Cyndi Lauper wasn't kidding when she boasted that "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" in 1983. On Sunday's "VH1 Divas Salute the Troops," 27 years after Lauper's declaration, two of this generation's fiercest female voices took over the oft-covered classic pop ode with a new kind of women's lib.
Nicki Minaj (who has already clearly drawn inspiration from Lauper, evident here with her puffy, white wig, colorful miniskirt, sky-high heels and blue tights) and Katy Perry (who opted to sport sexy camouflage garb, paired with a military-inspired hat) performed a slightly more sped-up, rock-and-roll version (though the tune's synthesized chords were still very much present).
(Click here to see photos from "VH1 Divas Salute The Troops".)
The Young Money MC — who also rocked the stage solo — not only aesthetically resembled Lauper with her off-kilter fashion sense, but vocally as well. (Earlier in the night, Perry had gone even more retro when she joined Keri Hilson and Jennifer Nettles for a cover of the World War II-era hit "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy.")
The stage set-up, complete with a live band and a big screen showing images that like, totally channeled the '80s, gave Minaj and Perry plenty of room to run around and, yes, have plenty of fun.
With a display of sisterhood that included a strut down the catwalk, both girls (as well as a gaggle of colorfully dressed dancers shimmying behind them) fulfilled Lauper's promise. The two hugged after the performance and gave the love right back to the audience, as Minaj cried, "Salute the troops!" to which Perry immediately complied.
What did you think of Nicki Minaj's and Katy Perry's duet of Cyndi Lauper's "Girls Just Want to Have Fun"? Let us know below in the comments section.
For photos, videos and info on how you can salute the troops, head to the "VH1 Divas Salute the Troops" page.