Nicki Minaj’s first move on the comeback trail, the dual release of singles “Barbie Tingz” and “Chun-Li,” was a strong start, but she isn’t quite finished re-establishing her iron grip on the music industry. After the unreal, internet dominating #NickiDay, which saw not only the release of the singles but also the headline-grabbing Zane Lowe interview that revealed the roots of Nicki’s supposed conflict with Cardi B, the Pinkprint rapper returns to deliver the goods with music videos for both “Barbie Tingz” and “Chun-Li.”
Nicki actually teased the video for “Chun-Li” a week ago, spearheading yet another takeover of Twitter’s trending topics before revealing some behind the scenes footage of the cinematic clip. The video features a qipao-bedecked Minaj playing East Asian mob boss, wrists adorned with the titular character’s spiked cuffs. There’s a fight scene as well, but don’t expect any spinning bird kicks; it’s all strictly within the range of Nicki’s real-life abilities. The “Barbie Tingz” video, like the song itself, is a bit more stripped-down, featuring the now recognizable Fendi two-piece and hair buns, a collection of Victorian era dresses and a straightforward, rapping-directly-at-the-camera approach that suits the “Krush Groove” inspired, throwback beat.
While her comeback album has yet to be announced, these treats should hold over the Barbz until a more tangible release schedule is revealed. Meanwhile, with many of Nicki’s contemporaries stretching their creative muscles, the rest of the world will continue to eagerly anticipate her next move to see if the time away has resulted in artistic growth or more of the same.
