The best music albums are the ones that create a full experience for its listeners. Cardi B’s new album, Invasion of Privacy, combines high-energy beats and bold lyrics to make one of these exciting experiences. There was likely a lot of pressure on Cardi B leading up to the release of this album. “Bodak Yellow” has been on the radio since last year, making many wonder if she could deliver more than just a single. Invasion of Privacy more than delivers. With 13 tracks coming in at 48 minutes long, the album feels both breezy and like it tells a complete story. It also reminds me of a party, one that I did not want to end. Though much of the album builds upon Cardi B’s “party girl” persona, there are other songs that show a different side of her.

 

The song “She Bad” is very woman-focused in a positive way. Cardi B raps about being in power and in control. “I’m a boss in a skirt,” she says. This line is powerful because much of our society still believes that only men should be in positions of power. Cardi B does not just think she is a boss. She wishes to be seen as a boss while still being feminine and embracing her womanhood. The rest of the song also features various contradictions, such as her claim that she is both a thug and a flirt. Lyrics like this remind listeners that they do not need to be confined to just one box. They can be multi-faceted and find strength in it. This song also features a hook rapped by YG. In having a male voice on the song as well, it acts as both a hype man for Cardi B as well as giving the impression that someone with experience can vouch for her. She would be the first to insist she does not need validation, though. This song and others like it on Invasion of Privacy show how powerful she is and how powerful her audience can be, too.

 

Cardi B also proves she can be vulnerable and sensitive. The song “Be Careful” asks a romantic partner to be careful with her emotions. She also lists several successful relationships that she wants to be like. This song has a beat that is light and melodic, something a listener would want to dance to. She also sings part of the chorus, making it easy for listeners to sing along, too. This song is especially fun because Cardi B drops the “tough girl” image for a little bit and shows a softer side. She does so with an accessible pop song, though, as opposed to a more traditional love ballad. In this way, she reinvents what it means to write a love song. She shows that women can rap and sing about their emotions while still exuding strength and being unique. Cardi B also expresses her emotions in “Thru Your Phone.” This is a break-up song, and again, she redefines the rules of how women are allowed to behave when heartbroken. Instead of longing for a person who has hurt her and passively being sad, she allows herself to be angry and to process her emotions in a healthy way.

 

Invasion of Privacy will likely go down in history as one of the hip-hop albums that redefines the game. Cardi B manages to pull off a high-energy yet emotional album that tells a complete story of who she is as an artist. She also has the confidence to say whatever she wants and to express whatever side of her she feels like. It is important for female artists to feel like they have the space to express themselves in a genuine way and she provides this. Cardi B continues to blaze the trail that other female artists already started. She also stops along the way to create new sounds, new looks, and new stories. For a long time, society has decided what is “appropriate behavior” for women. Cardi B laughs in the face of those rules before ripping them up and rewriting them herself.