12 years ago today, Jessie J, Ariana Grande, and Nicki Minaj released ‘Bang Bang.'
Through Republic Records, serving as the lead single from Jessie J's third album, 'Sweet Talker', and later added to the deluxe edition of 'Grande's My Everything.' Max Martin, Savan Kotecha, and Rickard Göransson wrote and produced the track — the same production trio behind Grande's earlier hit 'Problem' — with Minaj also credited as a co-writer. The twist: the song was originally written for Grande, who reportedly hated her own recording of it, prompting a Republic Records executive to bring in Jessie J and Minaj instead. When the label finally worked up the courage to send Grande the reworked version, she immediately wanted back in, insisting on adding her own verse.
Accounts differ on how Minaj joined: Jessie J has said Minaj heard the track in the studio and asked to jump on it, while Minaj publicly disputed that version on Twitter, denying she'd asked to be included that way. Once assembled, the...
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