Starships

"Starships" is a song by American rapper and singer Nicki Minaj, from her second studio album Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded (2012). It was released on February 14, 2012 by Young Money, Cash Money, and Universal Republic as the lead single from the album. The song was written by Minaj, Nadir Khayat, Carl Falk, Rami Yacoub, and Wayne Hector, and it was produced by RedOne, Yacoub, and Falk. The song peaked inside the top five in over fifteen countries, and also achieved a Billboard milestone, debuting in the U.S. top 10 and spending a total of 21 consecutive weeks there. "Starships" has been certified six-times platinum in the U.S, becoming her second-highest certified single as a solo artist in the region. In the country, it has sold 4.5 million copies as of 2014. It is among the best-selling singles of all time worldwide, with 7.2 million copies sold, as of December 2012. Minaj has performed the song live in a number of appearances, and it was the encore performance on the Pink Friday: Reloaded Tour. The corresponding music video was shot on Oahu Island, Hawaii. Directed by Anthony Mandler, the video features Minaj on a beach in a bikini, and near the end of the video, it shows her at a party, dancing to the song. The music video was well received by music critics, many praising the kaleidoscopic effects in the video and the carefree atmosphere. With all the success, the song has also sparked controversy surrounding a pulled live performance. The song was included in the 2012 video game Dance Central 3 and it is included in the best-selling video game Just Dance 2014. It is also one of the select few songs available on Just Dance 2014's demo version. In September 2013, electronic artist Clive Tanaka filed suit against Minaj and the writers of the song, claiming it infringed on his own composition and recording, "Neu Chicago",[1] but the lawsuit was later dismissed.[2] The video for "Starships" also won Best Female Video at the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards.[3] The song also contains samples of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star".