Nicki Minaj Is The Ultimate Brand Fit For The ‘Barbie’ Soundtrack

The highly-anticipated movie Barbie is already making waves as one of the biggest films of 2023, even before its release. It has generated significant buzz, becoming a topic of conversation across social media platforms. With the film poised to storm the box office, its marketing can be felt everywhere, but it is not just the movie itself that is garnering attention.

The soundtrack that accompanies the film is also playing a vital role in boosting its success. Among the roster of nearly 20 artists featured on the Barbie soundtrack, there is one artist who stands out as the ultimate brand fit—Nicki Minaj.

Scheduled to be released on Friday, July 21, the Barbie soundtrack is filled with superstar talent, all of whom have undoubtedly contributed great songs that align with the film. Yet, none match the branding and marketing synergy of Minaj—the real-life embodiment of the doll.

From the beginning of her career, Minaj has been skillfully incorporating the Barbie brand into her persona. She consistently refers to herself as a Barbie and her fan base—one of the most devoted and passionate in the music industry— is known as the Barbz. Although there may have been initial concerns from Mattel
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executives about how Minaj was utilizing the name years ago, now the two are perfectly aligned.

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Minaj has not only used the Barbie moniker to describe herself and her followers, she has also integrated it into many of her songs. In fact, she has released four tracks that have entered the Hot 100 with “Barbie” in their titles. Hits such as “Barbie Tingz,” “Barbie Dreams,” and “Barbie World” have all achieved significant success, reaching the top 40 on the competitive chart.

The most recent addition to Minaj’s repertoire, “Barbie World,” comes directly from the Barbie soundtrack. Unsurprisingly, it has become the most successful of Minaj’s Barbie-themed singles. The song, featuring fellow rapper Ice Spice and pop band Aqua, who previously scored a hit with the original “Barbie Girl,” recently debuted at No. 7 on the Hot 100. It has also emerged as the standout and highest-charting track from the Barbie soundtrack, surpassing even the lead single, Dua Lipa’s “Dance The Night.”

While it is unlikely that Minaj had been specifically planning this collaboration with the Barbie movie for years (since she’s been on it for much longer than even director and writer Greta Gerwig has been involved), she has been closely associated with the Barbie name for a long time. This perfect alignment of two brands coming together so brilliantly seems destined, and one without the other seems impossible to imagine now. When the timing was right, they immediately complemented and bolstered each other’s success.

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