Bahm Bahm

"Bahm Bahm"
Song by Nicki Minaj
from the album Pink Friday 2
ReleasedDecember 8, 2023
GenreHip hop
Length2:21
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Kobang
  • Jess Carp
Audio video
"Bahm Bahm" on YouTube

"Bahm Bahm" is a song by rapper Nicki Minaj from her fifth studio album Pink Friday 2 (2023). The song is written by Minaj, and its producers Joshua Goods, and Jessica Carpenter. The song charted at number 95 on the BIllboard Hot 100.

Background and release

Initially supposed to be an outtake from Pink Friday 2, "Bahm Bahm" was first previewed by Nicki Minaj on her Instagram account, where she posted a video featuring the song on 10 October 2023.[1][2] She put the song up as a free download on her official website a few days later on 14 October.[2] Minaj shared on Instagram Live that the reason the song was scrapped from the album was that she "didn’t like it for her album".[3][4] The cover art of "Bahm Bahm" displays a pink crown.[5]

The song was illegally posted on streaming services before the release of Pink Friday 2, causing Minaj to demand it being taken down.[6][7] The illegal upload managed to reach number 14 on Apple Music's top Hip-Hop and Rap Songs chart.[7]

Despite originally being scrapped from the album, "Bahm Bahm" made it to the final tracklist of Pink Friday 2 on 8 December 2023.[8][9]

Reception

Megan Armstrong from Uproxx took note on how the song's "beat is immediately enticing", and how Minaj "doubles down on her well-earned confidence" with some bars.[5] Hanif Abdurraqib from The New Yorker reflected on how Minaj "excels, as she often has, in finding the percussive element in her vocals, as on “Bahm Bahm,” where she emphasizes every consonant in the chorus, creating a kind of separate beat in the gaps between the song's drums".[10] Avery Heeringa from Study Breaks characterized the song as "bouncy" and assessed how it "showcases the Minaj fans know and love — one who effortlessly spits bar after bar atop a sparkling instrumental".[11] Emma Wilkes from NME encapsulated the song as "confident", describing how Minaj is on "characteristically sassy form" on the track.[12] Bernadette Giacomazzo from HipHopDX wrote that Minaj "fortifies her rap reign" with the song, calling it "flex-heavy".[2] Odunmorayo Oke from The Guardian outlined how the song has "hard-hitting beats" for those who like them.[13]

Charts

Chart performance for "Bahm Bahm"
Chart (2023) Peak
position
US Billboard Hot 100[14] 95
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[15] 27
US Hot Rap Songs (Billboard)[16] 25

References

  1. ^ Stickler, Jon. "Nicki Minaj Releases New Song Bahm Bahm - Stereoboard". Stereoboard.com. Retrieved 2024-05-03.
  2. ^ a b c Giacomazzo, Bernadette (2023-10-14). "Nicki Minaj Fortifies Her Rap Reign With New Flex-Heavy Track 'Bahm Bahm'". HipHopDX. Retrieved 2024-05-03.
  3. ^ "Nicki Minaj Shares New Song "Bahm Bahm": Listen". Stereogum. 2023-10-14. Retrieved 2024-05-03.
  4. ^ Horvath, Zachary (2023-10-14). "Nicki Minaj Drops Scrapped Track "Bahm Bahm" From "Pink Friday 2" On Her Website". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved 2024-05-03.
  5. ^ a b "Nicki Minaj Treated Barbz To 'Bahm Bahm,' Promised 'More Surprises'". UPROXX. 2023-10-14. Retrieved 2024-05-03.
  6. ^ Corrine, Amber (2023-11-22). "Nicki Minaj Speaks On Streaming Services After 'Pink Friday 2' Song Leaks". VIBE.com. Retrieved 2024-05-03.
  7. ^ a b Horvath, Zachary (2023-11-22). "Nicki Minaj Furious After Finding Out Unreleased "Bahm Bahm" Made Its Way To Streaming". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved 2024-05-03.
  8. ^ "Nicki Minaj's 'Pink Friday 2': Was It Worth The Wait?". Girls United. 2024-05-01. Retrieved 2024-05-03.
  9. ^ Mier, Tomás (2023-12-08). "Nicki Minaj Finally Delivers 'Pink Friday 2'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2024-05-03.
  10. ^ Abdurraqib, Hanif (2023-12-20). "Nicki Minaj's "Pink Friday" Sequel Is Pure Spectacle". The New Yorker. ISSN 0028-792X. Retrieved 2024-05-03.
  11. ^ Heeringa, Avery (12 December 2023). "REVIEW: NICKI MINAJ'S 'PINK FRIDAY 2' TAKES LISTENERS ON A TURBULENT FLIGHT TO GAG CITY". Study Breaks Magazine. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
  12. ^ Wilkes, Emma (2023-10-14). "Nicki Minaj drops confident new track 'Bahm Bahm'". NME. Retrieved 2024-05-03.
  13. ^ "Nicki Minaj Drops Fifth Studio Album "Pink Friday 2"". The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News. 2023-12-08. Retrieved 2024-05-03.
  14. ^ "Nicki Minaj Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
  15. ^ "Nicki Minaj Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
  16. ^ "Nicki Minaj Chart History (Hot Rap Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved May 3, 2024.