"Barbie World" | ||||
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Single by Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice with Aqua | ||||
from the album Barbie the Album | ||||
Released | June 23, 2023 | |||
Recorded | February–April 2023 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 1:49 | |||
Label | ||||
Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) | RiotUSA | |||
Nicki Minaj singles chronology | ||||
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Ice Spice singles chronology | ||||
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Aqua singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Barbie World" on YouTube |
"Barbie World" is a song by Trinidadian rapper Nicki Minaj and American rapper Ice Spice from Barbie the Album ,the soundtrack of the film Barbie (2023). It was released by Atlantic Records,10K Projects,and Capitol Records as the soundtrack's third single on June 23,2023. Produced by RiotUSA,the song heavily samples the 1997 single "Barbie Girl" by Danish Europop band Aqua,who are credited as performers and co-writers in the song.
"Barbie World" debuted at number seven on the US Billboard Hot 100,becoming Minaj's 23rd,Ice Spice's fourth,and Aqua's second top-10 chart entry. It also charted in the top 10 in Australia,Austria,Canada,Denmark,Germany,Luxembourg,Ireland,New Zealand,Norway,Poland,South Africa,Sweden,Switzerland and the United Kingdom. The song was nominated for Best Song Written for Visual Media and Best Rap Song at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards;and subsequently won the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Music Collaboration during the 2024 ceremony.
In 1997,Danish-Norwegian band Aqua released "Barbie Girl",a song about two fashion dolls manufactured by Mattel named Barbie and Ken. [2] The song was a massive success,thrusting the band into worldwide fame. [3] [4] Per Stephen Thomas Erlewine,"Barbie Girl" was an "inexplicable pop culture phenomenon", [5] and Bree Player of Marie Claire Australia wrote it helped solidify the Barbie doll as a cultural icon. [6] However,Mattel reacted negatively to "Barbie Girl" and sued Aqua's US label,MCA Records,claiming the band violated their trademark and the lyrics' sexually suggestive nature stained the company's reputation as a child-friendly brand. [7]
Since the beginning of her career,rapper Nicki Minaj has made the Barbie doll a significant part of her public persona. [8] [9] [10] A widely known aspect of her artistry is her use of alter egos, [11] [12] one of whom is named Harajuku Barbie. Through this alter ego,Minaj showcases her feminine,fashion-savvy side [13] with wigs,makeup,and nails that are bright and vibrant in color. [14] Her Barbie image extends to her fanbase's name,the "Barbz",derived from Harajuku Barbie's name. [15] Mattel has interacted with Minaj once:the two worked on a custom-made Harajuku Barbie-inspired doll auctioned for a charity for people affected with HIV/AIDS. [16]
Making a live-action Barbie film had been an endeavor Mattel sought to pursue for over 10 years,with many failed tries. [17] In another attempt,the company struck a partnership with Warner Bros. Pictures by early 2019 to create a film that would star actress Margot Robbie. [18] [19] Production began in March 2022; [20] initial discussions for the soundtrack followed four months later. Barbie the Album ,executive produced by Mark Ronson,was to encompass several stylings of contemporary pop music,from dance and K-pop to drill and Reggaeton. [21] Moises Mendez II of Time described many of the songs as "tongue-in-cheek girl power pop". [22]
There are 16 songs on the soundtrack,and the third is named "Barbie World". [23] It samples Aqua's "Barbie Girl",looping the chorus's vocals from the band's lead singer,Lene Nystrøm. [24] [25] Making the song began with figuring out how to integrate the sample,so Ronson turned to producer RiotUSA to create a beat around it, [24] though the plan was not in the script the film's director,Greta Gerwig,had. [26] Initially,in 2022,Nystrøm's manager stated "Barbie Girl" would not be used on the film,to an indignant reaction from fans. Variety speculated bad relations between Mattel and MCA Records were the cause. [27] Nevertheless,the team behind the soundtrack,including Robbie,were passionate for it to be included in some way. [26] [28] They were faced with a dilemma:whether to include "Barbie Girl" on the soundtrack directly,or to instead reimagine it. [29] When asked why they chose the second,Ronson said:"I don't know,you'd have to ask Greta. But everything about this film is trying to be a reinvention or an evolution of what we think Barbie is,so maybe [the sampling] was a way of doing that." [30]
