Danny Brown is nearly two years removed from his last album, Quaranta, so it’s a perfect time for him to release a follow-up. His next album, announced today alongside the release of its lead single, will be called Stardust. It’s due on November 7, just about two years to the day from its predecessor, and will be accompanied by a 21-night tour, his first since 2024. The album’s loaded with collaborators and producers from the hyperpop scene, including Femtanyl, Frost Children, Jane Remover, Ta Ukraika, Underscores, and more. The first single, “Starburst,” shows off Danny’s latest look with a frenetic video watching the rapper working out in a glass chamber. You can check it out above, and see the tracklist and tour dates for Stardust below.
Danny Brown Stardust Tracklist
01. “Book Of Daniel” Feat. Quadeca
02. “Starburst”
03. “Copycats” Feat. underscores
04. “1999” Feat. JOHNNASCU
05. “Flowers” Feat. 8485
06. “Lift You Up”
07. “Green Light” Feat. Frost Children
08. “What You See” Feat. Quadeca
09. “Baby” Feat. Underscores
10. “Whatever The Case” Feat. IssBrokie
11. “1L0v3myL1f3!” Feat. Femtanyl
12. “RIGHT FROM WRONG” Feat. Nnamdi
13. “The End” Feat. Ta Ukrainka & Zheani
14. “All4U” Feat. Jane Remover
Danny Brown 2025 Tour Dates
11/10 – Boston, MA @ Big Night Live *
11/12 – Toronto, ON @ Rebel *
11/13 – Cleveland, OH @ Globe Iron *
11/15 – Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave *
11/16 – Chicago, IL @ Vic Theatre *
11/18 – Minneapolis, MN @ Uptown Theater *
11/20 – Denver, CO @ The Ogden *
11/21 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Complex – Rockwell *
11/24 – Sacramento, CA @ Ace of Spades *
11/25 – San Francisco, CA @ The Regency Ballroom *
11/26 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Bellwether *
11/28 – Santa Ana, CA @ The Observatory Santa Ana *
11/29 – San Diego, CA @ The Observatory North Park *
12/02 – Phoenix, AZ @ Marquee *
12/05 – Austin, TX @ Emos *
12/06 – Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall *
12/07 – Dallas, TX @ Granada *
12/09 – Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade *
12/11 – Baltimore, MD @ Nevermore Music Hall *
12/13 – Philadelphia, PA @ Theatre of Living Arts *
12/14 – New York, NY @ Warsaw *
* with underscores & Femtanyl
Stardust is out 11/7 via Warp. You can find more info here.
It’s a new era for Ratboys, as the band just signed a fresh label deal with New West Records. They’ve also just returned with their first new music since their 2023 album The Window: Today (September 23), they released “Light Night Mountains All That,” a new single.
“My original idea was to write an ultra-high energy folk song, in the style of The Dodos’ Visiter, with somewhat spooky, mysterious, and pastoral lyrics — like what Chris Otepka of The Heligoats might conjure up on a mushroom trip. This song really took shape during our initial writing session up at the Driftless Cabin in Wisconsin last March; the guys and I nearly went insane fleshing out the arrangement and its odd timings together. I wrote the lyrics during that original demoing trip, centered around the idea of a fantastic, rural vision-quest where the days and nights blend together and nothing is quite as it seems.”
The song arrives alongside a video directed by the group’s Marcus Nuccio and filmed at a farm in Illinois. Steiner says, “We used a bunch of DV cameras to convene with some benevolent rock and roll ghosts we met along the way.”
Watch the “Light Night Mountains All That” video above. The band also announced a North American tour for 2026 (tickets go on sale on September 26 at 10 a.m. ET), so find those dates below.
