The song peaked inside the top five in over fifteen countries , and also achieved a '' Billboard '' milestone , debuting in the U.S. top 10 and spending a total of 21 consecutive weeks there . " Starships " has been certified six-times platinum in the U.S , becoming her second-highest certified single as a solo artist in the region . In the country , it has sold 4.5 million copies as of 2014 . It is among the best-selling singles of all time worldwide , with 7.2 million copies sold , as of December 2012 . Minaj has performed the song live in a number of appearances , and it was the encore performance on the Pink Friday : Reloaded Tour . The corresponding music video was shot on Oahu Island , Hawaii . Directed by Anthony Mandler , the video features Minaj on a beach in a bikini , and near the end of the video , it shows her at a party , dancing to the song . The music video was well received by music critics , many praising the kaleidoscopic effects in the video and the carefree atmosphere . With all the success , the song has also sparked controversy surrounding a pulled live performance . The song was included in the 2012 video game '' Dance Central 3 '' and it is included in the best-selling video game '' Just Dance 2014 '' . It is also one of the select few songs available on '' Just Dance 2014 '' s demo version . In September 2013 , electronic artist Clive Tanaka filed suit against Minaj and the writers of the song , claiming it infringed on his own composition and recording , " Neu Chicago " , but the lawsuit was later dismissed . The video for " Starships " also won Best Female Video at the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards . The song also contains samples of " Twinkle Twinkle Little Star "
2012 MTV Video Music Awards
2012 MTV Video Music Awards
Starships (song)