| "Super Bass" | ||||||||
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| Single by Nicki Minaj | ||||||||
| from the album Pink Friday (Deluxe Edition) | ||||||||
| Released | April 5, 2011 | |||||||
| Format | Digital download | |||||||
| Genre | Electronic, hip hop, R&B, pop | |||||||
| Length | 3:19 | |||||||
| Label | Young Money, Cash Money, Universal Motown | |||||||
| Writer(s) | Onika Maraj, Daniel Johnson, Ester Dean | |||||||
| Producer | Kane Beatz, JMIKE | |||||||
| Nicki Minaj singles chronology | ||||||||
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"Super Bass" is a song by Trinidadian-American recording artist and songwriter Nicki Minaj, from her debut album, Pink Friday. The song impacted radio as the album's seventh single on April 5, 2011 and was released on May 13, 2011. Written by Minaj, along with Daniel Johnson and Ester Dean, the song includes additional vocals from Dean. Production of the song was done by Kane. According to Minaj the song's lyrics tell the story of a boy that you have a crush on and are about wanting to get intimate but instead taking a playful approach. The song draws from the hip hop, R&B genres while infusing elements of pop and Minaj's rap.
"Super Bass" received mainly positive reviews from critics. The song was complimented for its memorable hook, lyrical context and for its chorus. It garnered attention by pop stars such as Taylor Swift and Selena Gomez. The song has peaked at number three on the United States Billboard Hot 100. A music video for the single was shot in March 2011, by director Sanaa Hamri. It was initially expected to premiere on BET's 106 & Park on April 27, 2011, but the video's premiere was later pushed to May 5, 2011 for unknown reasons. The video received generally positive reviews from critics, most of whom complimented the "eye candy" and colorful visuals seen throughout the video.
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"Super Bass" was written by Minaj, along with Daniel Johnson and Ester Dean. Production of the song was done by Kane Beatz & JMIKE.[1] While being interviewed by MTV while shooting the video for the single, Minaj explained the song's concept stating, "'Super Bass' is about the boy that you are crushing over, [...] And you kind of want to get your mack on, but you're taking the playful approach."[2]
During an interview with Nashville’s 107.5, The River, singer/songwriter Taylor Swift requested the station to play Minaj's "Super Bass" during an interview.[3] Swift described her love for the song stating, "I’ve been listening to it on repeat and I really freak my friends out because I can recite every single lyric to the rap".[3] The DJ later convinced Swift to rap a verse from Minaj's song on the air.[3] In an interview with American radio station 102.7 KIIS FM, Minaj said, "Taylor Swift did her little interview about 'Super Bass' and [it] took off in the States with the people sort of knowing it...It’s just really uncanny how all that stuff happens...We didn’t plan it like that".[4]
"Super Bass" draws from the hip hop, R&B, and electronic[5] genres while also infusing elements of pop combined with an upbeat hook.[6][7] It uses a busy beat that is interspersed with digital rain drop sound effects and strong bass. Minaj's vocals in the song have been described as "breathy".[8] "Super Bass" is written in the key of G♯ minor with a moderate tempo of 120 beats per minute.[9] Minaj's lyrics in the song are often dirty and suggestive with lines like "He just gotta give me that look, when he give me that look / Then the panties comin' off, off, uh' and a catchy onomatopoetic refrain: 'Boom, badoom, boom, boom, badoom, boom, bay, he got that super bass".[6]
Brad Wete of Entertainment Weekly stated that the song describes Minaj's type of man as "one who hits the gym often and has first-class money" as she states "He pops bottles and he’s got the right kind of build…. He’s always in the air/ But he never flies coach".[10] Charley Rogulewski of AOL's The Boombox says, "The uber-catchy 'boom, badoom, boom, boom' chorus makes 'Super Bass' the most pop-friendly Minaj song released to radio [sic] yet".[11] Described as a lighter side to Minaj by Jessica Sinclair of Long Island Press, the song gets more in-depth with a little more pop and an upbeat hook that "really sticks", however, Minaj still assists the song's pop edge with "crazy rapping skills".[7]
Wesley Case of The Baltimore Sun gave the song a very positive review, stating that it was an "obvious hit". He compared the song to the rest of Pink Friday stating that it is much more potent.[8] Case later added, "Pink Friday is short on memorable hooks, but 'Super Bass' is an exception".[8] Rap-Up described the tune as "infectious".[12] Jessica Sinclair of Long Island Press complimented Minaj for taking "center stage" on the song, due to her solo performance, and added that in doing so Minaj created a success.[13] Sinclair additionally commented on the song as a lighter side to Minaj, and complimented the hook as upbeat and added that it "really sticks".[13] Rosie Gray of BlackBook complimented the song as a "killer".[14] Alex Pielak of Metro compared Minaj's "Super Bass" to Beyoncé Knowles' "Move Your Body", stating that "Nicki wins for the sheer number of words she's managed to cram in – and therefore takes the face off".[6]
Bill Lamb from About.com was positive in his review on the song giving it four and a half stars out of five. Lamb praised the song's chorus for its ability to get stuck in your head writing, "it is when that chorus kicks in that 'Super Bass' is lifted to the status of outstanding pop song. The 'boom badoom boom, boom badoom boom' instantly sinks into the head urging you to sing along." Along with the chorus the song's rapped verses were highlighted in the review with Lamb praising Minaj for vocal "power" writing, "When the song returns to the rapped verse it is another lesson in the Nicki Minaj skill. She doesn't simply rap the words with rhythmic power. She manages to masterfully manipulate the mood and the meaning of the words through shifts in emphasis, intonation and phrasing."[5] Lewis Corner from Digital Spy gave the single four out of a possible five stars. Corner wrote that the song's chorus was "sharper than a Sherbet Dib Dab." Minaj's "eccentric rapping style" was praised in the review with Corner writing that the song was likely to become her first solo top ten hit in the United States or the United Kingdom.[15] Claire Suddath of Time magazine named "Super Bass" one of the Top 10 Songs of 2011.[16]
On the week of May 14, 2011, "Super Bass" debuted on the US Billboard Hot 100 at position ninety-eight.[17] The following week it rose fifty spots to number forty-eight.[18] On the week titled May 21, 2011, "Super Bass" debuted on the Rap Songs and Hot Digital Songs charts at number twenty-five and thirty-one respectively.[19][20] In its fourteenth week, the song has peaked at number three on the Hot 100.[21] In Canada, "Super Bass" premiered on the Canadian Hot 100 at number ninety-two.[22] As of October 2011, the song has sold over 3,000,000 digital downloads in the US alone, making it the first time that a female rapper in a solo or lead position has reached such sales.[23] "Super Bass" entered the UK Singles Chart at number 46 on May 21, 2011, and, after nine non-consecutive weeks of moving up the chart, reached a peak of number eight on the chart week ending August 13, 2011. The song has so far spent eleven weeks inside the top 20.[24]
I just wanted to do something real colorful and cutesy. This is an icy world, it's a sexy world, it's a playful world. Of course I have lots of eye candy for my girls and my boys [...] We have a lot of little surprises in store for this particular video, [...] I would like to put out 50 videos. The videos really tell the story a lot more elaborately than just the song does.
