Nicki Minaj is spreading "Blessings" atop the Hot Gospel Songs chart.
According to Billboard, the Pink Friday 2 track "Blessings," featuring gospel singer Tasha Cobbs Leonard, debuted at No. 1 on the chart, despite the song not being released as an official single. The song marks Minaj's second collaboration with Leonard, six years after the two released "I'm Getting Ready" from Cobbs Leonard's Heart. Passion. Pursuit. The latter song also peaked at No. 1 on the Hot Gospel Songs chart.
Minaj and Cobbs Leonard linked up in June during a Los Angeles stop of Cobbs Leonard's It's Time Tour, which Minaj attended instead of the 2023 BET Awards on the same day.
In 2020, Cobbs Leonard spoke to Essence about collaborating with Minaj despite receiving backlash about working with a secular artist.
“I’ve seen the Nicki that is off the stage and that Nicki has a great relationship with God,” Cobbs Leonard said. “My assignment with this song was for a particular audience. Some [of the listeners] have never experienced God ever, and she exposed that audience in her way, to the God that she loves.”
Along with Cobbs Leonard, also featured on Pink Friday 2 are Lil Wayne, J. Cole, Lil Uzi Vert, Future, and more.
Spirituality runs in Minaj's family, as her mother, Carol Maraj, released a set of gospel songs in 2019.
