Nicki Minaj lit up the TIME 100 Gala Tuesday evening, singing hits including “The Crying Game,” “Truffle Butter,” “Moment 4 Life” and the song she recorded with Beyoncé “Feeling Myself.”
Ariana Grande mouthed along to the lyrics as Minaj performed.
The superstar paused her performance to praise the women in the room. “If you don’t need a man to buy you a car or a house, make some mother-f—ing noise,” she said.
She went on to send a message to the men in the room: “If you don’t know how to treat your woman, there are 100 dudes lined up ready to treat her like a queen.”
She then dedicated “Anaconda” to Joe Biden and Donald Trump. “I’m very political and I would like to dedicate a song in the spirit of unity to Joe Biden and Donald Trump,” she said, laughing as “Anocanda” came on. At the end she asked, “Who do you think likes the biggest butts? Donald Trump or Joe Biden? Trump?”
She concluded with “Super Bass.”
Minaj, who appeared on one of six TIME 100 covers, recently completed a tour.
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Why Trump’s Message Worked on Latino Men
- What Trump’s Win Could Mean for Housing
- The 100 Must-Read Books of 2024
- Sleep Doctors Share the 1 Tip That’s Changed Their Lives
- Column: Let’s Bring Back Romance
- What It’s Like to Have Long COVID As a Kid
- FX’s Say Nothing Is the Must-Watch Political Thriller of 2024
- Merle Bombardieri Is Helping People Make the Baby Decision
Write to Eliana Dockterman at eliana.dockterman@time.com