MC’s MUSIC LOUNGE: Cardi’s “Outside”

Summer is about to get hotter than hell, and I’m not referring to the heatwave we are struggling with here in Toronto. I’m talking about Cardi B, who not only has released a new single, “Outside”, but also has officially announced her sophomore album Am I The Drama? which is set to arrive on September 19th – more than 7 years after her debut. In a promo video teasing the album, Cardi says, “The time is here. The time is now”, and given how long the wait has been, I’m sure she knows just how high the stakes are this time around. 

The journey to Cardi’s sophomore project started back in the fall of 2018 when she dropped the single “Money” which peaked at #13 on the US Billboard Hot 100. Since then, Cardi has released 12 solo singles and two of them even reached #1 on the Hot 100 (“WAP” and “Up”) – essentially a whole album’s worth of material in the form of standalone singles. Was it the right choice from a business standpoint? Well, given that we live in a streaming age and songs are as disposable as a Kodak camera from the 90s, one could argue that she found a happy medium between releasing music and still maintaining a personal life. 

Keep in mind that Cardi has had three children in her time since her debut album Invasion of Privacy and her name has never left the headlines since then. On the other hand, I will always be a major defender of the importance of a complete body of work. Without the traditional “album”, songs get lost in the shuffle and decades from now when the next generation is going to be discovering Cardi’s music, they may have a hard time pinpointing all the songs she released that didn’t have an album to call “home”. Now that she finally has all her chips lined up for this new project, this will be the real test to see if the seven-year delay did any damage to her commercial success. 

If early hype surrounding the album is any indication, this new chapter in Cardi’s career is sure to be a success. SZA even hopped into the comments of Cardi’s album announcement stating she “better send [her] verse over”. Fans of hers can attest that this is classic SZA behaviour to be behind on a deadline, if you know you know. It was just last month when Cardi went on live to say that part of the reason the album was being delayed was the verses she was waiting on. Hmmm. Knowing Cardi, there will be plenty more surprise collaborations on the album which will include 23 songs. “WAP” and “Up” are included as well, and since those streams will automatically be included in the albums sales tally, she has pretty much just secured herself a multi-platinum album off that alone. Smart move, girl. I’m looking forward to seeing what she’s got in store for us, her music is always a good time and she knows how to make a hit. From the looks of the album cover she can serve one hell of a look too. Between her and Lady Gaga, the whole “lady in red” aesthetic has been big this year. Who doesn’t love a bad b*tch?

Next week, it’s diva history as Barbra Streisand, Mariah Carey, and Ariana Grande release their new collaboration “One Heart, One Voice”. The song will be a part of Babs’s upcoming THIRTY-SEVENTH studio album. Wild. This week we have Cardi’s newest hit and new music from JADE, KAROL G, Central Cee and KATSEYE. Plus, Kesha makes a viral appearance ahead of her upcoming new album. Listen On…

MC’s PICKS OF THE WEEK

“Outside” by Cardi B 

It doesn’t get more obvious that you’re listening to a summer bop than the repeated lyric “outside” right off the bat. “Outside” is both Cardi’s first release of the year and the official lead single to her long overdue second studio album. Her signature cadence is evident throughout the entire run of the song and the way she bounces off the beat is a reminder of the hits we loved. The beat almost has a spooky-clownish riff and when she starts spitting her raps, it’s game over. She was mad, very mad at someone and you can hear it – you don’t rap “good-for-nothing, low-down dirty dogs I’m convinced” unless you’re… convinced. That’s why this song goes so hard and it’s not just because of the beat. Cardi is always at her strongest as a musician when she’s on her sh-t. Not to lean too much on the lyrics but “next time you see your mama, tell her how she raised a bitch” is diabolical in the most deserving way and on theme with other summer songs this season. Hi Sabrina! Cardi’s unapologetic approach to both music and her public persona has always been her superpower in a sense. She’s never pretended to be anything but herself, and we f*king love her for it. I do at least lol. Offset has been exposed time and time again for putting her through some real childish behaviour, and now that she has moved on she is putting it all into the music. It may have taken her seven years, but she’s finally back. Maybe Cardi is the one we need to get Morgan Wallen out of the damn Top 10, please. I beg. 

 

“Plastic Box” by JADE

JADE knocks it out of the park once again with her latest “Plastic Box”. The dance-pop earworm is reminiscent of something from Robyn’s 2010 Body Talk era, ethereal and trance-like. This is the sixth release leading up to her debut album That’s Showbiz Baby! that is due out this September, continuing her string of quality singles. With “Plastic Box” she makes it clear what her direction is as an artist and that’s c*nty pop music. She’s made that clear in interviews as well, so you can’t say the girl isn’t putting in the work. By this point, it’s been almost a year since JADE made her premiere as a solo artist, so not only is her album on high-demand, but she’s amassed enough of a catalog for multiple festival appearances in Europe over the summer. Her undeniable star quality on stage and pop-ready vocals are just some of the many reasons she deserves all the success in the UK. Obviously her past as a member of Little Mix makes it that she already has a group of devoted fans but here’s hoping her worldwide moment is just around the corner. 