Ratboys’ 2026 Tour Dates
02/25/2026 — Detroit, MI @ El Club
02/26/2026 — Toronto, ON @ Lee’s Palace ~
02/27/2026 — Montreal, QC @ Bar Le Ritz PDB ~
02/28/2026 — Cambridge, MA @ The Sinclair ~
03/03/2026 — Philadelphia, PA @ First Unitarian Church ~
03/05/2026 — Brooklyn, NY @ Warsaw ~
03/06/2026 — Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club ~
03/07/2026 — Richmond, VA @ The Broadberry ~
03/08/2026 — Durham, NC @ Motorco Music Hall ~
03/10/2026 — Asheville, NC @ The Grey Eagle ~
03/11/2026 — Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West ~
03/12/2026 — Nashville, TN @ The Basement East ~
03/13/2026 — Louisville, KY @ Zanzabar ~
03/14/2026 — Milwaukee, WI @ Vivarium
03/24/2026 — St. Louis, MO @ Off Broadway *
03/25/2026 — Kansas City, MO @ recordBar *
03/26/2026 — Fayetteville, AR @ George’s Majestic Lounge *
03/27/2026 — Dallas, TX @ Club Dada *
03/28/2026 — Austin, TX @ Mohawk *
03/30/2026 — Albuquerque, NM @ Launchpad *
03/31/2026 — Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar *
04/01/2026 — San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar *
04/03/2026 — Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom *
04/04/2026 — San Francisco, CA @ August Hall *
04/06/2026 — Vancouver, BC @ Biltmore Cabaret *
04/07/2026 — Seattle, WA @ Neumos *
04/08/2026 — Portland, OR @ Aladdin Theater *
04/10/2026 — Boise, ID @ Shrine Social Club *
04/11/2026 — Salt Lake City, UT/2026 — The Urban Lounge *
04/13/2026 — Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theater *
04/15/2026 — Omaha, NE @ The Waiting Room *
04/16/2026 — Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line *
04/17/2026 — Madison, WI @ Atwood Music Hall *
04/18/2026 — Chicago, IL @ The Vic Theatre +
In a period that was just a few days over exactly one year, Sabrina Carpenter released two albums: Short N’ Sweet in 2024 and Man’s Best Friend a few weeks ago. Carpenter has done a lot of writing over the past 12-plus months, but she’s still at it.
In a new interview with Vogue Italia, Carpenter said:
“I feel like I’m doing a lot of introspective thinking right now. I really want to do things intentionally and things that bring me life and give life and give those around me life. […] I’m doing a lot of writing right now, which you wouldn’t probably expect after two albums, two years in a row.”
The piece notes that this writing is specifically journaling, so it’s not clear if any of these words are intended for new music or if they are purely for Carpenter’s personal and private satisfaction.
Carpenter continued, “My magic writing place is my bedroom, or it’s outside. […] Although I get many bug bites… Once I get enough bug bites, I go walking and I’m just refreshing.”
After releasing five albums and garnering critical acclaim, St. Louis rock/emo band Foxing might just be done for good: The group just announced they’re going on an indefinite hiatus.
The news came yesterday (September 22) via a post on the band’s Patreon (as archived by a Reddit user). The message reads in full:
“After 14 years as a band and 12 years of consistent touring, we’ve decided to take a hiatus from playing shows, writing or doing anything as Foxing.
It feels really scary to say that. This band has been completely inseparable from us as people for our entire adult lives up to this point. It is so much of our identity and our sense of self worth in the world. But it has become clear to us that in our pursuit of our dreams and making the most honest and genuine art we can, our relationship with music, each other, and our sense of self without the band has eroded. We have decided to prioritize these things and need to step away from the band to do so.
These shows in Chicago and St. Louis will be our last for the foreseeable future. Know that if you ever saw us at a show or listened to our records, you were getting the most from us that we could possibly give in that moment. We will come back if/when we feel that we have more to give.
Terrace Martin, the Grammy-nominated American jazz man best known for fusing disparate musical styles, has teamed up with The House of Suntory to help them debut their latest expression, Toki Black.
The brand-new riff on Suntory’s flagship Toki expression, Toki Black, marks the first new expression from the brand in a decade and was crafted with Hakushu Peated malt and Hakushu grain, giving it a faintly smoky, meatier flavor profile than its predecessor. By partnering with Terrace Martin, who has previously collaborated with artists like Kendrick Lamar, Snoop Dogg, and Stevie Wonder, The House of Suntory sought a globally renowned artist well-known for blending musical styles to celebrate a whisky that combines old and new whisky styles.
As part of the partnership, Martin was tasked with curating a bespoke vinyl release with new music that saw him teaming up for the first time with Japanese jazz artist Ryota Nozaki, known as Jazztronik, and an all-Japanese studio team. For Martin, the experience was the first time the language barrier kept him from communicating vocally with his fellow musicians, and so instead he let the music do the talking.
For inspiration in creating the record, Martin threw out all preconceived notions and let the whisky be his guide. “One of the experiences that really stood out was when we opened up that bottle, as we all started to taste the whisky, each one of us started playing our interpretation of each of the flavors that we tasted,” he explained in an exclusive interview about the partnership. Instantly inspired to capture what he perceived as rich, natural earth tones in the whisky, Martin began tinkering with notes in E-flat as Jazztronik and the other musicians fleshed out the record around the structure he established.
