.

But every Barb (for the uninitiated, the nickname for Minaj fans) in attendance probably would tell you her tardiness wasn't frustrating, it was fashionable.

This was, in terms of sheer numbers, the most elaborately dolled up concert audience this town has seen since Lady Gaga more than a decade ago. Barbie Dreamhouse pink dominated shirts, dresses, makeup, cowboy hats, fur jackets and more. There was probably nothing that could have crushed the spirit of an explosive crowd Boof accurately called "ratchet" early in his set.

But when Minaj did finally ascend to the top of a dramatic, video wall-dominating, three-tier stage, she gave her patient Milwaukee fans the electrifying spectacle they've long deserved — and cemented her reign as the Queen of Rap.

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And she did it instantly with "I'm The Best," the first of 30 songs she touched on during her hour-and-46-minute set Saturday. Wearing a metallic, armor-like top with tassels over her shoulders, her waist wrapped in a lush white fabric, Minaj delivered her commanding, chest-puffing lines with minimal physical inertia — akin to Darth Vader vanquishing an underling with just the slight squeeze of his hand — her body jerking and popping ever so subtly, as if she were a cyborg come to life.

It was a fitting image for an artist who frequently seemed so flawless. She didn't break a sweat for "I'm the Best"; she didn't break a sweat at all Saturday.

It didn't happen during a sensual solo routine for "Feeling Myself," sequin-studded mic and stand in hand, that featured her delivering a knockout verse amid the writhing and hair-flipping. It didn't happen whenever she briefly locked in with her eight dancers, most memorably for "Pink Friday 2" track "Cowgirl" that fits right in with Beyoncé's current "Cowboy Carter" pop-culture dominance.

Minaj's eight dancers delivered some of the most demanding choreography staged in a Milwaukee arena in recent years, but the eye-popping spectacle didn't stop there. The animation on the towering video screens of "Blade Runner" gone anime cityscapes, serene surreal waters and cotton-candy-pink clouds were an extension of Minaj's fan-conjured, AI-generated digital utopia "Gag City." The prerecorded songs were enhanced by live drums and keys, and a knockout backing vocalist who made spare but striking appearances beginning with "Right Thru Me" 21 songs into the set.

And there were Minaj's outfits, which served as vibrant extensions of her personality — or more accurately, personalities.

There was a '50s-style pink power suit for "Barbie World" from the "Barbie" soundtrack, with Minaj matching the aesthetic with doll-like movements, wide-eyed childlike exuberance and chirpy calls of "Hi Barbie" a la the Greta Gerwig blockbuster. For the cutthroat "Chun Li," she sported a boxer's robe, then did a quick-change moments later into an ornate green kimono for "Red Ruby Da Sleeze."

And there was a stunning pink Versace gown that Minaj sported for a rare string of vulnerable songs that looked like it came straight from the Met gala, and a series of wigs — including one with that gown that made Minaj look like a Stepford Wife, one flowing two-toned hairpiece with bright pink on one side and red on the other — that were every bit as memorable.

All of these vivid touchpoints suited Minaj, who accurately and vividly proclaimed during "Feeling Myself" Saturday that she not only had punchlines and flow, but an empire. And at the core of that empire is a trendsetting artist — an undeniably polarizing artist, with her share of controversies — who nevertheless changed music as we know it, who's achieved a long-lasting legacy, who created a safe place for women, for the LGBTQ community, who may not have always felt welcome at the testosterone-heavy hip-hop party.

All of that was clear at Fiserv Forum Saturday — as was the talent that made it all possible. From her breakout verse on Kanye West's "Monster" to her delivery on "Pink Friday 2" standout "Red Ruby Da Sleeze," Minaj Saturday demonstrated a versatility of voices perhaps only rivaled by Kendrick Lamar, switching up her flow and tones so swiftly, seamlessly and brilliantly it was almost like Minaj was in a rap battle with herself. While she carved out some space for the Barbz to belt along throughout the set, but not once did Minaj phone it in — and the Queen of Rap demonstrated during "Save Me" that she also has a surprisingly stirring live singing voice.

It all culminated with Minaj, her hair down and in her most casual look with torn jeans and white top, leading her fans through an explosive, exuberant run-through of her biggest hits — her first Billboard Hot 100 chart-topper "Super Freaky Girl," the Sir Mix-a-Lot-sampling "Anaconda," "Pink Friday" smashes "Super Bass," "Moment 4 Life" and "Starships" — with the pyro and animations and dancers all working overtime.

But it was Minaj's passion and personality that shined brightest of all.

And just a few minutes after leaving the stage Saturday, Minaj, among our most social-media-savvy superstars (and a key reason the Barbz are among pop music's most devoted fanbases), hopped on X to share her feelings about this night.

"#GagCityMilwaukee you just left a LASTING IMPRESSION ON ME," she posted. "Thank you SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO very much. Wow."

Safe to say that, for the Milwaukee Barbz, the feeling was mutual. And here's hoping Minaj will give Milwaukee another chance to make another lasting impression.

3 takeaways from Nicki Minaj's Milwaukee concert, including special guest Monica

• If I had one quibble with Minaj's Milwaukee show (besides the late start), I have to admit the video interludes, longer than usual, sapped some momentum. That said, if they had to be as long as they were to give Minaj enough time to change into her dynamic looks, then they were justified.

• Minaj didn't say much to the crowd between songs for much of the show — and, unlike Drake at his long-delayed Milwaukee debut last year, she didn't seem to recognize the significance of this tour stop. But she did offer some pearls of wisdom later in the set. Among them: "Don't waste another minute of your life worrying about people that ain't worrying about you."

• Monica was on the bill for Minaj's Milwaukee concert — but she wasn't the opener. Instead, similar to what Drake did with his guest 21 Savage last year, the R&B veteran showed up deep in the night for a 16-minute set to belt out "U Should've Known Better" and "So Gone." Given the slower Minaj songs that preceded it, Monica's appearance wasn't so jarring. And while the Barbz didn't really need any warming up Saturday, it was a gracious gesture to let Monica take the stage while the crowd was already roaring instead of at the start.

Nicki Minaj's Fiserv Forum setlist

1. “I’m the Best”

2. ”Barbie Dangerous”

3. ”FTCU”

4. ”Beep Beep”

5. ”Hard White”

6. ”Press Play”

7. ”We Go Up”

8. ”Big Difference”

9. ”Pink Birthday”

10. ”Feeling Myself”

11. ”Favorite”

12. ”Cowgirl”

13. ”High School”

14. ”Needle”

15. ”Chun-Li”

16. ”Red Ruby Da Sleaze”

17. ”Barbie World”

18. ”Roman’s Revenge”

19. ”Monster”

20. ”Fallin 4 U”

21. ”Right Thru Me”

22. ”Save Me”

23. ”Let Me Calm Down”

24. ”Super Freaky Girl (Queen Mix)”

25. ”Anaconda”

26. ”Super Bass”

27. ”The Night Is Still Young”

28. “Moment 4 Life”

29. ”Starships”

30. ”Everybody”

Contact Piet at (414) 223-5162 or plevy@journalsentinel.com. Follow him on X at @pietlevy or Facebook at facebook.com/PietLevyMJS.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Nicki Minaj's first Milwaukee headlining show more than worth the wait