Ice Spice Finds Unlikely (And Slightly Vulgar) Career Inspiration From ‘SpongeBob Squarepants’

ice spice
Getty Image

What’s your favorite moment in SpongeBob SquarePants history? Is it “I remember when they first invented chocolate”? Or “Sweet Victory”? Or maybe it’s the time Mr. Krabs told SpongeBob to “go the f*ck home.”

In a cover story for Rolling Stone, rapper Ice Spice talked about how SpongeBob SquarePants — both the unstoppable Nickelodeon series and the endlessly optimistic character — has inspired her work ethic.

“I think I learned a lot from that show,” she said. “He never wanted a day off, even when Mr. Krabs would tell him, ‘Go the f*ck home.’ He’d be like, ‘No, I need to work.’”

So that’s what SpongeBob characters are saying under the dolphin noise.

Later, Ice Spice discussed the response to the cover artwork for her upcoming album, Y2K! (here’s something to make you feel old: the first SpongeBob SquarePants episode aired seven months before the turn of the millennium).

“Throughout my entire career, I don’t think I’ve ever had a moment of strictly praise. I think, through it all, there was always a lot of hate,” she said. “And I kind of appreciate that, because I find that when people are only love, they’re not as real. I don’t dwell on how people are perceiving me, whether it’s negative or positive, because that’s really what you sign up for when you put yourself out there on a public platform. It’s for people to make their opinions about you.”

Y2K! comes out on July 26.

Here Is The Super Bowl LVIII Edition Of SpongeBob’s ‘Sweet Victory’ Featuring The Chiefs And 49ers

spongebob
CBS Sports

With Super Bowl LVIII being broadcast by CBS, there will also be a Nickelodeon simulcast as they’ve done for a few regular season and postseason games each year.

The broadcast will feature a SpongeBob SquarePants-centric presentation as they come “Live from Bikini Bottom,” and that means appearances by favorite SpongeBob characters and, yes, a special performance before the game by SpongeBob and company of “Sweet Victory” from the 2011 episode “Band Geeks.” Travis Scott used the intro when he performed at the Super Bowl, but we finally get a full cut of “Sweet Victory” in the Super Bowl this year.

A couple hours before kickoff, CBS released the Super Bowl LVIII edition of “Sweet Victory,” featuring an updated version of the performance from SpongeBob and the band, along with Travis Kelce and George Kittle air guitaring along with them as the star tight ends for each team were unsurprisingly the most game to get in on the fun.

Fans have been asking for years for SpongeBob to hit the Super Bowl stage and they have finally gotten their wish (in a way). The bar is now set for the rest of the musical performances at this year’s Super Bowl, headlined by Usher in the halftime show.

Iconic ‘SpongeBob’ Banger ‘Sweet Victory’ Will Finally Be At The Super Bowl In 2024 Thanks To Nickelodeon

Spongebob Sweet Victory
Nickelodeon

Remember the 2019 Super Bowl Halftime Show, and how everybody so badly wanted “Sweet Victory,” the iconic song from the 2001 SpongeBob SquarePants episode “Band Geeks,” to be a part of it? Travis Scott guested during the Maroon 5 set and actually sort of made it happen. It was certainly a nice nod, but those who just wanted to hear the actual song were ultimately left empty-handed.

Well, it’s finally happening (as long as you’re watching Nickelodeon): Nick is doing its own special, kid-friendly Super Bowl broadcast this year, and as part of the proceedings, “Sweet Victory” will make an appearance in the lead-up to the game. It won’t just be the classic 2001 clip, though.

A press release notes:

Super Bowl LVIII Live From Bikini Bottom will feature: a can’t-miss opening segment from Allegiant Stadium re-creating SpongeBob’s iconic ‘Sweet Victory’ performance; hijinks throughout the game from fan-favorite villain Plankton; appearances from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles; reimagined end zone cannons that fire Slime, Krabby Patties and pickles; undersea AR jellyfish within the stadium; Slime trails and pineapples; and surprise appearances from beloved Nickelodeon characters in the crowd. The production will continue to showcase one-of-a-kind content and Nick-themed elements throughout, including guest appearances, original on-field graphics, virtual filters, and more for kids and families.”

CBS Sports shared a quick preview of what the segment will look like, so check it out below.

Indeed, the victory is sweet.

Patrick Star From ‘SpongeBob Squarepants’ Is On TikTok Singing Classic R&B Songs Thanks To AI, And People Love It

In a truly wild set of words for 2023, Patrick Star from Spongebob Squarepants (yes, the cartoon starfish) is now a viral TikTok trend. Why? Users are making the character sing the biggest R&B hits through AI technology.