Minaj is one of the 19 musicians that appear on Barbie the Album and one of the performers on "Barbie World". Mark Ronson's goal from the start of curating the soundtrack,was to include Minaj. [31] Ronson,alongside Gerwig,deemed Minaj an "obvious choice" for artists to include in their "dream list" of potential collaborators due to her long-time association with the Barbie brand. [22] [32] He also alluded to her fanbase's "Barbz" name as further solidifying their choice. [21] [30] In an interview with Music Week ,Ronson remarked,"there's no way we can have a Barbie soundtrack without Nicki Minaj—the person who's literally kept the term 'Barbie' alive in music and pop culture for 15 years." [33] At first,Minaj was reluctant to make a song for the team,rejecting several demos from the team. [34] As she revealed in a red carpet interview,people have sent her samples of "Barbie Girl" on which they wanted her to rap for years,but she never liked any of them. [35] She said every sample made her feel uncomfortable or gimmicky. [1] [36]
Ronson and his team invited another rapper,Ice Spice,to contribute to "Barbie World". They had been eyeing her since she rose to fame with the single "Munch (Feelin' U)" in August 2022,considering her status as the "most exciting new thing in music" something that would prove useful for the soundtrack. [22] RiotUSA,her long-time collaborator,connected her to Ronson after working on the sample. [24] The three were slated to,on one evening,meet at a studio at 9 pm,so Ronson can show Ice Spice a 20-minute snippet of the film and she can send her verses. The viewings,according to Ronson,would help artists match the tone and theme of their lyrics to the scenes assigned to them. [31] There was a conflict in schedule between him and other two:Ronson waited until around 11 pm for updates from them,to no response. [22] [34] He prepared for bed only to get a message shortly afterward,biking to the studio and meeting them by midnight. [26] [31] Whereas Ronson failed to convince Minaj to work on "Barbie World",he succeeded in doing so with Ice Spice,due to the two rappers' amicable work relationship. [22] [24]
The final result is a fusion of hip hop and pop with elements of drill and Jersey club. [1] It combines syncopated percussion with loud bass drums, [25] with uncredited contributions from Ronson,who played keys. [30] In the words of Melissa Ruggieri of USA Today ,a "slithering beat that weaves in and out of its bass-heavy pulse" makes up the production. [37] The use of drums,apart from how "Barbie World" did not sound like a gimmick to Minaj,is another thing she cited as to why she was drawn to the song. She said:"I just wanted it to have a dope drum,and so the one that they sent me,I loved!" [38] The song begins with back-and-forth rapping between Ice Spice ("And I'm bad like the Barbie") and Minaj ("I'm a doll but I still wanna party"). The two namedrop Jazzie,Stacie,and Nikki,three dolls who are Barbie's cousin,sister,and friend,respectively. The Nikki namedrop doubly acts as a reference to Minaj. Afterwards,Minaj raps,"all of the Barbies is bad". [39] One of the lyrics,teased at the end of the film's trailer,reads "it's Barbie,bitch,if you still in doubt". [40] As observed by Natalee Gilbert of XXL,Minaj came up with "it's Barbie,bitch" as a way to say goodbye to people,influenced by her alter ego,Harajuku Barbie. [41] Due to the sample,Aqua received performing and writing credits on the song. [42] [43]
In April 2022,it was announced that the live-action Barbie film would be released on July 21,2023. [44] In May 2023,a second trailer for the film was released,which featured a snippet of a new song with vocals from Minaj. Media speculated the composition to be a remix of "Barbie Girl". [45] [46] On May 25, Barbie the Album ,the soundtrack to the film,was announced. [47] Minaj and fellow rapper Ice Spice were revealed among multiple artists to be performing new original material on the record. [47] Following the tracklist release,it was confirmed that the new song was a collaboration between Minaj and Ice Spice,titled "Barbie World". [48]
On June 10,both rappers announced the song's release date as June 23,2023,marking the third single from the film's soundtrack. [49] Minaj previewed "Barbie World" twice on her social media,on June 12 and 22. [50] [51] It marks the second collaboration between Minaj,Ice Spice,and producer RiotUSA,following the remix of "Princess Diana" (2023). [1]
