Nicki Minaj grounds 2012 ‘Starships’ during NYE show, calls it a ‘stupid song’

Nicki Minaj took the stage at Miami's E11EVEN on New Year's Eve, delivering her well-known array of hits. However, when the familiar beats of her 2012 Billboard Hot 100 top 10 hit filled the venue, Minaj surprised her fans, known as Barbz, by declaring that she's done with performing the song by the beach.

A TikTok video capturing the moment shows Minaj interrupting the track from her album "Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded" after just a few lines into the opening verse. She let the audience take over, considering it's one of her highest-charting solo singles in the U.S. Waving her hand to signal her DJ, Minaj announced that the pop hit is officially retired.

"Hold on. Psych, psych, psych, psych. I don't perform that song no more, y'all. I don't like it, what y'all want me to do?" she stated, prompting some boos from the crowd. "Stupid song." The rapper swiftly shifted to another of her radio favorites, "Super Bass." Although this RedOne-produced lead single from Minaj's second album is immensely popular, she has hinted in the past that it's not her personal favorite.


"I hate 'Starships,' I mean ew, 'Starships?'" she candidly expressed during a 2020 Q&A at Pollstar Live, where she also mentioned regretting recording "Anaconda," another one of her mega-hits. "I'm like, 'Why did I do that?'" she reflected on "Starships." "I really think that every time I hear it." "Starships" peaked at No. 5 on the Hot 100 and had a 31-week run on the chart.

Recently dropping her highly anticipated fifth studio album, "Pink Friday 2," Minaj is now preparing for her Pink Friday 2 world tour set to kick off in March.