The Meaning Behind “Super Bass” by Nicki Minaj

Attention all Barbz—we are here to give you the scoop behind Nicki Minaj’s smash hit “Super Bass.”

Videos by American Songwriter

“Super Bass” was co-written by Minaj along with Ester Dean, Roahn Hylton, D. Johnson, Esther Dean, Jeremy Coleman, and produced by Kane Beatz. The song mixes bubblegum pop with pop-rap and a touch of electronic influences. But, what does Minaj mean when she says This one is for the boys with the booming system? What’s the story behind “Super Bass?” We are here to tell you. Let’s dive in. 

This one is for the boys with the booming system / Top down, AC with the cooler system / When he come up in the club, he be blazin’ up / Got stacks on deck like he savin’ up / And he ill, he real, he might gotta deal / He pop bottles and he got the right kind of build, Minaj sings in the lyrics.

The Meaning Behind the Song Lyrics of “Super Bass”

“‘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,” Nicki Minaj tells of the meaning, in an interview with MTV.

So, the boys Minaj is crushing over are the ones with the boomin’ system / Top down, AC / with the cooler system, or the ones with cars that are convertibles and have AC with the big speakers

“I just wanted to do something really colorful and cutesy. This is an icy world, it’s a sexy world, it’s a playful world. Of course, I have lots of eye candy for my girls and my boys,” Minaj continued about the topic of the “Super Bass” music video. 

The “Super Bass” After Effect

“Super Bass” became one of Nicki Minaj’s greatest hits and continues to grow in its accolades. It first debuted on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 at No. 98. The week after it debuted, the song jumped 50 spots to 48. That same week, the song entered the Billboard Hot Rap Songs and Hot digital songs at 25 and 31. Finally, in week 14, “Super Bass” finally rose to three on the Hot 100 chart. The song kept its popularity as it lasted 39 weeks on the Hot 100 chart until 2012. “Super Bass” remained in the top 50 for 38 of those weeks. 

The song went eight times platinum by December of 2013 and was certified diamond in November of 2021, selling 10 million units in the U.S.

What’s Queen Nicki Minaj Up To Now? 

Minaj recently released her single “We Go Up,” featuring Fivio Foreign, and “Bussin” with Lil Baby. She is also set to perform at Essence Festival, which takes place from June 30 to July 3 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Essence Festival celebrates its magazine counterpart that is aimed toward African-American women. 

Go get ‘em, Nicki Minaj. You can watch the music video for “Super Bass” below.