Screenshot from Ice Spice and Nicki Minaj’s “Barbie World” video
Ice Spice And Nicki Minaj Release "Barbie World" Single And Video
Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice debuted their highly anticipated single, “Barbie World,” from the Barbie soundtrack at midnight on June 23.
Eager fans first had a glimpse of the collaboration in May when the song was teased at the end of the film’s official trailer. Confirmations from Minaj and Ice Spice came through an Instagram post. Boldly captioned, the duo stated: “It’s BARBIE B!CH. If you still in DOUBT.”
Sampling Aqua’s 1997 pop hit “Barbie Girl,” the video shows the pair confidently donning the Barbie persona as they parade around the city. “And I’m bad like the Barbie. I’m a doll, but I still wanna party,” they spit in the song’s chorus. “Pink ‘Vette like I’m ready to bend. I’m a 10, so I pull in a Ken. Jazzie, Stacie, Nicki; All of the Barbies is pretty. All of the Barbies is bad it-girls, and we ain’t playin’ tag.”
The Minaj and Ice Spice joint effort comes hot on the heels of their previous team-up on the remix of “Princess Diana.” It garnered over 66 million views on YouTube and marked one of the first releases under the former’s new record label imprint, Heavy On It.
On Thursday (June 22), Minaj took to Twitter to clarify some things relating to the song ahead of its release. While fans previously assumed that the two artists were rapping back and forth, she revealed that wasn’t the case. “Once again, y’all hear what y’all want. I said these don’t ‘go together’ [because] they are two different verses. Parts of each verse are incorporated into the trailer,” she wrote.
Once again y’all hear what y’all want. I said these don’t “go together”b/c they r 2 different verses. Parts of each verse are incorporated into the trailer. Hope that makes sense in English terms. It’s kind of the only language I speak fluently 🎀
— Nicki Minaj (@NICKIMINAJ) June 22, 2023
1 version
2 verses
0 back & forth
Hope that makes sense in mathematical terms. I didn’t go to college.— Nicki Minaj (@NICKIMINAJ) June 22, 2023
Hailing from the Bronx, Ice Spice is quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with in Hip Hop. Drake’s support, BET Award nominations, and collaborative tracks with artists like Taylor Swift on “Karma” and PinkPantheress on “Boys a liar, Pt. 2” all signal her meteoric rise. In April, the musician’s debut hit “Munch (Feelin’ U)” became RIAA-certified Gold, followed by “In Ha Mood” in May.