Year | Organization | Award | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2023 | MTV Video Music Awards | Song of Summer | Nominated | [52] |
2024 | BET Awards | Video of the Year | Nominated | [53] |
Best Collaboration | Nominated | |||
BMI Pop Awards 2024 | Most-Performed Song of the Year | Won | [54] | |
Grammy Awards | Best Rap Song | Nominated | [55] | |
Best Song Written for Visual Media | Nominated | |||
People's Choice Awards | The Collaboration of 2024 | Won | [56] | |
iHeartRadio Music Awards | Best Collaboration | Nominated | [57] | |
ASCAP Pop | Most Performed Pop Songs | Won | [58] | |
Kids' Choice Awards | Favorite Music Collaboration | Won | [59] |
Upon Killer Mike being announced as the winner of the Best Rap Song category for his song "Scientists &Engineers" at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards;the Recording Academy Twitter account had accidentally tweeted that “Barbie World”had won the category. [60]
In the United States,"Barbie World" debuted at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100 with 16.2 million streams,37,000 digital downloads sold,and 4.7 million airplay audience—matching the peak of "Barbie Girl". With this,Minaj extended her record for the most top-ten entries by a female rapper (23),she also broke her tie with Eminem and Jay-Z to become the rapper with the third most top ten entries only behind Lil Wayne (25) and Drake (68). [61] [62] She also tied Whitney Houston as the woman with the sixth-most top-tens on the chart. The song also became Ice Spice's fourth and Aqua's second top-ten. As Aqua's second top-ten,it marked the sixth-longest gap between two top-10s in the chart's history,with a span of almost 26 years. It additionally marked the second-longest gap among groups and the longest since Nat King Cole's "The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas to You)" in 2022 (59 years,6 months). [63] The song also debuted atop the Digital Songs chart,becoming Minaj's sixteenth,Ice Spice's second,and Aqua's first number-one. [63] In Canada,the song peaked at number seven on the Canadian Hot 100 in its fifth week. [64] It additionally charted at number 11 on the Canadian Digital Songs chart. [65]
Across Europe,"Barbie World" achieved commercial success. In Ireland,the song debuted at number 28 on the Irish Singles Chart on the weekly issue ending June 30,2023,and leaped 15 spots to a new peak of number six during its fifth week on the chart. [66] Similarly,it charted at number 25 in its opening week in the United Kingdom. It eventually leaped to number five on its fifth week on the chart,ascending 15 spots and reached a new peak of number four the following week. [67] It became Ice Spice's first credited top-five hit,Aqua's sixth and Minaj's fifteenth. [68]
"Barbie World" peaked at number three in Australia and New Zealand. [69] [70] It became Spice's second top-five hit in both countries and Minaj's first top-five hit in both countries since "Super Freaky Girl" topped the charts of both countries in 2022.
The music video for "Barbie World" was released to YouTube alongside the song. Hannah Lux Davis directed the visual,which stars Minaj and Ice Spice in Barbie-like attires in a fictitious Barbie Dreamhouse. [71]
All credits are adapted from CD liner notes of Barbie the Album . [73]
Weekly charts | Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA) [125] | Platinum | 70,000‡ |
Canada (Music Canada) [126] | Platinum | 80,000‡ |
Denmark (IFPI Danmark) [127] | Gold | 45,000‡ |
France (SNEP) [128] | Gold | 100,000‡ |
Italy (FIMI) [129] | Gold | 50,000‡ |
New Zealand (RMNZ) [130] | Platinum | 30,000‡ |
Poland (ZPAV) [131] | Gold | 25,000‡ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [132] | Gold | 400,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
Region | Date | Format(s) | Version | Label(s) | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Various | June 23, 2023 | Single | [133] | ||
June 26, 2023 | Versions EP | [72] | |||
United States | June 27, 2023 | Contemporary hit radio | Single |
| [134] |
Rhythmic contemporary radio | [135] [136] | ||||
Aqua is a Danish-Norwegian Europop band, best known for their 1997 single "Barbie Girl". The group formed in 1995 in Copenhagen and achieved international success around the globe in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The band released three albums: Aquarium in 1997, Aquarius in 2000 and Megalomania in 2011. The group sold an estimated 33 million albums and singles, making them the most profitable Danish band ever.
