Barbie has arrived, and we don’t mean Margot Robbie. Well, OK, the actor is playing the famous doll in the Greta Gerwig film, but even Robbie couldn’t help but fangirl over the OG Barbie, the one and only Nicki Minaj, at the Los Angeles world premiere on July 9.
Both Robbie and her costar America Ferrera were more than thrilled to see Minaj on the pink carpet alongside them at the premiere. Minaj’s song, a updated, drill version of Aqua’s “Barbie Girl” with rapper Ice Spice called “Barbie World,” is one of the standout tracks of the movie’s soundtrack — and, according to President Barbie Issa Rae, the film’s end credits song.
Margot Robbie and Nicki Minaj at the premiere of Barbie in L.A. on July 9 GETTY IMAGES
Margot Robbie and Nicki Minaj at the premiere of Barbie in L.A. on July 9 GETTY IMAGES
Margot Robbie posed with the superstar on the carpet and even fixed her hair at one point. “That was iconic. I’m dying. I’m going to have to take a minute later to be like, ‘I actually got a picture with Nicki Minaj. That’s amazing,’” Robbie told Variety after meeting Minaj.
As for Ferrera, Minaj’s arrival actually interrupted an in-progress interview, and the actor’s excitement was contagious. “OH, IS THAT NICKI MINAJ?” the actor yelled upon seeing who was causing the commotion on the carpet. She then screamed and before laughing into the mic: “I can’t believe I just did that on-camera. That was so embarrassing.”
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“Her track on this album is unbelievable,” Ferrera continued, singing Minaj’s praises. “How could you take a track that already was so ingrained in people’s minds as one thing and make it the most amazing thing that we need for this movie and this moment? She’s a badass… I’m saying nightly prayers to every woman who is out there being who they are unapologetically. I feel like she’s one of them. You gotta love Nicki.”
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The admiration was mutual. Minaj herself called the experience a “full circle moment,” given that she’s been incorporating Barbie references into her aesthetic, branding, and songs since her mixtape days and calls her loyal fanbase the Barbz. You really can’t have a Barbie movie without Nicki Minaj. “I am so excited to be here and be a part of this entire moment,” the star told ET on the carpet. “I’m glad that they thought of me because I’m excited, just like everybody else is excited to see this movie.”