Cardi B’s first single of the year has finally arrived. At midnight ET Friday (September 8), she released “Bongos,” her second collaboration with Houston-bred chart-topper Megan Thee Stallion. Arriving three years after they first worked together on “WAP,” which reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, “Bongos” sees the duo switch up their approach a bit.
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Rather than replicating the hip-hop/club aesthetic that “WAP” tackled, with its use of the raunchy Whores In This House” sample, “Bongos” instead takes from both Afro and Spanish music influences. However, over the fresh, cultural instrumentation, Cardi and Meg still take the opportunity to deliver juicy raps about their bread-and-butter material: sex.
Cleverly and continuously finding ways to include innuendos in their lyrics, particularly syncing with the repetitive Bong, bong shouts that make up the hook, both women do what they do best.
I don’t care where you from
Better beat this shit like a drum
Don’t be talkin’ shit like you know me
I ride d**k like a pony
Girl, that n***a look like a brokey
Go and fuck with his homie
For the music video, which came out simultaneously with the song, Cardi and Meg find unique ways to intertwine their bodies, just as they did for the “WAP” visuals. Mostly taking place on a beautiful island surrounded by vibrant colors, the imagery perfectly aligns with the tropical aesthetic of “Bongos.”
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Overall, Cardi’s return to releasing solo music will surely excite fans for her upcoming sophomore album., which has been over five years in the making. Though it has yet to be given a title or release date, Cardi guaranteed that it is “definitely coming up” in a recent interview with Vogue Mexico.
“Everyone always tells me I should put the record out now,” she said. “They did when I released ‘WAP’ and when I released ‘Up’ (2021), but I always let them know I’m not going to wait long after all these singles. So stay tuned because it’s coming out very soon.”
Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for The Recording Academy