"Barbie Girl" is a song by Danish-Norwegian dance-pop group Aqua. It was released in April 1997 by Universal and MCA as the third single from the group's debut studio album, Aquarium (1997). The song was written by band members Søren Rasted, Claus Norreen, René Dif, and Lene Nystrøm, and was produced by the former two alongside Johnny Jam and Delgado. It was written after Rasted saw an exhibit on kitsch culture in Denmark that featured Barbie dolls. The accompanying music video was directed by Danish directors Peder Pedersen and Peter Stenbæk.
Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty, known professionally as Nicki Minaj, is a Trinidadian rapper, singer, and songwriter. Regarded as the "Queen of Rap" and one of the most influential rappers of all time, she is credited as a driving force in the mainstream resurgence of female rap in the early 2010s. Known for her dynamic rap flow, witty lyrics, musical versatility, and alter egos, Minaj first gained recognition after releasing three mixtapes between 2007 and 2009.
Trinidadian rapper Nicki Minaj has released five studio albums, one compilation album, three mixtapes, 136 singles, and 20 promotional singles. After becoming involved with dancing, music and acting in high school in New York City, she eventually pursued her passion for rapping. Minaj was discovered by American rapper Lil Wayne and signed to Young Money Entertainment—a subdivision of Cash Money Records with distribution through Republic Records—in 2009. Her first solo single, "Your Love", peaked at number 14 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and topped the Billboard Hot Rap Songs chart, an achievement that made Minaj the first female artist to top the chart as a solo artist since 2002. Minaj's next three singles, "Check It Out", "Right Thru Me" and "Moment 4 Life", all peaked within the top 40 on the Hot 100. Her debut studio album, Pink Friday, was released in November 2010, topping the US Billboard 200 and has since been certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The album's fifth single, "Super Bass", reached the top ten in multiple countries, including the US where it peaked at number three and has since been certified Diamond by the RIAA for selling over 10 million units in the country.
"Your Love" is a song by rapper Nicki Minaj. It was released on June 1, 2010 by Young Money, Cash Money, and Universal Motown as the lead single from her debut studio album, Pink Friday (2010). It replaced the previously-released "Massive Attack" featuring Sean Garrett as the lead single of the album, after its underwhelming commercial performance a month earlier. A remix featuring British singer Jay Sean was released on August 2, 2010.
"Bottoms Up" is a song by American singer Trey Songz. It was produced by Kane Beatz and features rapper Nicki Minaj. The song serves as the lead single from his fourth studio album, Passion, Pain & Pleasure. It is his most successful single to date, peaking at number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100.
"2012 (It Ain't the End)" is a song by British singer Jay Sean taken from the compilation album, Hit the Lights. It features rapper and labelmate Nicki Minaj and is the album's lead single. The song was produced by OFM production team J-Remy and Bobby Bass. It was released to US radio stations and made available for digital download on 3 August 2010. The title is a reference to the 2012 phenomenon.
Pink Friday is the debut studio album by Trinidadian rapper Nicki Minaj. It was released on November 22, 2010, by Cash Money Records, Universal Motown Records and Young Money Entertainment. Minaj began recording the album after signing a recording contract with Young Money Entertainment in 2009. Musically, it is primarily a hip hop, R&B and pop record that incorporates electronic music. The album features guest vocals from Eminem, Rihanna, Drake, will.i.am, Kanye West, and Natasha Bedingfield.
"Super Bass" is a song by Trinidadian rapper Nicki Minaj from the deluxe version of her debut studio album, Pink Friday (2010). It was sent to American rhythmic radio stations as the album's fifth single on April 5, 2011. The song was written by Minaj alongside Ester Dean, Roahn Hylton, and producers Kane Beatz and JMIKE. According to Minaj, the song's lyrics detail the story of a playful romance between her and a potential suitor. The pop rap track contains electronic influences, while Minaj raps over a hip hop beat. An accompanying music video for the single was shot in March 2011 by director Sanaa Hamri and shows Minaj playfully taunting a group of men; while making use of multiple props colored bubblegum pink.
