Songs by major artists like Rihanna and the Beastie Boys have appeared in the Star Trek franchise. One Nicki Minaj song needs to be included in the series. The song might feel a little on-the-nose for Star Trek. However, sometimes, the obvious move is the right move.
A Nicki Minaj song would make for a good ‘Star Trek’ joke
When fans think of Star Trek, they think of a technologically advanced future, progressive politics, and philosophical storytelling. Of course, a lot of Star Trek material is intentionally humorous. One of the franchise’s most beloved movies, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, is a straight-up comedy. On top of that, the recent show Star Trek: Lower Decks is a combination of Gene Roddenberry’s sensibilities and Seth MacFarlane’s. It wouldn’t be out of the question for the franchise to include some silly gags.
With that in mind, Minaj’s “Starships” should probably appear in a Star Trek movie or television series at some point. The inclusion of the track would be a tad ridiculous. So are Tribbles.
Nicki Minaj might be too overexposed for ‘Star Trek’ right this minute
Of course, this idea might work better if the franchise waits to implement it. Right now, “Starships” is a well-remembered single from one of the defining artists of the 2010s. Using the song in a science fiction film might elicit more groans than chuckles.
Perhaps it would be best for Star Trek to wait a decade or two for the song to fade from memory before using it. That way, the older generation will get a nostalgia bomb from its use, while the younger generation will get introduced to one of the poppiest songs of all time. Star Trek has never been completely cut off from pop culture, and everyone would remember a well-placed Minaj joke in a Star Trek movie.
What the legendary producer behind the song was thinking
During a 2016 interview with SongwriterUniverse, RedOne, the legendary producer behind “Starships,” explained how the track came together. “When I write for other artists, I do write specifically for the artist I’m working with — working with their identity, with their styles, to combine my musicality with them,” he said.
“With ‘Starships’ and ‘Pound the Alarm,’ I was in Europe, and it was in December, right before Christmas,” he recalled. “I was happy that Nicki called me. She said, ‘I need hits…global hits.’ She’d already had hits in America, but she wanted to go global. I sent her the songs the day after Christmas. And before New Year’s, we were in the studio working together. It was incredible.”
RedOne admitted “Starships” was a change of pace for the “Anaconda” superstar. “I remember that ‘Starships’ was different — a lot of people said it was different for her,” he said. “You know, I think that’s what made it more special. It was giving her something different that she could take to the next level. It turned out to be the right song for her. She heard the song and said she loved it. She just did it quick; we recorded it, and boom.”
“Starships” was something different for Minaj and it could be something different for Star Trek.