Suntory Global Spirits
“This project was more than just making music—it was about capturing a moment that can’t be repeated,” Martin mused. “When I learned about the inspiration behind Toki Black, it immediately resonated. Ryota and I set out to blend spontaneity with intention, tradition with experimentation, and create a record that lives in the spirit of now—just like the whisky that inspired it.”
Suntory Global Spirits
For the liquid itself, a limited-time offering from a reportedly limited stock of whisky, Toki Black highlights the addition of Hakushu Peated Whisky and Hakushu Grain Whisky in the blend, serving as a sort of 102-course into Japanese whisky that builds on its introductory classic, Toki Blended Japanese Whisky.
Both the limited release vinyl and the brand-new Toki Black expression are available now, and after getting a sneak preview of the liquid, it’s time for a full review. Let’s dive right in!
For this new Toki Black expression, the brand’s first limited expression, welcomes Hakushu Peated malt and Hakushu Grain into the blend to put a smoky spin on the Japanese classic. The liquid is then brought to proof and bottled at 43% ABV.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: On the nose, the peated element in this whisky comes across only faintly. At the same time, richer, sweet notes of butterscotch, white flowers, baked apples, oregano, and honeysuckle take center stage, forming a familiar, if more mature, base.
Palate: On the palate is where the smoky elements in this blend assert themselves more forcefully, taking hold toward the back of the palate, while delicate sweet notes of butterscotch and candied lemon slices balance more nuanced notes of clove, fresh cinnamon bark, lavender, and gently toasted rosemary. It has a light, medium-bodied texture that pleasantly coats the tongue before transitioning to the finish.
Finish: The finish is succinct and gently peppery with the sweet note of butterscotch buoyed by fainter accents of sandalwood, fresh ginger, and lingering peat smoke.
Bottom Line:
While Toki’s flagship expression is a staple across the globe as, perhaps, the perfect entry-level whisky, Toki Black marks a significant step forward with a more complex flavor profile that retains the shape of Toki’s iconic and approachable core. While it’s being billed as a limited-time offering (though we’re in a camp with Terrace Martin who says he “definitely” wants this collaboration to continue), whisky fans the world over will likely force The House of Suntory’s hand. This is an incredibly flavorful Japanese whisky that offers endless options for mixed drinks, but can capably shine on its own, all at an impressively affordable price.
The Japanese philosophy of Ichigo Ichie represents the idea that each moment is unique and unrepeatable. Though the first new expression from the Toki brand is undoubtedly unique, here’s hoping that there’s more in store for the future.
Tyler, The Creator is wrapping up the overseas leg of his Chromakopia tour, but once he does so, it sounds like he may not be hitting the road again for a good, long while. While performing in the Philippines, Tyler hinted at a hiatus that could end up being permanent.
“I’m excited to go home and think about if I’ll ever really tour again, because I’m fucking not 20 no more,” he told the crowd in Quezon City. “I can’t lie to y’all. I’m at that part of my life where, man, I’ve done enough. Let me go take a very, very, very, very long break.”
Tyler, The Creator says he’s considering taking a long break during his final night in the Philippines on the CHROMAKOPIA World Tour
“I’m excited to go home and think about if I’ll ever really tour again… I’m at that part of my life where, man, I’ve done enough. Let me go… pic.twitter.com/NWmgV2SYLd
While “enough” might be a judgment call, Tyler has certainly done plenty in the past eight years, elevating his craft with Flower Boy and surpassing expectations with each subsequent release. His latest album, Don’t Tap The Glass, came out just nine months after its predecessor, Chromakopia; prior to both, T collected a pair of Best Rap Album Grammys, turned his Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival into one of the best music festivals in the world, and put his stamp on the fashion and design industries in the process.
As for the future, he’s officially kicking off his formal acting career under his real name, Tyler Okonma, with the Timothy Chalamet vehicle Marty Supreme later this year. So, even if he has finished the musical wunderkind segment of his career, you can bet you’ll be seeing a lot more of Tyler in the future.
Rising country star Bailey Zimmerman has a whole bunch of tour dates coming up in 2026. He’s adding to that, too, but in a different, more football-oriented way. (The football connection is a natural one given that Zimmerman and Luke Combs’ “Backup Plan” is ESPN’s 2025 college football season anthem.)
