Chun-Li (song)

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"Chun-Li"
The cover art features the torso of Nicki Minaj, seated, wearing a bikini and a fur jacket, with a Chinese hairstyle. The single title appears written in both sides around her.
Single by Nicki Minaj
from the album Queen
ReleasedApril 12, 2018 (2018-04-12)
RecordedApril 2018
Studio
GenreEast Coast hip hop
Length3:11
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Reid
  • Minaj
Nicki Minaj singles chronology
"Barbie Tingz"
(2018) 		"Chun-Li"
(2018) 		"Anybody"
(2018)
Music video
"Chun-Li" on YouTube

"Chun-Li" is a song by rapper Nicki Minaj from her fourth studio album, Queen (2018). It was released on April 12, 2018, by Young Money Entertainment and Cash Money Records as the lead single from the album. It was solely written by Minaj and produced by Jeremy Reid. According to Minaj, Reid's name was added to the writing credits for adlibs and production.[1] Commercially, the song peaked at number 10 on the US Billboard Hot 100, reached the top 20 in Canada, and the top 30 in the United Kingdom. The song won the award for Best Hip-Hop Video at the 2018 MTV Video Music Awards.[2]

Background and release[edit]

In March 2017, Minaj released a three-single pack that included "Changed It" with Lil Wayne, "No Frauds" with Drake and Wayne, and "Regret in Your Tears", intended as lead singles for Queen but eventually did not make the final cut. On April 10, 2018, Minaj announced on Instagram that she would be releasing two new songs: "Barbie Tingz" and "Chun-Li" on April 12, and also posted cover artworks of the respective singles.[3][4] "Chun-Li", which takes its name from the Street Fighter character of the same name,[5] was released alongside the buzz single "Barbie Tingz" as a part of Minaj's upcoming fourth studio album Queen (2018) and made available for streaming and digital download on April 12 by Young Money Entertainment and Cash Money Records.[3][4] The release of songs landed on the 10th anniversary of Minaj's second mixtape, Sucka Free (2008).[6] On May 30, Minaj posted a video showing the making of the song, in preview of her upcoming documentary about the making of Queen set to air on HBO Max in 2021.[7][8]

Production[edit]

Chun-Li (2018)
A sample of the song, where the second interlude and the chorus can be heard.
Problems playing this file? See media help.

"Chun-Li" was produced by Atlanta-based record producer J. Reid for Chevi Muzic, alongside Minaj who was credited as a coproducer. According to him, Minaj wanted to deliver the type of "boom-bap" flavored beats that were reminiscent of the New York City hip hop scene during the 1980s and 1990s. The structural composition of the song primarily revolves around the intricate technique of slapping, various percussive instruments, and a minimalist arrangement of soundbeads that are also multilayered with an extensive orchestration of recurrent keyboard synths. Minaj linked with Reid in late December 2017, and later explained to him what kind of beat she wanted for the song. She then proceeded towards rapping it and give him the vibe. Reid made about 13 different beats, and Minaj picked out the one that she wanted. The song was done in early April 2018, including writing, production, mixing, and mastering.[6]

Lyrically, Minaj "rails" (criticizes) her online detractors and alludes to the negative circulation and press surrounding the track. "They need rappers like me! So they can get on their fucking keyboards and make me the bad guy, Chun-Li," she declares in the second interlude.[9][10]

Music videos[edit]

A vertical music video[11] for the song was released on April 13, 2018, via Minaj's YouTube channel.[12] It is a video montage of videos filmed by Minaj while holding her phone vertically. In the visual, Minaj recites the lyrics of the song while posing on a couch, but relinquishes control of her phone for a couple of runway-like shots.[13]

On April 27, Minaj released a teaser to promote the official music video. However, she confirmed on her Instagram that the teaser was not related in any way to the music video and is rather a video of her and Aliya Janell, the choreographer of the official video, doing a freestyle dance to the song.[14]

The full accompanying video of the song was released on May 4, with the subtitle 春麗, which translates to Chun-Li.[15] Directed by Steven Klein through Good Company Pictures,[16] it features what Klein deemed East Asian-esque futuristic/superhero-inspired outfits.[17] The video won the Best Hip-Hop Video at the 2018 MTV Video Music Awards,[18] and was nominated for Best Hip-Hop at the MTV Europe Music Awards and has over 160 million views on YouTube.[19] Despite this, the video was accused of perpetuating East Asian stereotypes and appropriating East Asian culture by prominent media outlets such as Cosmopolitan and Teen Vogue.[20][21][22]

Critical reception[edit]

Bianca Gracie of Billboard said "Minaj sounds cocky in the best way […] she resurrects her Nicki the Ninja alter-ego by assassinating the horn-driven beat with her lyrical wordplay, switching accents with ease."[23] Jon Caramanica of The New York Times said, "these are sparring records–loose, pugnacious, a little uncentered […] 'Chun-Li' swaggers with the authority of the mid-90s. As is the norm, Ms. Minaj aims shots at unnamed antagonists, but in the past, that bluster felt truly targetless. But now, for the first time since the beginning of her career, there's someone who might plausibly shoot back, and win."[24] John Kennedy from XXL said the song is "open enough for Nicki [Minaj] to get her bars off à la her mixtape days."[6] Maeve McDermott of USA Today said, "Chun-Li sees Nicki out for blood, with the track named after a Street Fighter character who seeks revenge after her father's murder."

