Regardless of sustaining her cultural presence many of the whereas, Cardi B has gone a very long time and not using a new LP – till now. ‘AM I THE DRAMA?’ proves to be a worthy follow-up to ‘Invasion of Privateness’ and preserves its predecessors key strengths within the manufacturing, visitor options, and angle departments.
Stream: ‘AM I THE DRAMA?’ – Cardi B
When a serious music artist goes a friggin’ very long time with out releasing a brand new album, all kinds of explanations are likely to abound as to why.
Have they misplaced their inventive spark? Are they out of music concepts? Is their private life getting in the way in which an excessive amount of? And so forth and so forth.
It’s not so usually that this one ever emerges from the litter: possibly it simply took them fairly some time – years, even – to decide on the 15-odd songs that they needed to contemplate their album prepared for launch. However that’s simply what Cardi B has been claiming within the buildup to AM I THE DRAMA? She’s had her fair proportion of rocky occasions over the prolonged interim since her 2018 debut album, Invasion of Privateness – a divorce and assault prices amongst them – however in the end, she’s not attributing the delay of her sophomore effort to any of that. Merely put, she was simply very selective about what songs would make the reduce and it took her the higher a part of a decade to land on the tracklist that greatest matched her imaginative and prescient.
Which will appear considerably far-fetched, however given the age vary of those songs – some had been recorded six years in the past; others, merely just a few months again– it appears cheap to take her phrase for it. And that’s much more true as a result of the music right here is impressively high-quality; Cardi reportedly had 60 songs to select from for this album, and the victorious 25% could be readily loved by hip-hop followers far and broad.
Ms. B’s angle, supply and functionality on the mic stay as commendable now as they had been when she first ascended into the sport within the late 2010’s. Instantly on lead observe, “Useless,” she informs all of her would-be rivals to not even hassle making the try. “Can’t compete with me, I’m not the one,” she declares. “By no means good to beef with me, what can I say?” This is only one of many cases the place Cardi B lays to relaxation any doubt that she could have gotten “mushy” in any manner throughout her day without work.
Typically, she calls out her detractors basically (“I imply in truth, what can these b****es even do with me?”) and generally, her rage is directed extra pointedly at a handful of specific foes. Bia, a latest foe of Ms. B, is topic to a very scathing diss observe on “Fairly & Petty”– “I’d quite die on the surgical procedure desk earlier than I gotta stroll round her trying such as you.” Plus, her dishonest ex-husband is proven no mercy (why would he deserve any?) on the music “What’s Goin’ On” (“What’s goin’ on? I ain’t by no means knew you. Didn’t take into consideration givin’ up too quickly”).
Whereas all this venom and braggadocio arguably will get stretched a bit of skinny over the course of 20+ tracks, Cardi B has sufficient MC abilities to make all of it a compelling pay attention all through most of its 70 minutes. The album’s manufacturing – carried by the likes of seasoned Cardi collaborators Pardison Fontaine and Vinylz, together with some new members of her inside squad like TM88 and Smash David – elevates the enjoyment worth of Am I the Drama? as nicely.
From the “Health” remix with Bruno Mars to her bilingual team-up with Unhealthy Bunny and J. Balvin on “I Like That,” fiery and revolutionary vocal collaborations had been all the time amongst Cardi B’s robust fits all through Spherical I of her profession.
Relaxation assured, that very a lot has remained the way in which in Spherical II. Kehlani, who beforehand partnered with Cardi on Invasion of Privateness spotlight “Ring,” returns for a worthy follow-up on “Protected.”
Rising South African singer Tyla stops by for a memorable characteristic on “Good Man,” some of the lighthearted numbers right here, on which she invitations the person she’s deemed “Mr. Proper Man” to “come keep for good as a result of I need all of you for tonight.”
On the opposite finish of the celebrity spectrum, Selena Gomez delivers a melodic chorus on “Choose It Up,” on which she provides helpful recommendation to an artist seven years faraway from her final LP: “Choose it up, the place we left off. Can’t give it up, I’ve been missin’ ya.”
One of many extra shocking options right here is Janet Jackson – as soon as one of many main titans of pop music, however now 20-odd years faraway from her final smash hit. However J.J. does her half on the pleasurable “Principal,” even when her presence primarily consists of some “oh-uh-ohs” as opposed to an entire verse. It was sufficient to make her the uncommon artist to look on the Billboard Scorching 100 in 5 completely different many years, at any fee.
Like Woman Gaga did earlier this yr with “Die With a Smile,” Cardi B takes what had been initially meant to be standalone singles and tacks them on to the tip of her new album, principally as bonus tracks.
Loads of ink has already been spilled about “Up” and “WAP” (particularly about “WAP,” oh man), so for now, let’s simply say that these #1 singles from the early 2020s slot in nicely with the provocative ambiance of AM I THE DRAMA?, and likewise contribute the “right here’s one of the best stuff Cardi has recorded during the last six years” theme of the album.
For those who go together with the “ErrTime Version,” you’ll even be handled to at least one final observe within the type of a fiery remix with Latto, who emerged as some of the compelling feminine MC’s within the recreation throughout Cardi B’s absences, and appears prone to retain that title now that the latter has returned eventually.
“I’m Cardi B, shorty, who you wanna be, shorty,” Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar raps.
Seeing how she’s simply confirmed what a supremely gifted MC she stays, and the way she’s simply pulled off a profitable comeback document, all of these shorties’ envy appears to have been well-warranted.
Hopefully it gained’t take till 2032 for her third album to return out – however nevertheless a lot time is required for her to land on the subsequent 15 songs she desires to go together with probably the most, it’ll doubtless show to be value it as soon as once more.
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:: stream/buy AM I THE DRAMA? right here ::
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Stream: “Protected” – Cardi B ft. Kehlani
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AM I THE DRAMA?
an album by Cardi B