“Bang Bang” into the record books: Jessie/Ari/Nicki collab hits new YouTube milestone”Bang Bang” into the record books: Jessie/Ari/Nicki collab hits new YouTube milestone

Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic

“Bang Bang,” the 2014 all-star collaboration between Jessie J, Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj, has hit a new YouTube milestone.

The video has passed the 2 billion views mark, making it Jessie’s first to hit that number. Ariana and Nicki, meanwhile, had previously passed the 2 billion mark for their 2016 duet “Side to Side.”

“Bang Bang” was co-written by Ariana, Max Martin and others. According to an exec at Ari’s record label, she recorded it but didn’t like it, so the song was then sent to Jessie J, who decided to record her own version. The song was then sent to Nicki to add her verse, and when Ariana heard the finished product, she decided she wanted to be on it after all.

While “Bang Bang” never hit #1 — it peaked at #3 — it was nominated for a Grammy and won Best Collaboration at the MTV VMAs. It’s also been used in multiple TV shows and at least one commercial.

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