Commercial performance[edit]

"Chun-Li" debuted at number 92 on the US Billboard Hot 100 after a day of tracking, with 20,000 downloads sold and 3.5 million streams, and four days of radio airplay.[25] It ascended to number 10 the following week, selling 38,000 copies and earning 22.1 million streams.[26] The song became Minaj's sixth top 10 entry as a lead artist–and her first solo single to enter that region since "Anaconda" in 2014–and 16th overall, extending her record for most top 10 singles among female rappers.[27] "Chun-Li" also logged the greatest jump on the Hot 100, 82 positions, since Katy Perry's "Roar" (2013) jumped 83 spots following a full tracking week.[26] It fell 38 positions to number 48 in its third week.[28] On its fifth week, the song re-entered the top 20 of the chart jumping to number 19. It was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on July 30, 2018 for 1 million equivalent units moved.[29]

Outside the United States, "Chun-Li" reached the top 20 in Canada, the top 30 in France and the United Kingdom.

Live performances[edit]

Minaj first performed "Chun-Li" live during Future’s set at Rolling Loud Festival in Miami on May 13, 2018.[30] She also performed the song during her Saturday Night Live season finale appearance on May 19.[31] She performed a medley of "Chun-Li" and "Rich Sex" on the BET Awards 2018 held on June 23.[32]

Other versions[edit]

American rappers Juelz Santana,[33] BlocBoy JB,[34] and Baby Soulja[35] recorded their own freestyles over the song's beat.

Credits and personnel[edit]

Credits and personnel adapted from Queen album liner notes.[36]

Recording

Personnel

  • Nicki Minaj – vocals, co-production
  • J. Reid – production
  • Aubry "Big Juice" Delaine – record engineering
  • Laura Bates – record engineering assistance
  • Lucas Lyle – record engineering assistance
  • Iván Jiménez – record engineering assistance

Charts[edit]

Certifications[edit]

Certifications for "Chun-Li"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[50] 2× Platinum 140,000‡
Canada (Music Canada)[51] Gold 40,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[52] Gold 400,000‡
United States (RIAA)[53] Platinum 1,000,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history[edit]

