Track Review: Nicki Minaj & Doja Cat Unite for "Say So" Remix

In an overwhelmingly crowded release weekend, remixes have somehow managed to dominate the conversation. Megan Thee Stallion and Beyoncé blessed us with a remix to Suga's "Savage," and now Doja Cat and Nicki Minaj have joined forces for a remix of Hot Pink's "Say So." Hot Pink featured notable singles like "Juicy," "Rules," and "Cyber Sex," but like "Savage," Tik Tok helped lift "Say So" to new heights. The song currently ranks in the Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 and is poised to fly higher in the coming weeks. The "Say So" remix marks Nicki's second collaboration of 2020 so far following her appearance on Meghan Trainor's "Nice to Meet Ya," and her third overall release of the year following her acclaimed buzz single, "Yikes."

Nicki has been on countless remixes, but this one takes a step further to the classic definition of a remix. The song begins with Nicki delivering a quick vocal before launching into a rap verse with an unsurprisingly great flow. In the stacked verse, she references her recent social media absence ("Every time I take a break, the game be so boring"), rap influences ("Spittin' like Weezy, Foxy, plus Lauryn"), plastic surgery ("Word to my ass-shots, I'm so cheeky"), and of course how she "put the cookie on quarantine." The verse is stuffed with witty punchlines and double-entendres, and it's a reminder that 12 years in, Nicki can still deliver. Nicki's new verse replaces Doja's first verse on the original track leaving just her second verse. This rearrangement was smart as "Say So" shifts from a pop song with one rap verse to a rap-centric song with a sung chorus. Unlike Megan, who delivered new verses on the "Savage" remix, Doja does not add anything new to the "Say So" remix. However, Nicki does return for an excellent outro that has sparked controversy across social media. On the song's outro, the Queens rapper spits:

"Why you talkin' 'bout who body fake?
With all them fillers in your face, you just full of hate
That real ass ain't keep your nigga home
Now you lookin' silly, that's word to silicone"

No word yet on who Nicki is referencing, but she has confirmed that she is not dissing Wendy Williams.

Overall, the remix is enjoyable and after "Hot Girl Summer," it was nice seeing the person who carried female rap for the past decade join one of the new rising queens of the genre on a track again.

Score: 60