★★★☆☆
Seven years ago, Cardi B rocketed into hip hop stardom with her breakout hit “Bodak Yellow.” In the years since, Cardi B has collected numerous chart-topping tracks and cemented herself as a household name.
Her new release, Am I the Drama?, is her first full studio album since 2018. Cardi B’s long-awaited return to music begs one question: Will she be able to meet the high expectations?
Cardi B responded by not just meeting expectations, but going beyond them. Showing growth since her first album, the raw and emotional tracks paired with Cardi B’s classic party bangers made for an emotional rollercoaster.
Am I the Drama? boasts a hefty 23-song run. The album is a mix of Cardi B’s traditional raunchy flow and a new, softer R&B style that harkens back to recent SZA albums.
The album opens on a high note with “Dead (feat. Summer Walker),” a classic loud Cardi B track. Summer Walker’s iridescent vocals pair well with Cardi B’s flow to create a contrast that works unexpectedly well.
Cardi B packed Am I the Drama? with classic party tracks like “Bodega Baddie,” “Outside,” and “Pretty and Petty.” Of these, “Bodega Baddie” stands out as an homage to her hit “I Like It” with similar samples and flow.
Am I the Drama? isn’t just all loud party bangers. On the album, Cardi B shows a new vulnerable side of herself on emotional tracks like “Man of Your Word.” Cardi B goes in-depth about her marriage and divorce with rapper Offset.
“Should’ve fell back from you, instead, I gave you a son / I don’t regret it, it’s a blessin’, just know I learned my lesson,” Cardi says over a quiet piano beat.
The lyrics reveal a vulnerability not seen before in Cardi B’s music. This emotional and raw theme was not just limited to “Man of Your Word.” Songs like “Shower Tears (feat. Summer Walker)” and “Safe (feat. Kehlani)” also show Cardi B’s new openness.
“I’m sick of fightin’, sick of cryin’, shit, it’s 4 a.m. / If you don’t answer this time, I’ll never call again, swear,” Cardi B sings on the song “Shower Tears.”
The emotion Cardi B poured into the album is apparent. Am I the Drama? is a complex work flip-flopping between euphoric highs and heavy lows. Even in many of the loud, upbeat tracks on the album, Cardi B meditates upon the traumas she has experienced since ascending to stardom.
An example of this newfound lyrical complexity is seen in “What’s Goin On (feat. Lizzo),” one of the standout songs on the second half of the record. The song samples the 1992 smash hit “What’s Up?” by 4 Non Blondes. The song, while being fun, continues to express deep emotion with Cardi and Lizzo riffing off each other in tune with the classic melody.
“He stopped sharin’ his location / I wonder why he got short conversations / What happened? We not laughin’,” Cardi B sings over the adored 4 Non Blondes tune.
The standout track of the album is “Principal (feat. Janet Jackson),” a song that samples Jackson’s 1987 song “The Pleasure Principle.” The production is well done and makes for a lively song.
Cardi B’s delivery is what makes the song so striking, her witty trademark flow on full display. Cardi B’s bars interlaced with Jackson’s smooth singing create an ode to generations of women in hip hop.
From Janet Jackson to Erykah Badu to Cardi B, she recognizes the tradition of women in hip hop and her place carrying on innovation and empowerment through sound. The song acts as a celebration, and on an album filled with many emotionally charged songs, “Principal” recognizes how far Cardi B has come.
The album’s only flaw is the timing. The world of hip hop is constantly evolving, and although her emotional range has broadened, Cardi B’s sound has remained largely the same since 2018.
Had this album been released five years ago, it would’ve been an instant classic, but 2025’s music landscape is far too different. Am I the Drama? may be the album that was released five years too late.