Today (September 22), Zimmerman announced a run of tailgate pop-up activations on college campuses. The Different Night Same Rodeo College Tailgate Experiences are tied to Zimmerman’s tour dates and there’s a lot to love about them. The events will feature exclusive custom merch, like free school-color bandanas, koozies, hats, and T-shirts with on-site customization. There will also be a temporary tattoo parlor and a Silverado photo moment, featuring a Different Night Same Rodeo-branded Chevy Silverado.
The takeovers actually already started this past weekend, with Zimmerman heading to Clemson University as the football team was taking on Syracuse. To get a feel for what it was like, and was future activations will be like, there’s a video here.
The following activations are coming up soon:
University of Georgia – Athens, GA – Alabama vs. Georgia – September 27, 2025
Texas Christian University – Fort Worth, TX – Colorado vs. TCU – October 4, 2025
University of Tennessee – Knoxville, TN – Arkansas vs. Tennessee – October 11, 2025
October 18, 2025 – To Be Announced
Check out Zimmerman’s 2026 tour dates, including upcoming tailgate pop-ups, below.
Bailey Zimmerman’s 2026 Tour Dates
02/19/2026 — Estero, FL @ Hertz Arena
02/21/2026 — Athens, GA @ Atkins Ford Arena* | POP UP: University of Georgia @ Alabama vs. Georgia
02/26/2026 — Greenville, SC @ Bon Secours Wellness Arena* | POP UP: Clemson University @ Syracuse vs. Clemson
02/27/2026 — Knoxville, TN @ Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center* | POP UP: University of Tennessee @ Arkansas vs. Tennessee
02/28/2026 — Pikeville, KY @ Appalachian Wireless Arena
03/05/2026 — Boston, MA @ TD Garden
03/12/2026 — Grand Rapids, MI @ Van Andel Arena
03/13/2026 — Moline, IL @ Vibrant Arena
03/14/2026 — Evansville, IN @ Ford Center
03/27/2026 — Orange Beach, AL @ The Wharf Amphitheater
04/02/2026 — Fort Worth, TX @ Dickies Arena* | POP UP: Texas Christian University @ Colorado vs. TCU
04/03/2026 — Baton Rouge, LA @ Raising Cane’s River Center
04/04/2026 — Corpus Christi, TX @ Hilliard Center Arena
04/09/2026 — Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Sun Arena
04/10/2026 — Atlantic City, NJ @ Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena
04/11/2026 — Pittsburgh, PA @ Petersen Events Center
04/16/2026 — Toledo, OH @ The Huntington Center
04/17/2026 — Green Bay, WI @ Resch Center
04/18/2026 — Sioux Falls, SD @ Denny Sanford PREMIER Center
04/30/2026 — Huntsville, AL @ Von Braun Center Propst Arena
05/01/2026 — Nashville, TN @ Ascend Amphitheater
06/04/2026 — Airway Heights, WA @ Northern Quest Amphitheater
06/05/2026 — Nampa, ID @ Ford Idaho Center Amphitheater
06/06/2026 — Bend, OR @ Hayden Homes Amphitheater
06/10/2026 — Abbotsford, BC @ Abbotsford Centre
06/11/2026 — Kelowna, AB @ Prospera Place
06/13/2026 — Edmonton, AB @ Rogers Place
06/18/2026 — Toronto, ON @ Budweiser Stage
06/19/2026 — London, ON @ Canada Life Place
06/20/2026 — Ottawa, ON @ Canadian Tire Centre
* Different Night Same Rodeo College Tailgate Experience date
Check out Zimmerman’s Sound Check episode below:
Different Night Same Rodeo is out now via Atlantic Records/Warner Music Nashville. Find more information here.
Fortnite goes hard when it comes to getting the music world involved in their goings-on. This year, they’ve teamed up with stars like Sabrina Carpenter, Bruno Mars, and Gorillaz. Now, we can add Daft Punk to the list.
It was announced today (September 22) that the defunct electronic duo will be honored with the “Daft Punk Experience” in Fortnite A press release calls it “the biggest musical experience in Fortnite‘s history.”
The experience is set to have a grand opening on September 27 at 2 p.m. ET, preceded by the pre-event lobby opening at 1:30 p.m. ET. It’s described as “a fully interactive playground that includes multiple rooms with different ways to experience Daft Punk’s music,” including 31 songs from the group’s discography. The festivities kick off with a supercut from Daft Punk’s Alive tour and the Alive 2007 album.
