It's always refreshing to see Cardi B delivering some new music, as it's become a relatively scarce endeavor. Though as Cardi herself explains, there's a reason for her absence. On the day she came through with her first new single since "WAP," a sign that her anticipated Invasion Of Privacy follow-up is indeed on the horizon, Cardi followed the release of "Up" with an interview on Zane Lowe's Apple Music radio show.
Though such a big day might have been an exciting one for certain artists, Cardi admits that constantly dealing with unyielding public pressure has impacted her outlook on even the positive career milestones. "I haven't been able to eat," admits Cardi, when asked about the lead to "Up's" release. "I feel like I get criticized a lot, and scrutinized, so it's just like everything. I always feel like I've got to be super, super, super perfect. I'm a Libra, so everybody's opinion always counts to me."
Gabriel Olsen/FilmMagic/Getty Images
"My last song was very sexual, very sexual, so I always want my next songs to be different than the one before," she explains. "When I started rapping, when I first put music out, like my mixtape...This might sound crazy, but I got really inspired of Drill Chicago music. I was young, and I liked that and everything, so my mixtape was very all about gangster violence. If it's up, then it's stuck. That's where I wanted to take it with this record."
Though many have been patiently awaiting her sophomore project, Cardi has reached an interesting conundrum -- one that tends to plague artists who raise expectations off the bat. "I really wanted to put out an album last year, but it was like, "I feel like I don't have the right songs," she admits. "I have recorded so many songs. I think I've got like 50 songs recorded, and I'm just still not satisfied. If I'm not satisfied, I'm just not satisfied, but I really want to put out an album this year. I feel like I have no choice now. Now, I feel like I exceeded my limit of holding. I just need to stop with the fear."
Cardi B - Up
"Like, music is in a different stage right now," she explains. "Because I don't even be knowing what should be like the base of my album sometimes. I'll be like, "----. Should most of my songs be freaky songs? Most of my songs should be about tricking?" I've got my sensitive songs and stuff, and it's just like, 'Are they enough? Are they explaining my feelings enough?' My intro is just like... I've got like... Three potential intros, and it's just like, are "They good enough? Are they explaining everything that I want to explain?'"
For more from Cardi, be sure to check out her full conversation with Zane Lowe below -- and peep the energetic new single "Up" right here.
