The video took place at Grande's R.E.M. Beauty launch event.
Nicki Minaj and Ariana Grande attend the 2018 MTV Video Music Awards at Radio City Music Hall on Aug. 20, 2018 in New York City. John Shearer/Getty Images for MTV
Nicki Minaj may not have been in attendance at Ariana Grande’s R.E.M. Beauty event in celebration of her new liquid eyeshadows, but the rapper was certainly there in spirit via TikTok star Nia Ivy.
The social media sensation, who boasts 1.2 million TikTok followers thanks to her hilarious parodies and impressions, shared a selfie-style video with Grande at the event. In the clip, Nia talks to the camera sounding exactly like Minaj, telling viewers, “Hey, you guys. Here at the R.E.M. Beauty — Ariana, what are you doing here?”
The camera then pans to the “Yes, And?” singer, who is seen covering her mouth with her hands in surprise. “It’s so good. I can’t even promote my products. It’s so good,” Grande tells her of the flawless impression.
Grande and Minaj are longtime collaborators. The duo first worked together in 2014 on the smash hit “Bang Bang” with Jessie J, followed by the “Get On Your Knees” collab from Minaj’s The Pinkprint album. In 2016, Minaj and Grande dropped “Side to Side” and had two songs together in 2018, “Bed” and “The Light Is Coming.”
It’s a busy few months for Grande, who also recently dropped the Brighter Days Ahead deluxe edition of her Billboard 200 chart-topping album, Eternal Sunshine, in late March. The extended edition of the original 13-song project features six new tracks, including “Twilight Zone,” “Warm,” “Dandelion,” “Past Life,” “Hampstead” and “Intro (End of the World) Extended,” a longer version of the emotional opening track on the original LP.