On March 10, 2011, Minaj revealed during an interview with MTV News that she was shooting a video for "Super Bass" with director Sanaa Hamri, she explained the video's concept, stating that she wanted the video to be full of eye candy and that she wanted it to be colorful.[2][25] On April 26, 2011, Minaj revealed a sneak peek of the music video on BET's 106 & Park.[26] The sneak peek showed Minaj in a pink wig with similarly-clad backup dancers gyrating to the song, wearing a uniform of white tank tops, denim shorts, and different colored work boots and the same laces.[26]
Originally the video was set to premiere on the same show as where the preview was premiered on April 27, 2011, Minaj took to Twitter to reveal that the music video has been pulled from the show and would not be premiering that date for unknown reasons, tweeting "Super Bass is no longer coming out tmrw".[26] The music video instead premiered on Minaj's official Vevo account on May 5, 2011.[27]
The music video begins with a close-up of Minaj as she opens her eyes and begins to blink as the song begins. As Minaj raps verses of the song, Barbie- approved props; a pink Ferrari, pink plane and a pink pool, are shown contemplating what Minaj is saying in the verse.[7] Minaj then begins to playfully tease men as clips of ice-speakers and a motorcycle made of ice are interlaced into the scene. As the chorus begins, Minaj is seen performing choreography with pink-haired backup dancers. As the video continues, Minaj is seen in a green wig at a pool side with men, playing in a pool of pink water. Minaj then continues to ride the motorcycle made of ice while wearing a skintight pink bodysuit emblazoned with giraffe prints, a half-blond and pink wig, gold eye shadow and bright pink lipstick,[2] and is additionally seen splashing in a pool of pink water. Minaj then begins to reprise her lap dances in the dark, with black lights setting the glowing tone of the dancers, as Minaj glows in the dark with glowing lips, hair and makeup.[27][7] The video ends with Minaj lit in the black lighting, biting her finger.
D.L. Chandler from Rapfix complimented the video's visuals writing, "it is a dazzling visual affair if nothing else".[28] AOL music's Contessa Gayles reviewed the video, writing, "The highlight of the Sanaa Hamri-directed video? The glow-in-the-dark lap-dance scene."[29] On the day of its premiere, Rap-Up complimented the video as "vibrant".[27] Becky Bain of Idolator gave the song a positive review, comparing it to "Judas" stating, "Super Bass had the better choreography in an anxiously-awaited music video featuring a pop star riding a motorcycle released today. (Sorry, 'Judas')".[30] United Kingdom's MTV found Minaj's signature lap dance "saucy" and complimented the clip's use of "hunky men" and "outrageous flirting".[31] Brad Wete of Entertainment Weekly stated that there is plenty of "eye candy" for both men and women, stating that Minaj "ratchets up the sex appeal" in the clip.[10] The Sun favored the fluorescent-lighting scene of the music video stating that "She'd be a good person to have with you at Glasto when you're trying to find your tent".[32] Wesley Case of The Baltimore Sun complimented the video as wildly stylized that "looks like a comic book come to life".[8] At the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards, Minaj's video for "Super Bass" was nominated under the Best Female Video and Best Hip-Hop Video categories, winning the latter and gaining Minaj her first moonman.
"Super Bass" was performed for the first time in May 2011 on national television live at the 2011 Billboard Music Awards.[33]. Minaj performed this song alongside David Guetta at the American Music Awards of 2011 on November 20, 2011, and also performed her other song "Turn Me On". Minaj also performed the song on Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest.
On the same day as Swift's "Super Bass"-rap, Disney starlet Selena Gomez additionally took to her official YouTube account to rap to Minaj's song.[34] In the video, Gomez raps an entire verse of the song, fast-forwarding through the profane language of the song, due to her younger audience.[34] Gomez recorded herself rapping to the song in her dressing room at the 2011 People's Choice Awards..[35]
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Credits adapted from the liner notes of Pink Friday, Young Money, Cash Money, Universal Motown.[1]
| Country | Date | Format |
|---|---|---|
| United States[54] | April 5, 2011 | Rhythmic airplay |
| Australia[55] | May 13, 2011 | Digital download |
| New Zealand[56] | ||
| United States | May 17, 2011 | Mainstream airplay[57] |
| June 20, 2011 | Urban airplay[58] |
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