The hip-hop Barbie has officially hit the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards red carpet!
Nicki Minaj arrived in style on Tuesday, looking ready to tackle her duties as emcee for the night. The 40-year-old is serving as the awards show’s host for the second consecutive year, after emceeing alongside LL Cool J and Jack Harlow in 2022.
Minaj came ready to wow, rocking a shimmering pink Dolce & Gabbana corset bodysuit complete with semi-sheer skirt and a full vail, giving the outside a sultry wedding-dress look that stole the spotlight.
It was the first time Minaj had graced the VMAs stage since 2018. In addition to hosting in 2022, Minaj performed a career-spanning Video Vanguard Award medley before accepting the most prestigious award of the night — the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award. Throughout her impressive career, Minaj has racked up 25 VMA nominations, including the six she has at this year’s show and six previous wins. Her first VMAs appearance was in 2012.
This year, Minaj will give her first-ever performance of her new single, “Last Time I Saw You.”
The track was released after Minaj teamed up with Ice Spice for their second musical collaboration, “Barbie World,” featured on the Barbie film’s soundtrack: Barbie World.
Produced by Ice Spice’s go-to hitmaker, RiotUSA, the rappers rhyme over a sampling of Aqua‘s hit 1997 song, “Barbie Girl.” The Danish electropop group is credited on the song as performers and co-writers.
The “Super Freaky Girl” rapper spoke with ET at the Barbie film premiere in Los Angeles, where she shared how the new tune came together.
“There were a couple of songs that I didn’t love and then there was another song, well, this ‘Barbie’ sample, I loved it,” she explained. “I just wanted it to have a dope drum and so the one they sent me, I loved and I jumped on it right away.”
Of course, Minaj was a natural fit for the project, as she’s long channeled the iconic doll in her public persona. The Queens native refers to her fans as the “Barbz” and recently announced that she’s working on a sequel to her hit 2010 breakthrough album, Pink Friday, which will be released in November. Back in 2018, she dropped the single “Barbie Tingz.”
“I am so excited to be here and be a part of this entire moment,” Minaj gushed to ET. “I’m glad that they thought of me because I’m excited just like everybody else is excited to see this movie. I’ve been saying Barbie my whole caree. So it’s a very full circle moment.”
The 2023 MTV Video Music Awards will air live from the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, on Sept. 12 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on MTV. Follow along at ETonline.com for full coverage from this year’s VMAs, including the complete list of the nominees and the night’s big winners.
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