Music
Nicki Minaj on Grammys performance: 'I've never been more comfortable'
Published Monday, Feb 13 2012, 21:13 GMT | By Tom Eames | 41 comments
Nicki Minaj has explained her outlandish Grammys performance last night (February 12).
The 'Super Bass' artist arrived to the awards ceremony in red robes with a man dressed as a bishop. Her performance took on the form of a confessional, with extracts from 'Roman Holiday' and 'I Feel Pretty' from West Side Story.
A pre-recorded video was then played, which featured her alter ego Roman Zolanski being visited by a priest to perform an exorcism on 'him'.
Minaj was then seen on the Los Angeles's Staples Centre stage chained to a slab before the priest appeared.
She conceded that the gig may have seemed strange to those less familiar with her style, but that the show had been a work in progress for years.
"Roman was created two years ago," she told Ryan Seacrest. "Yesterday was just a coming-out party. It was very literal and streamlined if you know who Roman is and if you know what he's all about; if you don't know the Roman character then you have to digest it."
> Adele, Foo Fighters dominate 2012 Grammy Awards
> Jennifer Hudson's Whitney Houston tribute at Grammy Awards: Watch
Minaj added that she felt the performance had been a complete success, and that it was one of the best live shows of her career so far.
"It's the most comfortable I have been on stage in my entire life, because, first of all, the Grammys chose 'Roman Holiday', and I could not play them another record after they heard that," she said.
On the character of Zolanski, she added: "I had this vision for Roman. People around him tell him that he's not good enough because he's not normal and he's not blending in with the average Joe.
"He wanted to show that not only is he amazing, and he's confident but he's never gonna change, he's never gonna be exorcised."
Nicki Minaj lost out to Bon Iver in the 'Best New Artist' category at the awards ceremony.
> Grammy Award winners Foo Fighters: 'Music doesn't have to sound perfect'
> Alicia Keys, Bonnie Raitt sing Etta James tribute at Grammy Awards
> Grammy Awards 2012: The major winners
Watch Nicki Minaj's performance below:
The 'Super Bass' artist arrived to the awards ceremony in red robes with a man dressed as a bishop. Her performance took on the form of a confessional, with extracts from 'Roman Holiday' and 'I Feel Pretty' from West Side Story.
© PA Images
A pre-recorded video was then played, which featured her alter ego Roman Zolanski being visited by a priest to perform an exorcism on 'him'.
Minaj was then seen on the Los Angeles's Staples Centre stage chained to a slab before the priest appeared.
She conceded that the gig may have seemed strange to those less familiar with her style, but that the show had been a work in progress for years.
"Roman was created two years ago," she told Ryan Seacrest. "Yesterday was just a coming-out party. It was very literal and streamlined if you know who Roman is and if you know what he's all about; if you don't know the Roman character then you have to digest it."
> Adele, Foo Fighters dominate 2012 Grammy Awards
> Jennifer Hudson's Whitney Houston tribute at Grammy Awards: Watch
Minaj added that she felt the performance had been a complete success, and that it was one of the best live shows of her career so far.
"It's the most comfortable I have been on stage in my entire life, because, first of all, the Grammys chose 'Roman Holiday', and I could not play them another record after they heard that," she said.
On the character of Zolanski, she added: "I had this vision for Roman. People around him tell him that he's not good enough because he's not normal and he's not blending in with the average Joe.
"He wanted to show that not only is he amazing, and he's confident but he's never gonna change, he's never gonna be exorcised."
Nicki Minaj lost out to Bon Iver in the 'Best New Artist' category at the awards ceremony.
> Grammy Award winners Foo Fighters: 'Music doesn't have to sound perfect'
> Alicia Keys, Bonnie Raitt sing Etta James tribute at Grammy Awards
> Grammy Awards 2012: The major winners
Watch Nicki Minaj's performance below:
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