It’s further described:
“Remix Daft Punk’s previously released music and create mashups of Daft Punk’s songs within Fortnite at Dream Chamber Studios, blast hordes of robots with a soundwave laser in the Robot Rock Arena, make a LEGO® music video at Around the World, or hit the Daft Club to dance ’til dawn. You’ll also find furniture from longtime Daft Punk collaborators Hervet Manufacturier throughout the experience.”
The Fortnite Shop will also have a new Daft Punk bundle available starting September 25 at 8 p.m. ET. Accessories include “the signature GM08 helmet, outfit, and accessories (both in Fortnite and LEGO styles); TB3 helmet, outfit, and accessories (both in Fortnite and LEGO styles); along with instruments and a “Get Lucky (feat. Pharrell Williams and Nile Rodgers)” Jam Track.”
On top of all that, there will also be an afterparty and details about that will be revealed later.
Check out images of the virtual venue and what will be available in the Shop below.
As an Amazon Music spokesperson tells Uproxx, the September 20 livestream was the most-watched single-artist performance on Amazon Music to date.
The performance was the finale of Bunny’s residency at Puerto Rico’s José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum. The show, which included 43 songs, featured a number of surprise guests, including Miky Woodz, Tommy Torres, Jowell & Randy, Ñengo Flow, De La Ghetto, Rainao, Arcángel, and Marc Anthony.
Check out the setlist (via setlist.fm) below, along with some photos from the event.
Bad Bunny’s No Me Quiero Ir de Aquí: Una Más Setlist
1. “ALAMBRE PúA”
2. “KETU TeCRÉ”
3. “EL CLúB”
4. “La Santa” (Bomba version)
5. “PIToRRO DE COCO”
6. “El Apagón”
7. “WELTiTA” (with Chuwi)
8. “KLOuFRENS”
9. “BOKeTE”
10. “Si Estuviésemos Juntos”
11. “Solo de mí”
12. “Ni bien ni mal”
13. “Vete”
14. “TURiSTA”
15. “NUEVAYoL”
16. “Tití me preguntó”
17. “PERFuMITO NUEVO” (with RaiNao)
18. “Neverita”
19. “Si veo a tu mamá” (House version)
20. “La romana” (House version)
21. “VOY A LLeVARTE PA PR”
22. “Me porto bonito”
23. “No me conoce” (Jhayco cover)
24. “Bichiyal”
25. “Yo Perreo Sola”
26. “Efecto”
27. “VeLDÁ” (with Dei V)
28. “Safaera” (with Bad Bunny, Jowell & Randy & Ñengo Flow)
29. “El funeral de la canoa” (Jowell & Randy cover, with Jowell & Randy)
30. “Hey Mister” (Jowell & Randy cover, with Jowell & Randy)
31. “Guayeteo” (Jowell & Randy cover, with Jowell & Randy)
32. “Salgo Pa’ la Calle” (Daddy Yankee Feat. Randy cover, with Jowell & Randy)
33. “Siente el boom” (Tito “El Bambino” Feat. Randy cover, with Jowell & Randy)
34. “EoO”
35. “ACHO PR” (with Bad Bunny, Arcángel, De La Ghetto & Ñengo Flow)
36. “CAFé CON RON” (with Los Pleneros de la Cresta)
37. “Ábreme paso” (Los Pleneros de la Cresta cover)
38. “LO QUE LE PASÓ A HAWAii”
39. “Callaíta” (Salsa version)
40. “BAILE INoLVIDABLE”
41. “Preciosa” (Rafael Hernández Marín cover, with Marc Anthony)
42. “DtMF”
43. “LA MuDANZA”
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When you’ve held onto the follow-up to a beloved debut album like Invasion Of Privacy as long as Cardi B has, the pressure to deliver can not only be overwhelming, it can be debilitating — understandably so. The hype train has no brakes: It simply picks up speed until it hits terminal velocity, but if you ride it out too long, it loses momentum and stalls out permanently.
So, your options become one of three: Either you deliver, which is often the most difficult outcome to achieve, roughly akin to throwing a dart at a bullseye from 30,000 feet at 500 MPH. In this metaphor, the jetliner you’re throwing from also somehow doesn’t depressurize and throw you screaming into the void. Then, there’s failure. I don’t think we have to explain the dreaded “sophomore slump.”
