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Beyoncé — “Grown Woman”
Ten years ago, Beyoncé stopped the music world with a surprise drop. Her famed eponymous album came with no promotion or warning, marking an important and influential moment in an iconic career. Today, Queen Bey celebrates this with the long-awaited release of “Grown Woman.”
Bey co-produced the song alongside Timbaland and released it as part of a 2013 Pepsi commercial. “Embrace your past but live for now,” she said in the ad. Meanwhile, the song carries an empowering chant: “I’m a grown woman / I can do whatever I want.”
Beyoncé also spoke on the LP’s theme at the time of its release. “My message behind this album was finding the beauty in imperfection,” she explained, as per MTV.
“I have a lot of awards and I have a lot of these things that are amazing and I worked my ass off,” she added. “But nothing feels like my child saying, ‘Mommy!’ Nothing feels like when I look my husband in the eyes…Those are the things that matter, and at this point in my life, that’s what I’m striving for: Growth, love, happiness, fun. Enjoy your life, it’s short, that’s the message.”
Nicki Minaj — “Beep Beep” & “Love Me Enough”
Shortly after releasing her Pink Print 2 LP, Nicki Minaj keeps things going with even more from the project. The Queen of the Barbs just rolled out two new high-profile songs this week to commemorate a potential chart-topping release.
“Beep Beep” features fellow Queens MC 50 Cent. “I tell him that he had the chance of a lifetime / Who want to be a millionaire? I’m your lifeline,” Minaj raps. Later, she nonchalantly adds: “If I don’t even know you exist, is that beef?” Meanwhile, 50 Cent follows Minaj with his own thoughts on quarrels. “Say we got some kinda beef, what kinda beef?” he asks. “Please, remind me.”
Moreover, Monica and Keyshia Cole join Minaj on “Love Me Enough.” Cole sings about self-love while Nicki explains her stance. “I used to think my happiness depended on a man / Diamond on the ring finger blinging on my hand…The worst drug of all, the addiction to a man.”
Nicki previously said she would drop even more bonus tracks to go along with the original release. Coincidentally, Pink Friday 2 “should have a good chance at contending for the Billboard 200’s top spot,” according to the publication.
Megan Thee Stallion & Reneé Rapp — “Not My Fault”
Megan Thee Stallion continues to unleash new music. Shortly after unveiling her heartfelt “Cobra” single, the Texas superstar teams up with rising singer-songwriter and actress Reneé Rapp for a new collaboration, “Not My Fault.”
“It’s not my fault you’re, like, in love with me,” Rapp sings on the track. “Where she at, what she doing? Who she with and where she from? She’s this, she’s that? She’s a flight risk on the run.”
Meg also carries the love question into her verse. “I mean, who wouldn’t wanna be in love with me?” she asks. “Dudes thought I was A.I. / Ballin’ like A.I. / Stick to the money like a stapler / Stack like Jenga.”
“Not My Fault” is a track off the forthcoming Mean Girls soundtrack. Meg also announced the song with a video on social media. “It’s Megan Thee Stallion, aka The Black Regina George and I’m excited to introduce my girl to the stage,” she said. “We have a new song coming out for Mean Girls. That’s right, give it up for the new fantastic plastic, Reneé Rapp.”
Rapp, who released her Snow Angel album this year, is also set to star as Regina George in the upcoming Mean Girls film. Tina Fey, Jon Hamm, Jenna Fischer, and Tim Meadows are also slated to appear in the new adaptation of the popular 2004 film.
Lil Baby — “350” & “Crazy”
Lil Baby is back. More than a year since his It’s Only Me LP, the famed Quality Control MC unveils two singles, “350” and “Crazy.”
“350,” a nod to his Richard Mille watch price, kicks things off. “I know one day it’s gon’ hit me, bro ain’t never comin’ back / Ain’t never say nothin’ ’bout it,” he adds. “You know you a rat.”
Moreover, “Crazy” continues with toast to his success. “You can play if you want to, I let ’em say what they want to, but I’m ready for all of this / No matter how hard it can get / That boy on the top of the list.”
CamYouAFool, DB! And MonneymadeIt produced “350” while Money Musik, Hoops, and Str8cash held the boards down on “Crazy.”
Additionally, Baby recently confirmed that he was “finishing up the album.” His 2022 LP, It’s Only Me, and his 2020 LP, My Turn, both topped the Billboard 200.
STREAMED: Beyoncé Celebrates Self-Titled Album’s 10th Anniversary By Dropping “Grown Woman” On Streaming Services, Nicki Minaj Connects With 50 Cent, & More was originally published on cassiuslife.com
