Nicki Minaj
Nicki Minaj, Jessie J and Ariana Grande (from left) perform "Bang Bang" during the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards in Inglewood, California, Aug. 24, 2014. Reuters

Are Nicki Minaj, Jessie J and Ariana Grande asserting and owning their sexuality in their catchy new song, “Bang Bang,” or are they simply being provocative? That is the question after the three singers released the visuals for their hit single on Tuesday. Scantily clad in a bra and jumper, Jessie J opens up the song by saying, “She got a body like an hourglass/But I can give it to you all the time.”

Not to be outdone, Ariana Grande is first shown lying on a mattress, wearing a white crop top, high-waisted underwear and heels. “No, I don't need to hear you talk the talk/Just come and show me what your momma gave,” she sings while holding a pink bullhorn with the word “Bang” inscribed on it in all caps.

But wait, there’s more. The chorus states, “Bang, bang into the room/I know you want it/Bang, bang all over you/I'll let you have it/Wait a minute, let me take you there/Wait a minute til you.../Bang, bang there goes your heart/I know you want it/Back, backseat of my car/I'll let you have it.”

On one hand, it can be argued that women feeling comfortable expressing their sexuality is empowering, as there is a societal notion that if a woman talks about sex and enjoys it, then she must be promiscuous. On the other hand, is a nearly four-minute video with women barely dressed and talking about having sex in the back seat really a feminist manifesto?

Minaj shows off her curves in the video, stepping out of a helicopter in a leopard mini-skirt and leather corset.

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“Kitten so good/It's dripping on wood/Get a ride in the engine that could,” she raps.

And what would a Minaj video be without her showing off her famous bottom?

She does so later in the video, wearing a yellow bodycon skirt and colorful bra, as Jessie J and Ariana Grande show off their assets on a helicopter pad.

What are your thoughts? Is “Bang Bang” enlightening or demeaning? Sound off in the comment section below.