There’s nothing better than listening to your favourite pop/rap queen. That is, only trumped by when they reference video games in their songs. We’ve seen a lot of new music this year make reference to video games. Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, and Sabrina Carpenter are some musicians who have mentioned video games in their 2024 songs. But let’s go back a bit further – here are 20 video game references made by your favourite pop/rap queens.
WARNING: Some of these songs contain language or references to adult themes. Reader discretion is advised.
1. Video Games – Lana Del Rey
Open up a beer and you say, “Get over here
And play a video game”
I’m in his favorite sundress, watching me get undressed
Take that body downtown
I say, “You the bestest,” lean in for a big kiss, put his favorite perfume on
“Go play your video game”
Lana Del Rey’s breakthrough hit Video Games is a pop ballad from her sophomore album, Born To Die. The song is about being ignored by your significant other but still resolving to love them.
2. Cookie Jar – Doja Cat
“Fuck talkin’, she record that, Pokémon Go, you Snorlax
Swear they been sleepin’ on me, I give you Hollywood tease“
Cookie Jar by Doja Cat is a track off of her debut album, Amala. Doja Cat raps about the music industry sleeping on her and mentions Pokémon Go, but more specifically, Snorlax, a Pokémon who is known for sleeping.
3. HOV Lane – Nicki Minaj
N-N-N-Nintendo and we in the end zone
I don’t give a fuck, ho, like we in the friend zone
What the fuck it look like? What the fuck it’s hittin’ fo’?
Tell ’em bitches, “Y-y-y-y-you you ain’t about that life”
Nintendo and we in the end zone
I don’t give a fuck, ho, like we in the friend zone
HOV Lane is a track on Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded. Minaj references Nintendo in the song’s Bridge.
4. 1999 – Charli XCX & Troye Sivan
In 1999, Charli XCX and Troye Sivan made many references to pop culture in the year 1999, including a reference to The Sims at 1:53 in the music video.
5. NINTENDHOE – Doja Cat
Doja Cat doesn’t shy away from video game references in her songs. NINTENDHOE was written and produced by Doja in her room during several livestreams on Instagram and features a plethora of video game references, including Xbox, GTA, Animal Crossing, Game Cube, 3DS, Sims 4, Fortnite, Chun-Li, Mortal Kombat, SSX, Spyro, Super Smash Bros., Kirby, Minecraft, Halo, Sonic, Donkey Kong, and Crash Bandicoot.
6. Childs Play – SZA & Chance the Rapper
Stuck in Nintendo, you’re the controller
Street Fighters and such
I yelled “finish him”
From the 2014 album “Z“, the song is performed by SZA and Chance the Rapper, who express their feelings of nostalgia, making references to Nintendo and Street Fighter.
7. G.U.Y. – Lady Gaga
In Lady Gaga’s music video for G.U.Y., a video game strongly resembling Minecraft is shown at 1:57. Funnily enough, the person who is playing this Minecraft-like game is skydoesminecraft.
8. Espresso – Sabrina Carpenter
Move it up, down, left, right, oh
Switch it up like Nintendo
Say you can’t sleep, baby, I know
That’s that me espresso
Espresso is one of 2024’s biggest hits and made Sabrina Carpenter a household name. Sabrina references and mentions the Nintendo Switch in the chorus of the song.
9. Confetti – Sia
I watched you slip, slip away, no explanation
You on your phone, your laptop and your PlayStation
From Sia’s 2016 album, This Is Acting, Confetti is about Sia questioning whether or not she’d rather break off an engagement or commit and get married. In the pre-chorus, she mentions that her significant other is always on their PlayStation.
READ: 20 Of The Best Video Game Soundtracks Of All Time
10. Need To Know – Doja Cat
Tryna see if you could handle this ass
Prolly give his ass a panic attack
Sorry if I gave a random erection
Prolly thinkin’ I’m a telekinetic
Oh, wait, you a fan of the magic?
Poof, pussy like an Alakazam
From Doja Cat’s critically acclaimed album Planet Her. In the second Verse, Doja Cat raps, “Sorry if I gave a random erection, Prolly thinkin’ I’m a telekinetic”, and then references Alakazam, a psychic-type Pokémon.
11. So High School – Taylor Swift
Truth, dare, spin bottles
You know how to ball, I know Aristotle
Brand new, full throttle
Touch me while your bros play Grand Theft Auto
While not confirmed, So High School from THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT: THE ANTHOLOGY is rumoured to be about Taylor Swift’s most recent relationship with Travis Kelce. She makes reference to her man’s bros playing Grand Theft Auto.
12. Godzilla – Kesha
I try to explain that he’s mostly tame
As long as there’s pizza and video games
That’s what you get when you take Godzilla to meet your mom
Kesha mentions video games in her self-love anthem, Godzilla, from her third studio album, Rainbow.
13. Agora Hills – Doja Cat
‘Cause love is pain, but I need this shit (Yeah)
We fuck too good when the bean kicks in
Like Fortnite, I’ma need your skin (Yeah)
Don’t give a fuck where the penis been (Uh)
Agora Hills was one of the biggest songs of 2023. From Doja Cat’s Scarlet album, Agora Hills mentions Fortnite and how she needs her man’s “Skin“, referencing Fortnite‘s cosmetic items. This is a double entendre if I’ve ever heard one.
14. ilomilo – Billie Eilish
Billie Eilish’s song ilomilo is named after a game of the same name. ilomilo is a 2010 puzzle game where the player must unite “Ilo” and “Milo,” small round characters on separate ends of the level who require teamwork to meet at the end.
Not video game related, but Billie Eilish released a song titled CHIHIRO this year, which is named after Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away character.
15. eternal sunshine – Ariana Grande
I’ll be the first to say, “I’m sorry”
Now you got me feelin’ sorry
I showed you all my demons, all my lies
Yet you played me like Atari
Ariana Grande’s song eternal sunshine from the 2024 album of the same name makes a reference to Atari.
16. Chun-Li – Nicki Minaj
I-I-I been on, bitch, you been corn
Bentley tints on, Fendi prints on
Ayo, I been north, Lara been Croft
Plates say Chun-Li, drop the Benz off
Chun-Li is a track from Nicki Minaj’s album Queen. The song is named after the first female fighter on Street Fighter, Chun-Li. The song also name drops Lara Croft AKA Tomb Raider.
17. Streets – Doja Cat
We play our fantasies out in real life ways and
No Final Fantasy, can we end these games though?
Doja Cat’s Streets from her 2019 sophomore album Hot Pink mentions Final Fantasy in the second Verse.
18. Boys – Charli XCX
Boys by Charli XCX has no references to video games lyrically but regularly samples the coin collection sound from Super Mario Bros..
19. 911 – Lady Gaga
Lady Gaga loves to reference video games, previously tweeting about Bayonetta and Fortnite. In the 911 (Short Film) video, one of the main characters of the film (pictured left of Gaga below) is wearing a necklace with a Witcher medallion on it. Even the official The Witcher X account recognised the Easter Egg.
20. Nintendo Game – Alessia Cara
This is taking longer than Zelda
Hold on, what I meant was
Is it too late to get a 1-up?
Nintendo Game is a track from Alessia Cara’s second album, The Pains Of Growing. The song references many Nintendo games, including The Legend of Zelda, Mario Kart and more.
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