Release dates for "Chun-Li"
Region Date Format Label Ref.
Various April 12, 2018
[54][55]
United States April 2018 Rhythmic radio [56]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "🥳 yup. ChunLi AND BarbieTingz were written by me from start to finish. i saw you guys talking about it. I could go down the list. Who wants me to? one writer & 1 producer. I also signed that producer. JReid — he's dope". Nicki Minaj - Twitter. Archived from the original on December 11, 2021. Retrieved December 12, 2021.
  2. ^ Berry, Peter A. (August 20, 2018). "Nicki Minaj's "Chun-Li" Wins Best Hip-Hop at 2018 MTV VMAs". XXL. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  3. ^ a b "Nicki Minaj Posts New 'Chun Li' and 'Barbie Tingz' Teasers". Billboard. April 10, 2018. Retrieved April 10, 2018.
  4. ^ a b India, Lindsey (April 10, 2018). "Nicki Minaj to Drop New Songs "Chun-Li" and "Barbie Tingz"". XXL. Retrieved April 28, 2018.
  5. ^ "Nicki Minaj's 'Chun-Li' isn't really about Chun-Li". Polygon. April 12, 2018. Retrieved May 1, 2018.
  6. ^ a b c Kennedy, John (April 16, 2018). "Studio Session: Why Producer J. Reid Channeled Boom-Bap for Nicki Minaj's New Singles". XXL. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
  7. ^ "Watch Nicki Minaj Create "Chun-Li" in Preview of New Documentary". XXL. May 30, 2018. Retrieved May 31, 2018.
  8. ^ Jones, Marcus. "Nicki Minaj announces a six-part docuseries inside her life is coming to HBO Max". EW.com. Retrieved December 16, 2021.
  9. ^ Schatz, Lake (April 12, 2018). "The Queens-raised rapper returns with not one, but two flashy cuts". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved April 13, 2018.
  10. ^ McDermott, Maeve. "Nicki Minaj returns with a vengeance on 'Chun-Li,' 'Barbie Tingz'". USA TODAY. Retrieved August 28, 2021.
  11. ^ "Nicki Minaj - Chun-Li (Vertical Video)". Retrieved December 16, 2021 – via YouTube.
  12. ^ "Nicki Minaj - YouTube". Retrieved December 16, 2021 – via YouTube.
  13. ^ Kreps, Daniel (April 14, 2018). "Watch Nicki Minaj's Selfie Video for 'Chun-Li'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on April 16, 2018. Retrieved April 14, 2018.
  14. ^ "Nicki Minaj Has Released a Teaser Video for "Chun Li"". Marie Claire. April 27, 2018. Retrieved April 28, 2018.
  15. ^ "Nicki Minaj Releases "Chun-Li" and "Barbie Tingz" Visuals". The Source. May 4, 2018. Retrieved May 9, 2018.
  16. ^ "Nicki Minaj Delivers Her Dance-Heavy Videos For "Chun-Li" & "Barbie Tingz"". Genius. May 4, 2018. Retrieved May 9, 2018.
  17. ^ "Nicki Minaj – Chin Li (Official Video)". Beating Beats. Archived from the original on May 9, 2018. Retrieved May 9, 2018.
  18. ^ Korsgaard, Mathias Bonde (May 18, 2017). Music Video After MTV. doi:10.4324/9781315617565. ISBN 9781315617565.
  19. ^ "Nicki Minaj - Chun-Li". Retrieved December 16, 2021 – via YouTube.
  20. ^ Senne, Busang (May 21, 2018). "Is Nicki Minaj's 'Chun Li' Problematic?". Cosmopolitan. Archived from the original on December 11, 2019. Retrieved December 11, 2019.
  21. ^ Yi, David (April 27, 2018). "The Chun Li Challenge is the Latest Example of Pop Culture Stereotyping Asian Culture".
  22. ^ Michael Harriot; Maiysha Kai (May 21, 2018). "Was Nicki Minaj's SNL Performance Cultural Appropriation?". The Root.
  23. ^ Gracie, Bianca (April 13, 2018). "Nicki Minaj's 'Barbie Tingz' & 'Chun-Li' Are the Return to Form We've Been Waiting For". Billboard. Retrieved April 16, 2018.
  24. ^ Caraminaca, Jon (April 13, 2018). "The Playlist: Nicki Minaj Is Ready to Rumble, and 11 More New Songs". The New York Times. Retrieved April 16, 2018.
  25. ^ Zellner, Xander. "Nicki Minaj's 'Barbie Tingz' & 'Chun-Li' Debut on Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved April 18, 2018.
  26. ^ a b Trust, Gary (April 23, 2018). "Drake's 'Nice for What' Holds Atop Billboard Hot 100, Nicki Minaj's 'Chun-Li' Vaults to Top 10". Billboard. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  27. ^ "Nicki Minaj's 'Chun-Li' Is Her First Solo Hot 100 Top 10 Since 'Anaconda' in 2014". Billboard. April 24, 2017. Retrieved May 1, 2018.
  28. ^ "Chun-Li by Nicki Minaj | The Hot 100 Chart". Billboard. Retrieved March 11, 2021.
  29. ^ "'Chun Li' from Nicki Minaj is Officially Platinum | The Source". The Source. July 31, 2018. Retrieved August 3, 2018.
  30. ^ "Watch Future Bring Out Nicki Minaj at Rolling Loud". Pitchfork. May 14, 2018. Retrieved May 14, 2018.
  31. ^ "Watch Nicki Minaj Bring 'Chun-Li,' Playboi Carti to 'SNL'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 20, 2018.
  32. ^ Reed, Ryan (June 25, 2018). "Nicki Minaj Performs Intense 'Chun Li,' 'Rich Sex' at BET Awards". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on June 26, 2018. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  33. ^ "Juelz Santana Freestyles Over Nicki Minaj's "Chun Li"". XXL. May 8, 2018. Retrieved May 18, 2018.
  34. ^ "BlocBoy JB Drops a Freestyle Over Nicki Minaj's "Chun-Li"". XXL. May 25, 2018. Retrieved May 25, 2018.
  35. ^ "Baby Soulja - Chun Li (Freestyle)". Spinrilla. Archived from the original on June 17, 2018. Retrieved June 17, 2018.
  36. ^ Queen (CD). Nicki Minaj. Young Money Entertainment/Cash Money Records/Republic Records. 2018. 602567809920.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  37. ^ "ARIA Chart Watch #469". Auspop. April 21, 2018. Archived from the original on September 21, 2020. Retrieved April 21, 2018.
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  49. ^ "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 2018". Billboard. Retrieved August 22, 2019.
  50. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2024 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
  51. ^ "Canadian single certifications – Nicki Minaj – Chun-Li". Music Canada. Retrieved May 31, 2018.
  52. ^ "British single certifications – Nicki Minaj – Chun-Li". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
  53. ^ "American single certifications – Nicki Minaj – Chun-Li". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved July 30, 2018.
  54. ^ "Chun-Li by Nicki Minaj". August 10, 2018. Retrieved August 15, 2018.
  55. ^ "Chun-Li by Nicki Minaj Music Video". August 10, 2018. Retrieved August 15, 2018.
  56. ^ "All Access". October 10, 2018. Retrieved October 10, 2018.
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