The third option, and the one that’s seemed to become the most popular in recent years, is the swerve. You know your long-awaited assumed opus can never live up to its predecessor, so you juke expectations and drop a left-field project no one could possibly expect. This is what Kendrick Lamar did with his 2015 jazz-rap classic To Pimp A Butterfly, which is well-regarded now, but left fans desperate for Good Kid part deux scratching their heads. That same year, Kendrick’s mentor, Dr. Dre, finally abandoned the insanely anticipated Detox for Compton, a decidedly less ambitious project that nonetheless fed fans’ hunger for high-concept gangsta rap (and made Anderson .Paak a star in the process).
Of course, Cardi B, being Cardi B, went ahead and invented another option: On Am I The Drama?, her sophomore album six-plus years in the making, she over-delivers, for better or worse, in more ways than one.
Starting on the surface level, Am I The Drama? contains 21 all-new songs, in addition to megahits “Up” and “WAP,” bringing in a tracklist of 23 songs — an increase of a full LP’s worth of tracks over Invasion Of Privacy. No one can say she hasn’t been busy in the seven years since 2018. Those 20-plus songs run the full gamut of what we’ve come to expect from Cardi since: boisterous club songs, vulnerable love songs, antagonistic battle rap, and nods to New York’s vibrant Hispanic subculture.
She also holds nothing back; She dedicates no fewer than three tracks to addressing her extremely public and fraught breakup with ex-husband, Offset. In “Man Of Your Word,” Cardi leaves little doubt, snarling, “I held back for you, was really biting my tongue / Should’ve fell back from you, instead, I gave you a son.” The regrets continue on “What’s Goin’ On?,” where Cardi autopsies the relationship for its cause of death: “You wrote down some beautiful vows / Gave my first beautiful child / Told me you was quiet for all of these hoes / Come to find out you the one loud.”
“Shower Tears” details the aftermath, as Cardi negotiates with herself through the “getting over it” phase of the breakup. “I’m on the edge, this the last straw, you got me fed,” she muses. “I have to question this again, then this sh*t is dead.” This is the raw, unflinching honesty that has so endeared her to the listening public. It’s also overkill; Invasion Of Privacy hit similar notes more efficiently. Yes, relationship drama is messy, and clearly, this was the biggest thing on Cardi’s mind as she finished up this album, but the sprawl takes away some of the urgency of her confessional, and we really didn’t need Lizzo’s 4 Non Blondes impression. 33 years later, “What’ Up” still grates.
Fortunately, from there, Cardi gets back on her bullsh*t, and shows she’s willing to try new things. While “Outside” is a fairly standard Cardi trap track, “Pretty & Petty” steps out of Cardi’s comfort zone for what is ostensibly a BIA diss track, but is secretly the result of so much of the New Yorker’s recent time spent in LA. That Cardi’s first-ever West Coast club anthem doubles as a scathing dressing-down of one of her dwindling number of semi-worthy foes (at least until you-know-who decides to step back in the ring instead of sending proxies) is a testament to Cardi’s growing prowess as a songwriter and sound scout. I would love to see her continue to branch out.
I would also love, as I wrote in my review of Invasion Of Privacy, to see her excavate Latin American sounds and standards, because that’s where her best material resides. In 2018, it was the boogaloo-sampling “I Like It”; Here, it’s the bachata banger “Bodega Baddie,” which blasts through like a clarion call for any Spanish speakers in earshot to sashay their way to the nearest dance floor and hit those steps. It’s also all too short: We need a ten-minute remix with Romeo Santos and Luis Vargas, stat.
Cardi hits another half-dozen stops on her rap subgenre world tour, including airy soul-sampling trunk thump on “Better Than You” (think Curren$y and Wiz Khalifa’s “The Check Point” from How Fly), Memphis goth trap on “Errtime” (anything Three 6 Mafia), even classic New York boom-bap on “Imaginary Playerz.” But there’s the sense here that despite showing off so many facets, she could have maybe held some of these tracks back, as plenty of them end up saying the same things as the others, just in a different font. We love a versatile queen, but the back half drags in an effort to prove facts no serious music listener ever doubted.
These are minor quibbles, though. If the album’s a hair overlong, it’s only because Cardi is making up for the wait and indulging the impulse to show off as much of the work as possible. This is far more forgivable than it would be for someone like, say, Drake, who refuses to let 12 months pass without inflicting his presence on the pop music world, or the fleet of SoundCloud rappers who never really had anything to say in the first place. Cardi is not only the drama, she’s a one-of-a-kind, once-in-a-generation artist who can get away with a lot. She’s not only paid off fans’ patience but earned herself a lot of leeway for the next one.
Am I The Drama? is out now via Atlantic Records. Find more information here.
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