Cardi B Is Not "Playing Around," Reveals Her Third Album Is Dropping Next Year

BY Gabriel Bras Nevares
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Cardi B Third Album Dropping Next Year
Feb 8, 2026; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Cardi B arrives for the half time show at the game between New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl LX at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Cardi B fans hope she means it this time, as we all remember the wait between "Invasion Of Privacy" and "Am I The Drama?"

Cardi B is always quick to shut down rumors, but she also knows how to spark speculation of her own to keep fans engaged. During a conversation with The Breakfast Club at the iHeartRadio Music Festival in Las Vegas last night (Friday, September 18), she told the hosts she will be dropping her third album next year. Real 92.3 LA caught the moment on Instagram.

"I am doing a new album," Cardi shared. "After my birthday in November, I'm shipping myself away just to record." She told Charlamagne Tha God fans will not have to wait years and years this time, as they did between her 2018 debut studio LP Invasion Of Privacy and her 2025 follow-up Am I The Drama?

DJ Envy asked how far along the Bronx superstar is in the new record's progress. "I'm not done at all... [I have] like, two [songs]," she replied.

"I got a long way to – No, it's not going to be a long way to go," the mother of four clarified. "Absolutely, [next year]. I'm not even playing around."

When Envy asked why the wait will be shorter, she said she feels a new sense of "confidence" and sung Patti LaBelle's chorus on "New Attitude," saying she feels "ready."

Cardi also said she was "outside all summer" but is not much of a vacation person. With these new remarks in mind, fans hope this will really be the case rather than going through another studio album drought.

Cardi B At The iHeartRadio Festival

That being said, Cardi B gave fans new material in 2026, so hopefully this indicates she is keeping her foot on the gas. She dropped the new song "AH HA" in July and recently had a guest feature on the posthumous Nipsey Hussle album PROLIFIC, which was in collaboration with Bino Rideaux.

We will see if any singles or other endeavors lead up to this third album's release. This is still in its very early stages, but fans will keep their fingers crossed until further news. In the meantime, expect Cardi B to stay fiery and build up towards a hopefully big moment in her long career.

About The Author
Gabriel Bras Nevares is a staff writer for HotNewHipHop. He joined HNHH while completing his B.A. in Journalism & Mass Communication at The George Washington University in the summer of 2022. Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Gabriel treasures the crossover between his native reggaetón and hip-hop news coverage, such as his review for Bad Bunny’s hometown concert in 2024. But more specifically, he digs for the deeper side of hip-hop conversations, whether that’s the “death” of the genre in 2023, the lyrical and parasocial intricacies of the Kendrick Lamar and Drake battle, or the many moving parts of the Young Thug and YSL RICO case. Beyond engaging and breaking news coverage, Gabriel makes the most out of his concert obsessions, reviewing and recapping festivals like Rolling Loud Miami and Camp Flog Gnaw. He’s also developed a strong editorial voice through album reviews, think-pieces, and interviews with some of the genre’s brightest upstarts and most enduring obscured gems like Homeboy Sandman, Bktherula, Bas, and Devin Malik.

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