As big hits go, few could match the size or impact of 2014’s ‘Bang Bang.’
Headlined by Jessie J, Nicki Minaj, and Ariana Grande, the collaboration scorched charts across the globe and dominated way beyond its summer release.
Interestingly, details surrounding the track’s creation has come to light and reveals that Grande initially “hated” the song.
Details below…
The tea was spilled by Wendy Goldstein, the Executive VP/Head of Urban A&R at the trio’s label Republic Records. Speaking in an interview with Billboard, she said:
“It’s very rare that you sit on something for a long time — two, three, four years — and pull it back out again. If I think a song is strong, I try to flip it really quick. The best example of that was ‘Bang Bang.’ It was written for Ariana [Grande]. She cut it, and she hated it. So I sent it to [Republic executive vp Rob Stevenson], got Jessie J on it and then sent it to Nicki Minaj. I made them finish the record anyway. And then I was scared to send it to Ari. So I sent it to [Republic Records *chairman/CEO] Monte Lipman and said, ‘Play this for Ariana.’ When she heard it, she was like, ‘I want it back.'”
Intriguing.
Fair play to Ariana, though. Many of the biggest hits in history have been disliked by the artists recording them. Classics such as ‘Un-Break My Heart’ and ‘Like A Virgin.’
Still, when the returns are as colossal as they are, it ends up being a win for all.
Stories like this really remind of the “business” side of showbiz.