Nicki Minaj is releasing two new songs this week called “Barbie Tingz” and “Chun-Li.” Check out the cover art below.
Earlier this year, Nicki and Quavo shared a video for their Control the Streets Volume 1 collaboration “She for Keeps.” Her most recent album, The Pinkprint, arrived in 2014. Last year, she collaborated on tracks with Yo Gotti (“Rake It Up”), Lil Uzi Vert (“The Way Life Goes”), Travis Scott (“Krippy Kush (Remix)”), Migos and Cardi B (“MotorSport”), and others.
Nicki Minaj is coming back after a long layoff with two songs dropping Thursday, she announced on Twitter today. The announcement was teased with a couple of quickly deleted posts counting down earlier this week.
The songs, each of which come with artwork, are called “Barbie Tings” and “Chun Li.”
She hasn’t released an album since 2014’s “The Pinkprint” but she’s been popping up on tracks with Lil Uzi Vert (“The Way Life Goes”), Travis Scott (“Krippy Kush (Remix)”), Yo Gotti (“Rake It Up”), and Migos with Cardi B (“Motorsport”). She also joined Migos’ Quavo on “She for Keeps” from Quality Control’s “Control the Streets Vol. 1” compilation.
She also got props recently from an unexpected corner: rocker Jack White, who told Clash Music that hip-hop is “the new punk rock,” and singled out Minaj’s song “Only” as a high-water mark for what he’s trying to accomplish.
“I mean, some of those lyrics are like, ‘Holy sh–!'” he said. “I, as an adult, listening to that by myself, am shocked at some of the words that I’m hearing. But it’s brilliant! It’s brilliant to be able to say whatever you want. I couldn’t get away with saying half of those things that Nicki Minaj says in that song.”
Nicki Minaj Posts New 'Chun Li' and 'Barbie Tingz' Teasers
Nicki Minaj has stayed off social media for most of the year save for one cryptic Twitter countdown, but she's broken her silence to share two new titles -- and a potential drop date, too.
With two tweets, Minaj offered up artwork, names and Thursday (April 12) as the date for -- well, what, exactly, we're not entirely sure, but we'll find out what "Barbie Tingz" and "Chun Li" are all about shortly.
The first visual, for "Barbie Tingz," has the rapper dripping with jewels and donning a ball gown that could've been ripped from Marie Antoinette's closet. She's in the company of a similarly clad entourage, but they're sporting creepy masks instead of her heavy neckwear.
The second, for "Chun Li," is a straightforward portrait: It's just Minaj in her Fendi finest, and her twisted twin hair buns throw to the Street Fighter character the title invokes.
Check out the photos below.
Nicki Minaj Deletes Cryptic Tweet for a Second Day in a Row
Nicki Minaj has her "Barbs" waiting with bated breath for new music and the rapper's recent cryptic tweets only caused anticipation to reach an all-time high. Over the weekend, Minaj mysteriously tweeted "4" then deleted it and on Monday (April 9) she returned with another tweet, this time tweeting "3."
Minaj once again deleted her recent tweet but that didn't stop the theories. The rapper's tweets sent Twitter into a frenzy, as many believed Minaj could possibly be counting down towards a new release -- given that she hasn't released a single since her 2017 loosies "No Frauds", "Changed It", and "Regret In Your Tears." Since then, the rapper has gifted features to the likes of Yo Gotti, Farruko, and Migos.
But Minaj's tweet wasn't the only cryptic tweet of the day. Young Thug also followed suit and tweeted "3," leading fans to believe the frequent collaborators have something up their sleeves. However, Thug could just be teasing fans, since he previously announced he won't be releasing any music in 2018 -- in honor of his deaf brother -- and changed his moniker to "SEX" back in February, though it didn't exactly stick.
View Nicki Minaj and Young Thug's tweets below.
