Super Bass (2011)

"Super Bass" is a song by Trinidadian rapper Nicki Minaj from the deluxe version of her debut studio album, Pink Friday (2010). It was sent to American rhythmic radio stations as the album's fifth single on April 5, 2011. The song was written by Minaj alongside Ester Dean (who provides additional vocals), Roahn Hylton, and producers Kane Beatz and JMIKE. According to Minaj, the song's lyrics detail the story of a playful romance between her and a potential suitor. The pop rap track contains electronic influences, while Minaj raps over a hip hop beat. An accompanying music video for the single was shot in March 2011 by director Sanaa Hamri and shows Minaj playfully taunting a group of men; while making use of multiple props colored bubblegum pink.

"Super Bass" peaked at number three on the US Billboard Hot 100, and number eight on the UK Singles Chart. It also charted within the top-ten in Australia, Belgium, Canada, New Zealand, and Scotland. In the United States, it has sold over five million digital downloads as of December 2014. In November 2021, "Super Bass" was certified Diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), for selling 10 million equivalent units in the US. The track is certified 11-times platinum in Australia, double platinum in Norway and the United Kingdom, and platinum in New Zealand. Billboard ranked it at number 94 on its Hot 100 decade-end chart of the 2010s; it is Minaj's first and only song to appear on the ranking. The song received positive reviews from music critics upon release. Billboard placed "Super Bass" on their "100 Songs That Defined the Decade" list, and later ranked it number 13 on their list of the "500 Best Pop Songs of All Time". The song has also appeared on Rolling Stone's "500 Best Songs of All Time" list.

Composition

"Super Bass" was co-written by Minaj, Ester Dean, Roahn Hylton, and Daniel "Kane Beatz" Johnson, who produced the song alongside JMIKE. While being interviewed by MTV News during the video shoot for the single, Minaj explained the song's concept, stating: "'Super Bass' is about the boy that you are crushing over, [...] And you kind of want to get your mack on, but you're taking the playful approach." The song utilizes electronic music, electropop, and pop-rap in its composition, while Minaj raps over a hip hop drum beat, while also infusing elements of J-pop combined with an upbeat hook. It uses a busy beat that is interspersed with digital rain drop sound effects and strong bass. Minaj's vocals in the song have been described as "breathy". "Super Bass" is written in the key of G-sharp minor with a moderate tempo of 127 beats per minute. Minaj's lyrics in the song are often provocative and suggestive, with lines like "He just gotta give me that look, when he give me that look / Then the panties comin' off, off, uh" and a catchy onomatopoetic refrain: "Boom, badoom, boom, boom, badoom, boom, bass, he got dat super bass".

Brad Wete of Entertainment Weekly stated that the song describes Minaj's type of man as "one who hits the gym often and has first-class... money" as she states: "He pops bottles and he’s got the right kind of build.... He’s always in the air / But he never flies coach". Charley Rogulewski of AOL's The Boombox stated that "the uber-catchy 'boom, badoom, boom, boom' chorus makes 'Super Bass' the most pop-friendly Minaj song released to radio [sic] yet". Described as a lighter side to Minaj by Jessica Sinclair of Long Island Press, the song gets more in-depth with a little more pop and an upbeat hook that "really sticks"; however, Minaj still assists the song's pop edge with "crazy rapping skills".

Critical reception

Wesley Case of The Baltimore Sun gave the song a positive review, stating that was it an "obvious hit". He compared the song to the rest of Pink Friday, stating that it is much more potent as compared to the rest of the album. Case later added: "Pink Friday is short on memorable hooks, but 'Super Bass' is an exception". Rap-Up described the tune as "infectious". Jessica Sinclair of Long Island Press complimented Nicki Minaj for taking "center stage" on the song, due to her solo performance, and added that in doing so Minaj created a success. Sinclair additionally commented on the song as a lighter side to Minaj, and complimented the hook as upbeat and added that it "really sticks". Rosie Gray of BlackBook complimented the song as a "killer". Alex Pielak of Metro compared Minaj's "Super Bass" to Beyoncé's "Move Your Body", stating that: "Nicki wins for the sheer number of words she's managed to cram in – and therefore takes the face off".