While it’s just an attempt at the character’s voice and not really the greatest considering, many TikTok accounts are still having fun playing around to see how he sounds on different tracks. One of those doing it, user @twrksumn and her added account @aiquietstorm, has put Patrick with everything from Anita Baker’s “Angel” to Toni Braxton’s “Unbreak My Heart.”

“Patrick doing gospel and R&B now,” one person wrote under the Baker video with a bunch of laughing emojis.

“It’s giving Michael McDonald,” another user commented on a different video, which inspired the poster to make Patrick play his song, “I Keep Forgettin.”

@twrksumn

Replying to @Almira Ara and now he’s giving Michael McDonald for real.

♬ original sound – Dréa

Another popular profile getting in on the Patrick craze is @martinluthervandrossjr, has added some edited memes of Patrick and Spongebob to go along with the AI vocals.

As the trend gains more traction, users are waiting to hear their favorite artists get an AI cover turn — or even hear other characters perform from the Bikini Bottom universe.

Check out just a few of the Patrick Star AI covers above.

Ice Spice Could Have Lived In A Pineapple Under The Sea If Her Crush On SpongeBob SquarePants Had Worked Out

Ice Spice broke through last summer with “Munch (Feelin’ U).” She didn’t want to be a one-hit wonder (as she noted to Genius’ “Verified“), so she followed “Munch” up with “Bikini Bottom” last October.

Right now, the Bronx rapper is metaphorically on top of the world — and literally at No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 — alongside PinkPantheress with “Boy’s A Liar Pt. 2,” which she performed for the first time at Rolling Loud California earlier this month. But Ice Spice inadvertently rerouted us back to “Bikini Bottom.”

“The only animated character I ever had a crush on was, like, SpongeBob,” Ice Spice said with a giggle in a TikTok posted by MTV last week. “You know, he’s very integrated in my life.”

Back with Genius last December, Ice Spice clarified that she “just wanted to make a lit song,” so she “asked [producer RIOTUSA] to make me a SpongeBob-type beat, and I wasn’t actually sampling SpongeBob, but it just gives that vibe.”

Ice Spice’s official “Bikini Bottom” lyric video from last November used the popular font associated with SpongeBob SquarePants. The iconic Nickelodeon franchise has been going strong since 1999, premiering roughly six months before Ice Spice was born, and Ice Spice is primed to enjoy the same longevity. Even Nicki Minaj joined the bandwagon.

Refresh your memory by watching the “Bikini Bottom” lyric video below.

Ice Spice Admits She Had A Crush On SpongeBob

Ice Spice says that SpongeBob SquarePants is the only animated character that she’s ever had a crush on. In a clip on social media shared by DJ Akademiks on Wednesday, the New York rapper explained her reasoning.

“The only animated character I ever had a crush on was like, SpongeBob,” she admitted. “He’s very integrated in my life.” Plenty of users used the comment as a chance to compare themselves to the Nickelodeon character. “ngl these days i be feelin like a sponge yk,” one said. Another wrote: “they be sayin at school that i look like spongebob so this a plus.”

Ice Spice At Rolling Loud

INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 05: Rapper Ice Spice performs onstage during day 3 of Rolling Loud Los Angeles at Hollywood Park Grounds on March 05, 2023 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Scott Dudelson/Getty Images)

It’s not the first time that Ice Spice has revealed her fandom for SpongeBob SquarePants. On her debut EP, Like..?, Spice named a track in reference to the show, “Bikini Bottom,” while the production is similar in style to the series’ background music.

As for other music, Spice recently featured on PinkPantheress’ “Boy’s a liar Pt. 2,” which has blown up into one of the biggest singles in the country. During a recent interview with Dazed, Ice Spice reflected on collaborating with the English singer. “I’m so excited to be collaborating with her, because I’m really a huge fan, ever since I first heard of her I’ve been a fan,” Spice told the outlet. “So for her to ask me to hop on ‘Boy’s a Liar,’ I’m really excited. And the video is fire too. It’s unexpected, but we still have a correlation to each other somehow. Even before the record, fans really wanted it. There was already requests for that.” She added: “We definitely spoke about being new artists and just how crazy it is, having to develop and stuff so fast. But we both was just so happy to be there on set, and happy to be getting this collab done. Like, ‘Boys a Liar,’ it’s fire, ‘Boys a Liar Pt 2’ is fire. Obsessed.”

Ice Spice Explains Her SpongeBob Crush

[Via]