Jessie J is one of those pop stars who suffers from the Rita Ora effect; you know who she is, but you’d be hard pressed to name some of her hits. Her biggest song to date is 2014's “Bang Bang,” in part because of some major company on the track (Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj), but it turns out that the most effective way to make headlines after middlingly-reviewed albums is by inadvertently starting a feud with another rich and famous person. Seven years after “Bang Bang” was overplayed on the radio, we’re being reminded the song exists because Jessie J shared some inaccurate details about how it came together.
In a recent interview with Glamour, Jessie J said “Bang Bang” was written by Max Martin, and after the song was played to her and Grande, they decided to collaborate. Then Minaj joined. “Nicki was played it in the studio and was like, ‘I’ve got to jump on this.’ We didn’t go to her and ask; she wanted to do it,” says the singer. But Minaj was quick to correct Jessie J in a now-deleted tweet, writing, “Babe @JessieJ I didn’t hear the song and ask 2get on it. The label asked me2get on it and paid me. How would I have heard the song chiiille what am I the damn song monitor Snoopin around for songs chile This was said by another artist recently as well. Yallgotta stop LoveU.”
Being told by Minaj herself that she was asked to join—and didn’t ask to be part of “Bang Bang”—should be mortifying enough, but Jessie J also didn’t know that Grande had actually co-written the song. So, instead of just hoping the Barbz would forget and it’d just blow over, Jessie J took to Instagram to issue an apology:
From the moment I met you to now I have shown you nothing but love and gratitude for how f***ing blessed I was to have you and @arianagrande who btw wrote Bang Bang with the insanely talented Max Martin which I found out today. Jesus. What a day. Sorry Ari. I never knew. Wild.
“I felt like I had won a competition did back then and still do now.
I’m the first person to admit Bang Bang would NEVER have been what it was without you guys.
I’m sorry I got the story wrong all these years, I was told you heard the song and wanted to be on it by someone clearly gassing me up at the label. (Bless them and my naive ass) Thank you for clarifying I was wrong on that and Do it like dude Told me huh.
What a way for us to celebrate the 7 year anniversary of the song. Should we all go for dinner No… Probably not right.. Too soon Bang bang part two… No…. Ok got it. Do it like a dude remix Ok. I’ll stop.
Look, the song did its damn thing. I will never say you asked to be on the song ever again. Although all this drama means memes and man have the memes of me have kept me entertained all day. Swipe for a good old laugh.
Now everyone wins. Jessie J gets some attention while appeasing the Barbz with her apology, Nicki Minaj gets to prove her fanbase’s power and have Jessie J bow down to her, and Grande gets to keep peacefully go on with her life without getting involved in this bullshit.