"Anaconda" is a song by rapper Nicki Minaj. It was released on August 4, 2014, by Young Money, Cash Money, and Republic as the second single from her third studio album, The Pinkprint (2014). The song was produced by Polow da Don, DJ Spydr, and Da Internz, and prominently samples "Baby Got Back" (1992) by Sir Mix-a-Lot. It peaked at number two on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming Minaj's highest-charting single at the time. The song also peaked within the top ten in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, top forty in Austria, France and Portugal and top fifty in Czech Republic.
"Barbie Tingz" is a song recorded by rapper Nicki Minaj. It was released on April 12, 2018 by Young Money and Cash Money as a single alongside Chun-Li. It is solely written by Minaj and produced by Jeremy Reid, similarly to "Chun-Li". According to Minaj, Reid's name was added to the writing credits for adlibs and production. It was included as a bonus track on the Target and Japanese exclusive versions of Minaj's fourth studio album, Queen (2018).
"Chun-Li" is a song by rapper Nicki Minaj from her fourth studio album, Queen (2018). It was released on April 12, 2018, by Young Money Entertainment and Cash Money Records as the lead single from the album. It was solely written by Minaj and produced by Jeremy Reid. According to Minaj, Reid's name was added to the writing credits for adlibs and production. Commercially, the song peaked at number 10 on the US Billboard Hot 100, reached the top 20 in Canada, and the top 30 in the United Kingdom. The song won the award for Best Hip-Hop Video at the 2018 MTV Video Music Awards.
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"Barbie Dreams" is a song recorded by rapper Nicki Minaj for her fourth studio album Queen (2018). It was released on August 14, 2018, to radio stations through Young Money Entertainment and Cash Money Records as the third single from the album. The song was written by Minaj, Rashad "Ringo" Smith, Alexander Roland, the duo Mel & Mus, Christopher Smith, James Brown, and Fred Wesley; while its production was done by Ringo, and Mel & Mus.
"Super Freaky Girl" is a song by rapper Nicki Minaj from her fifth studio album, Pink Friday 2 (2023). It was released on August 12, 2022, by Young Money and Republic Records as the lead single from the album. It is an upbeat, raunchy song that samples Rick James' 1981 single "Super Freak," as Minaj raps about a girl having sexual fantasies and endeavors, while also boasting about her career. It received comparisons to Minaj's 2014 single "Anaconda," as both tracks include classic samples and sexual lyrics.
Isis Naija Gaston, known professionally as Ice Spice, is an American rapper. Born and raised in the Bronx, New York City, she began her musical career in 2020 during college after meeting producer RiotUSA. Ice Spice's rapping style has been noted by music journalists, who have described her as a "breakout star."
American rapper Ice Spice has released one studio album, one extended play, thirteen singles, and eleven music videos. She began releasing singles in 2021, which included "Bully Freestyle" and "No Clarity". In September 2022, Ice Spice signed a record deal with 10K Projects, which serves as an imprint of Capitol Records. Her debut EP, Like..?, was released in January 2023 and charted at number 15 on the US Billboard 200. It also produced her first chart entry on the US Billboard Hot 100, the track "Gangsta Boo".
"Princess Diana" is a song by American rapper Ice Spice. It is the second track on her debut extended play, Like..?, released on January 20, 2023, through 10K Projects and Capitol Records. A remix with Trinidadian-American rapper Nicki Minaj was released as a single on April 14, 2023 and peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100, earning Ice Spice her second top-ten hit on the chart and the 22nd top-ten hit for Nicki Minaj.
Ephrem Louis Lopez, Jr., known professionally as RiotUSA, is an American record producer, songwriter, and rapper. Born in Manhattan and raised in the Bronx, he is best known for his musical productions for fellow Bronx native and rapper Ice Spice, who he met at State University of New York at Purchase in 2021.
Barbie the Album is the soundtrack album for the 2023 film Barbie, directed by Greta Gerwig. It was released by Atlantic Records on July 21, 2023, the same day as the film's North American theatrical release. The album was produced by Mark Ronson, Kevin Weaver, and Brandon Davis. It was met with generally favorable reviews from critics.
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