A spike in Spotify streams of Justin Bieber and Nicki Minaj‘s 2012 collaboration might just be attributed to recent drama between Bieber’s ex and his current wife.
Twitter music account Chart Data reports “Beauty and a Beat” earned 485,000 streams on March 2, marking the single’s biggest streaming day ever.
Despite being released 11 years ago, the sudden uptick in streams of the Canadian pop superstar’s EDM-pop is likely a result of the viral social media drama between Hailey Bieber and Selena Gomez.
In particular, Minaj’s rap verse has gone viral, especially on TikTok. On the song, Minaj raps about Bieber and Gomez’s then-romance:
In time, ink lines / B—hes couldn’t get on my incline / World tours, it’s mine / Ten little letters on a big sign / Justin Bieber, ou know I’mma hit ’em with the ether / Buns out, wiener / But I gotta keep an eye out for Selener!
Bieber and Gomez dated on and off between 2008 and 2018.
Social media is still buzzing with rumors and drama after Gomez responded to a seemingly shady, since-deleted TikTok originally posted by Hailey.
The video, which was a re-post of Hailey’s original video, showed Hailey having a “girl’s night” and lip-syncing to the sound: “I’m not saying she deserved it, but I’m saying God’s timing is always right.”
READ MORE: Kylie Jenner Denies She Made Fun of Selena Gomez
Many fans questioned the timing of Hailey’s video, particularly her use of the trending audio, as she originally posted the video right after Gomez was severely body-shamed online.
“It’s OK! I don’t let these things get me down! Be nice to everyone!” Gomez commented on the re-posted video.
After that, Gomez responded to a viral TikTok video that showed Hailey gagging at the mention of Gomez’s best friend Taylor Swift.
“So sorry, my best friend is and continues to be one of the best in the game,” Gomez reportedly commented on the video.
Gomez has since announced a social media break.
Watch Justin Bieber’s “Beauty and a Beat” Music Video ft. Nicki Minaj:
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