It’s crazy to think that Nicki Minaj has seemingly graduated to an elder stateswoman of rap. It’s been only a little more than a decade since her breakthrough album, Pink Friday, made her the hot new thing.
Her success and unique style influenced a whole generation of young women, artists who names now populate the charts and soundtrack our social media: Doja Cat, Megan Thee Stallion, Latto, Coi Leray, Saweetie, and Ice Spice, to name just a few.
Returning to the latest installment of ‘What the Kids are Listening To,’ we’re on to #8 on this week’s Billboard Hot 100, ‘Barbie World.’ This collaboration between rappers Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice is the second single from the soundtrack of the blockbuster film Barbie.
‘Barbie World’ features a heavy sample of Danish pop band Aqua’s 1997 hit ‘Barbie Girl,’ and the band is given co-writing and co-performer credit on the song. That means that 26 years after Aqua reached #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 with their song, they’ve reached #7 again with this one. It has since fallen back a spot to #8, so it could be that #7 is the ceiling for this material no matter who is attached.
The latest video from Ariana Grande’s solid album Dangerous Woman features both Nicki Minaj and the world’s sexiest spin class.
Somehow, despite a lot of effort, Grande herself remains relatively unsexy. Maybe that’s due to her hamster-like size, or the lingering memory of her more innocent Nickelodeon days. But she dresses provocatively and surrounds herself with full-grown adult women and gives it her best shot.
In Billboard’s ninth spot is Ed Sheeran with ‘Thinking Out Loud,’ the only ballad in the top ten. Good song.
Rounding out the top ten is David Guetta with ‘Hey Mama,’ featuring Nicki Minaj. This is basically a Nicki Minaj song in the same way ‘Uptown Funk’ is a Bruno Mars song, but the DJs get top billing because the songs appear on their albums. It’s all about the singles these days, anyway.
Wrapping up a rather depressing two weeks of Billboard tracks — how many boring, offensive or boring and offensive songs can be popular at once? — we land at #14 and a new track from Nicki Minaj.
In the 13th spot was Meghan Trainor with ‘Lips Are Movin’,’ which sounds like the freaking Beatles compared to most of this dreck.
I have high hopes for Minaj, though, even if I’m unimpressed with Drake and Lil Wayne, her collaborators on this track. Minaj is always interesting, if nothing else.
Meet Me In Montauk 