109 Songs Later, Nicki Minaj Gets Her First No. 1 Hit
At the end of one of the most thrilling Billboard chart races we’ve had since “Old Town Road,” Doja Cat and Nicki Minaj’s “Say So” remix earned the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100, beating out Megan Thee Stallion’s “Savage” remix with Beyoncé. “Say So” leaped from its No. 6 spot. (Both Bey and Nicki are credited on their respective remixes as their remixes drove the majority of the chart activity for the songs, per Billboard.) The “Savage” remix fought valiantly, but ultimately landed in the No. 2 spot. Doja Cat and Nicki Minaj each celebrate their first No. 1 on the Hot 100, which should shock and surprise you, given Nicki Minaj. The rapper now holds the record for longest wait for a No. 1 according to Billboard, with “Say So” being her 109th song on the charts, crushing Justin Bieber’s 47-song wait. Minaj has been vocal about her frustration with the charts, and haters have been vocal about using it against her. Even the queen of No. 1s, Mariah Carey, cited the charts to throw shade at Nicki Minaj in 2013. (But since we do not pit queens against one another, and since these two icons, along with Doja Cat, are the only women to have topped the Hot 100 this year … we won’t rehash that drama.) “Say So” had a long, winding journey from Doja Cat’s album Hot Pink, to TikTok viral dance trend (which is how it got its ’70s music video), and now all the way to Billboard No. 1.