Nicki Minaj Is Dropping Two New Songs on Thursday

[HARDY]

Nicki Minaj is coming back after a long layoff with two songs dropping Thursday, she announced on Twitter today. The announcement was teased with a couple of quickly deleted posts counting down earlier this week.

The songs, each of which come with artwork, are called “Barbie Tings” and “Chun Li.”

She hasn’t released an album since 2014’s “The Pinkprint” but she’s been popping up on tracks with Lil Uzi Vert (“The Way Life Goes”), Travis Scott (“Krippy Kush (Remix)”), Yo Gotti (“Rake It Up”), and Migos with Cardi B (“Motorsport”). She also joined Migos’ Quavo on “She for Keeps” from Quality Control’s “Control the Streets Vol. 1” compilation.

She also got props recently from an unexpected corner: rocker Jack White, who told Clash Music that hip-hop is “the new punk rock,” and singled out Minaj’s song “Only” as a high-water mark for what he’s trying to accomplish.

“I mean, some of those lyrics are like, ‘Holy sh–!'” he said. “I, as an adult, listening to that by myself, am shocked at some of the words that I’m hearing. But it’s brilliant! It’s brilliant to be able to say whatever you want. I couldn’t get away with saying half of those things that Nicki Minaj says in that song.”