Meghan Trainor Explains How Nicki Minaj Collab Was Born & Hints At Upcoming Music Video

When it was announced on Tuesday that pop singer Meghan Trainer would be dropping a collab with one Ms. Nicki Minaj (or should we say, Mrs. Petty), some were confused. Didn’t Nicki announce her retirement from music this past September, much to the dismay of Barz around the world? While Nicki proved she wasn’t totally out of the game when she joined forces with Latin music star, Karol G in November for “Tusa,” this latest collab, titled “Nice To Meet Ya” begs the question of just how serious she was about that fateful tweet. Meghan Trainor also revealed that she wasn’t quite sure what possessed Nicki to make such a claim, when one of the hosts on The Real, Jeannie Mai, asked Meghan on Thursday’s show just how she “brought Nicki Minaj out of retirement.”

“I think that was just a fun tweet one day,” Meghan confessed. “She definitely—thank God—didn’t retire.” While this is becoming more and more evident, the reason for Nicki’s collab with Meghan’s stems from one specific detail they have in common. “I wrote this song and we knew, ‘Okay, this is the best one. We gotta run with this as a single,” Meghan explained. “And then, my management started managing [Nicki] and I was like, ‘Do you think we could play it for her?’ And then they did and I was like, ‘That’s just a bucket list dream-come-true if she even hears my song. And they said [that] she likes it and she wanted to write a rap to it.” Meghan then imitates crying to show how unreal the moment was for her before another host asks her what her experience was like working with Nicki.

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“Unbelievable, unbelievable,” Meghan responds. “We actually shot a music video together and I was freaking out—more nervous than being at the Grammys. This was my moment.” When asked what she learned about Nicki on set, Meghan says, “that she’s funny and really chill and hilarious. I made her laugh and I was like, ‘Oh my god!’ I’m funny.'” Meghan then describes a very heartfelt moment they shared together. “But she’s so real. I wanted to say one thing to her and I was like, ‘You’re an amazing songwriter. Everything you do is amazing but I just want to tell you, from a songwriter to a songwriter, you’re amazing.’ And she high-fived me!” Meghan and Nicki’s track, “Nice To Meet Ya” drops everywhere Friday, along with Meghan’s album, Treat Myself.