Cardi B provided an encouraging update on her sophomore album following the release of her “Like What (Freestyle).” The Atlantic Records rapper claimed her much-discussed project will drop before the end of the year on Friday (March 1).
“Look how long I had this f###### record for: January 27, 202-f######-3,” she said on Instagram Stories. “I’m working on this s### at 5 a.m. Y’all know I’m a f###### night owl. I promise y’all this year, I’m not letting my anxiety, I’m not letting what haters say, I’m not letting what fans say [affect me]. If I do a song, I’ma just f###### drop it. Well, I’ve got no choice because I’m dropping my album this year. So, stay tuned for the announcement. But don’t play with me!”
Cardi B fans have been waiting years for the follow-up to her debut album Invasion of Privacy, which she released in 2018. She dropped multiple singles and collaborations in subsequent years, but none of the songs kick-started a rollout for her album.
Last month, Cardi B’s estranged husband Offset encouraged her to release the project in an Instagram Stories post. He wanted her to overcome her apparent fears of a sophomore slump.
“Drop the album,” he wrote. “S### goes crazy.”
Cardi B’s hesitancy frustrated fans, but it was understandable considering how successful her debut was. The album made her star as it reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart.
Invasion of Privacy, which included her breakthrough hit “Bodak Yellow,” won Best Rap Album at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards. She was the first solo female artist to win the award.
Patient fans got a treat on Friday when Cardi B released her Missy Elliott-inspired song “Like What (Freestyle).” The track received Missy and Timbaland’s stamp of approval.
Watch the music video directed by Offset below.
