Icy Girl, Icy World

Saweetie Doesn’t Mind Nicki Minaj Being ‘Inspired’ By Her ‘Icy Girl, Icy World’ Sample On ‘Barbie World’

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Rap’s current sample-mania phase has produced some duds and some jams, but it has also seen some minor controversy as rappers go after the same sample. This turned out to be the case with one of rap’s early modern it-girls, Saweetie, and the godmother of the present generation, Nicki Minaj, when both employed the same sample of Aqua’s 1997 hit “Barbie Girl.”

Saweetie, who first teased her version, “Icy Girl, Icy World,” during an Instagram Live stream, found herself getting scooped when Nicki teamed up with rap’s latest it-girl Ice Spice for “Barbie World,” which wound up getting placed on the soundtrack for the Barbie movie. The controversy deepened when Jason Martin (formerly known as Problem) revealed that Saweetie’s version was initially sent to Nicki, who turned it down only to pop up on the soundtrack later with a different co-star.

Now, Saweetie herself has chimed in on the dust-up, telling Power 106 Los Angeles’ Justin Credible that she still intends to release her version, despite everything. In the interview, she points out that what happened isn’t uncommon in the recording industry, as songs often pass through several hands before being released, and sometimes, the original artist can get lost in the shuffle.

She’s unbothered, though, saying, “I love to inspire, that’s my purpose here, and they look bomb as f*ck in the video. So it’s just like ‘Okay, bitch, I see you!’ Mine still coming out though. Stay tuned. I’m saving it for a very special moment.” She also told Justin Credible that she’s changing the title of her long-awaited debut album after realizing that Pretty Bitch Music is her “movement” (also, probably not as marketable as any of the other branding she’s come up with over the past five years).

In the meantime, Saweetie, who just released a double single for her birthday consisting of “Birthday” and “Shot O’ Clock” (which, funnily enough, is also based on a popular ’90s hit, the DNA remix of Suzanne Vega’s “Tom’s Diner”), is gearing up for a tour with her new boo, YG, and Tyga as the two Compton rappers promote their upcoming joint project.

Watch Saweetie’s interview with Power 106 above.

Saweetie is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Saweetie May Have Her Next Big Hit With The Aqua-Sampling ‘Icy Girl, Icy World’

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Saweetie Icy Girl
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Some songs are what you might call “infuriatingly catchy.” You know the ones. You don’t want to like them. You resist them for as long as possible. Then, one day, out of the blue, you find yourself humming the chorus or quoting the intro and the song has evolved into a full-blown guilty pleasure. (Here’s some old head advice: Skip the process. Like the thing. No one can judge you, and if they do, who cares? They’re miserable, you’re having fun. You win.)

Aqua’s 1997 Europop hit “Barbie Girl” was one of those songs. It dominated MTV and radio, it drove music snobs crazy. But it was fun and a little dumb but irresistible in the way so many things were in the late ’90s. I still like it a lot. Saweetie — whose music has been subject to the above-mentioned phenomenon in its own way — knows a thing or two about repurposing the inescapable hits of yesteryear in her own music. In fact, that’s when she’s at her best, according to many fans, and it’s the thing that’s been missing from recent attempts to recapture the public’s imagination.

Well, Sample Saweetie just might be back with her next big swing for the top of the Hot 100. During an Instagram Live “cyber party” stream with fans, she debuted a striking new look and previewed a potential hit called, fittingly, “Icy Girl, Icy World” which samples “Barbie Girl” and might just be her next infuriatingly catchy smash. Fans are already expressing approval and — provided we can all follow the old head advice from above — “Icy Girl, Icy World” might just bypass all the negativity that has been swirling around Saweetie’s long-delayed debut album and return her to rap fans’ good graces — or at least skip their nonsense and find a pop audience ready and willing to give something new a try.

Saweetie is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.