Am I The Drama? – Cardi B
Album Rating: 7/10 or ⅘ stars
It’s no secret that people have been talking about Cardi B ever since her debut album, Invasion Of Privacy. Popping out with tracks like Bodak Yellow and I Like It back in 2018, Cardi B quickly grew to stardom and fame, with fans eagerly wanting more. All that came to a crashing halt when life got away from the rapper. In early 2017, Cardi B started dating fellow rapper Offset from the famed rap group Migos. The two got married in late 2017 and had their first child in 2018, 3 months after Invasion of Privacy dropped. As Cardi dealt with being a new wife and mother, music was put on hold. She still kept traction over the years with singles like Money, Press, Up, and Enough. She also had many memorable features like Wanna Be with Glorilla and Megan Thee Stallion, as well as No Love with SZA and Summer Walker. This new album speaks about her highs and lows over the years, covering her divorce with Offset, new relationship with Stefon Diggs, and new outlook on life while still keeping that New York swag. Tracks like Safe featuring Kehlani paint the tale of women not just wanting a man with money, but wanting someone who will value and treasure them like they’re the most valuable thing on Earth. Man of Your Word shows the pain Cardi felt in past relationships and expresses how much broken promises can pierce the heart. The whole album is a celebration of love and grief, a new chapter in the rapper’s life that serves as a life update into her extraordinary mind.
Top 5 Tracks (In order):
- Better Than You
- Safe
- Hello
- Principal
- Imaginary Playerz
Vie – Doja Cat
Album Rating: 8.5/10 or 4.5/5 stars
Upon the first listen, you’re taken back to an 80s disco. With beats reminiscent of her earlier work Hot Pink, the rapper-pop artist Doja Cat pulls back from her more rap-based album, Scarlet, and brings listeners back to a disco nightclub that sounds similar to beats that Michael Jackson or Prince may use, but with that 2025 base and flow. Looking back on Doja’s time in the limelight, this album can be seen as a reflection of her finding the in-between of giving people what they want, as well as making something she herself can love and appreciate. Back in 2019, Doja Cat dropped Hot Pink, a completely pop and soul album with hits of rap and R&B. At the time, it was a compilation of perfection, topping the charts with ease and growing more and more popular during the epidemic and rise of TikTok, with many fans dancing and remixing her songs that spread it to all parts of the world. This left the people eager for more, with their wish soon coming true. In 2021, Planet Her was released, earning more praise from the people. This album took a more R&B and romantic approach, still holding some rap elements, but more of a reflection of what the people wanted. Doja started to disconnect from her music during this time, not feeling like her heart was in her lyrics and songs. She started to be more controversial on the internet, shaving her head and acting “demonic-like,” according to some sources. On her 2023 album, Scarlet, Doja goes back to her pure rap roots on tracks like URGE! and Ouchies, but ends up dividing her fan base in the end. On one side, people wanted her to express herself for who she is and share the music she wants. The other side found her too alternative and associated with the devil, when that was never the intention. Doja Cat is a product of what happens when people have internet access at a young age, the rapper explaining she used to spend hours on end as a kid scouring different websites and joining different chat groups and communities. On Vie, Doja Cat still keeps her alternative style, yet makes it more upbeat and electronic on songs like Take Me Dancing (ft. SZA) and Jealous Type. As she announces upcoming shows in the new year, Doja Cat opens up into a new season of life with a new attitude and a passion to show the people who the real her is.
Top 5 Tracks (In order):
- AAAHH MEN!
- Take Me Dancing
- Cards
- Acts Of Service
- Make it Up
