Is Nicki Going Pop After All?

Get ready, Barbz! Nicki Minaj's new single, "Pills N Potions," is coming out on Wednesday. Ever since the release of Minaj's last studio album, the dance pop-infused Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, people have been endlessly speculating about her next musical move. Would she continue to make pop hits like "Super Bass" and "Starships"? Would she return to her rap roots? Or would she settle down somewhere in the middle?

After releasing promotional hip-hop tracks like "Chi-Raq" and "Lookin' Ass," losing her signature colorful wigs and wacky costumes, and recently telling MTV that her fans would absolutely not be hearing more songs like "Super Bass" on her new album, it certainly seems like Minaj is dead set on putting out much more serious, straightforward rap music from now on. Or does it?

On Monday night, pop producer Dr. Luke hinted on Twitter that he may have produced "Pills N Potions." If you weren't already aware, Dr. Luke, a.k.a. Lukasz Gottwald, is one of the most prevalent and successful pop music producers in the industry. He's responsible for crafting a large chunk of Katy Perry's discography ("California Gurls," "Teenage Dream," "Dark Horse," etc.), and he's worked with basically every major pop star you can think of (except Beyoncé...but I'm sure it'll happen eventually). What I'm trying to say is: Dr. Luke's a really big deal in pop. Maybe Minaj's return to rap isn't so certain after all?

But this story gets even juicier! In addition to teasing that he may have produced "Pills N Potions," Dr. Luke also tweeted songwriter Ester Dean about the song on Monday night. Dean, who is probably best known for creating a ton of hit songs for Rihanna (and starring in 2012's Pitch Perfect), also happens to be the co-writer of...wait for it..."Super Bass"! I thought we weren't going to hear any more songs like "Super Bass," Nicki? Granted, both Dr. Luke and Dean have worked in other genres in the past, but their biggest hits are pop songs.

Keep in mind, all of this information is unconfirmed at the moment, but if it turns out to be true, Minaj might be put in a very interesting situation, indeed. Of course, this is happy news for me. I've always thought that it would be silly for Minaj to do a complete 180 and ignore her obvious talent for creating pop music.

There's one more important facet to this unfolding story: if Dr. Luke turns out to indeed be the producer of Minaj's long-awaited lead single, "Pills N Potions," it will show the world that, despite Kesha-gate, he's still able to land high-profile gigs. (Dr. Luke was accused by Pebe Sebert, Kesha's mother, of making cruel comments about the "Tik Tok" singers' weight, allegedly contributing to her need to spend time in a rehab facility for an eating disorder earlier this year.) At this point, Sebert's accusations against Dr. Luke are just that — accusations — but it's interesting to note that Kesha's peers are not avoiding the producer. For Dr. Luke, everything appears to be business as usual.

Minaj's new single, "Pills N Potions," is set to premiere on Wednesday morning. What will the song sound like? I'm dying to know!