 

“Papasito” by KAROL G

After her taking a stab at singing in English on her collaboration with Tiesto back in 2021, KAROL G is now taking that experience even further by incorporating some English singing on her own solo music for the very first time. The type of success that KAROL G has had on the worldwide music market is only rivaled by icons like Shakira who came before her, so it’s almost a no-brainer that KAROL is planting the seeds for the inevitable English crossover album to come. Until then, her newest album Tropicoqueta is Spanish through and through, heavily leaning on the Latin and Caribbean sounds that she heard growing up in Colombia. The track “Papasito” borrows from those sounds, yet she sings the first verse in English making for a true blend of cultures and broadening the possibilities for her future crossover ventures. She sings about the lust she feels for her lover (her American lover, hence the English lyrics) and how bad she wants to kiss him and be close to him. It’s the standard for any Latina love song, and the video is no different, giving off some major “La Isla Bonita” energy while keeping it authentic to her signature reggaeton sound. Produced by her longtime collaborator Ovy On The Drums, KAROL G is ushering in this new phase of her career with music that still is familiar to her longtime fans, while also experimenting and leaning more into the music she loved growing up. In an Instagram post that announced the single, KAROL mentions how the video represents both the nostalgia and joy that she had while creating the music. Her mom even makes a cameo appearance at the end of the clip when she wakes up realizing the entire scenario was a dream. Dream cliché’s, family cameos and a Latina/American love story? C’mon baby Shakira! 

 

“GUILT TRIPPIN” by Central Cee, Sexyy Red

It’s only been five months since he released his debut album Can’t Rush Greatness, but Central Cee has already topped the charts and embarked on a sold-out tour. Madonna even paid the rapper a visit during one of his recent shows in New York. A Madge collab would be iconic, however Cench is teaming up with another female artist who made an appearance at one of his shows this year: Sexyy Red. “GUILT TRIPPIN’” has all the elements of a Central Cee song that fans have grown to love – his unmistakable flow, high-energy beats and UK Rap swag. Sexyy Red’s addition to the song adds an American flair that when blended with UK rap makes for a banger. With UK rappers like Central Cee, Skepta and Nemzzz on the rise and all making their North American crossovers, we are seeing more female rappers link up with them for a fresh summer vibe. The video gives the classic Hip-Hop/Rap video aesthetic that we have grown accustomed to over the years – a yacht, drinking, rapping, dancing and tons and tons and TONS of cash. Basically, one big f-king party, and given the vibe that Cardi B has set for us this week, Cench’s new jam fits right in with this week’s playlist. 

 

“Gabriela” by KATSEYE

The main thing that all of this week’s picks have in common is that there are bad bitches everywhere. In this case it’s the ladies from KATSEYE and …Jessica Alba? Yes, Honey Daniels herself makes a cameo in the video to “Gabriela” which is the latest single from the girl group. If you don’t know who these ladies are, it’s time to play catch up. The girls are signed to HYBE, famous for BTS. The members of KATSEYE come from different countries around the world, making for a true global pop act. “Gabriela” has more of a melodic-feel than their previous songs with the contagious “Gabriela-la-la” at the end of the chorus and the Spanish guitar standing out as a stroke of pop magic. Their recent smash “Gnarly” has been blowing up on socials and even earned the ladies a spot at #90 on the US Billboard Hot 100. Now, they’ve managed to score Jessica Alba in their new video and just performed at the Kids’ Choice Awards over the weekend. I know an attempt at world domination when I see one. As Shania says best, let’s f*king go girls!

 

MC’s VIRAL PICK

“Your Love Is My Drug” by Kesha

Few artists have managed to go viral with multiple songs from the same album throughout TikTok’s entire existence as an app, but Kesha is the exception. Her debut album Animal released in 2010 has seen songs like “Backstabber”, “Blah, Blah, Blah”, “Take It Off” and “Tik Tok” (fitting) each have viral moments. Now, she’s adding another to that list  and it’s doing bigger numbers than any of the previous smashes with multiple sounds reaching in the hundreds of thousands in terms of uses and is earning close to a million Spotify streams a day, only second to her signature hit “Tik Tok”. The trend associated with the song uses the bridge where Kesha asks the man she is singing about if he “wants to have a slumber party in [her] basement” and the background vocals throughout that portion. The bridge is set up as a call and answer between the lead and background vocals, so the trend centers around just that – a call and answer. It could be a chaotic infatuation, an irrational romantic behavior or pretty much any questionable or over-the-top behavior that can make up a second personality. One personality sings the lead vocal, while the “unhinged” personality screams (lip-synching of course) the background vocal – only Gen Z I swear lol. 

@shopcherri

Is this trend over now ? follow @gabyscaringe for more cat vids #kesha #fyp #trend #viral

♬ your love is my drug - amy🪐

@jeaniceperez

Shoutout @Dollar Tree #momsofteens #momanddaughter #motherdaughterduo #relatable

♬ your love is my drug - amy🪐

@kalefensty

♬ your love is my drug - amy🪐

@miafinney

he kind of ate

♬ your love is my drug - amy🪐

@kesha

Cat hair on new merch not included

♬ your love is my drug - amy🪐

Some of these are pretty f-king hilarious, and I’m always a sucker for content creators who get their boomer parents involved. Kesha is on track to release her sixth studio album Period through her independent label Kesha Records on the fourth of July. While an older song going viral around the time of a new release isn’t always the most ideal, in today’s day and age where the rules surrounding release timelines are blurred, it only just earns more ears and eyes on her as an artist which is always helpful in the streaming era. Plus, “Your Love Is My Drug” holds the distinction of being my favourite Kesha song, so if any of her hits was going to give her some goodwill before the new record, this is the one. 

You can also check out my “MC’s MUSIC LOUNGE” Spotify playlist here to keep up to date with my weekly picks throughout the year. 

With Love, 

MC