Nicki Minaj & Ice Spice’s ‘Barbie World’ Bursts Into Top 10 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart
Written by djfrosty on July 6, 2023
Barely two months after they teamed up on “Princess Diana,” Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice again storm into the upper reaches of Billboard‘s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart as their second collaboration, “Barbie World” with Aqua, debuts at No. 3 on the list dated July 8.
“Barbie World,” a drill track that samples Aqua’s 1997 top 10 Billboard Hot 100 hit “Barbie Girl,” launches with 16.2 million official U.S. streams in the week ending June 29, according to Luminate. The sum sparks a No. 4 arrival on the R&B/Hip-Hop Streaming Songs chart. The collaboration also generates a splashy sales week, with 37,000 downloads sold in the same period. As the song hits No. 1 on R&B/Hip-Hop Digital Song Sales, Minaj banks her 22nd champ on the list, while Ice Spice nabs her second.
With “Barbie World,” Minaj secures a 41st career top 10 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and her third of 2023, following “Red Ruby Da Sleeze,” a No. 4 hit in March, and “Princess Diana,” which peaked at No. 2 in April. Ice Spice posts a second top 10 on the chart, after “Princess Diana.” It’s the first for Aqua.
Elsewhere, “Barbie World” begins at No. 3 on the Hot Rap Songs chart to become Minaj’s 46th top 10, while Ice Spice claims her third, after “Princess Diana” and her own “In Ha Mood,” which climbed to a No. 9 high in March. It’s the first top 10 on the list for Aqua. On the Hot 100, “Barbie World” enters at No. 7, matching the peak rank of Aqua’s “Barbie Girl” in 1997.
“Barbie World” will appear on the soundtrack to the feature film Barbie, which will be released alongside the movie on July 21. The soundtrack includes an array of hitmakers, including Dua Lipa, Lizzo, PinkPantheress, Karol G and more.
Pop and rhythmic radio have been the earliest adopters for “Barbie World,” with the track debuting at No. 36 on Rhythmic Airplay and the anchor slot, No. 40, on Pop Airplay. The collaboration did also generate some activity at Minaj and Ice Spice’s core format, R&B/hip-hop, but notably, both artists also have other active tracks there. On the latest Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart, “Princess Diana” rises 21-17 through a 16% gain in plays. Minaj also climbs four spots with another hit collaboration – on Sexxy Red and Tay Keith’s “Pound Town,” which she joined for a remix – as it advances 23-19 with a 28% surge in plays in the latest tracking week.