by Cardi B Reveals She Feels “Awkward” Singing Her Hit Song “WAP”
Cardi B has cemented herself as one of the biggest rappers in the world thanks to hits like “Bodak Yellow,” “I Like It,” and “WAP.” However, in a new interview, Cardi revealed that she actually feels “awkward” performing one of her biggest hits – “WAP.”
Speaking to Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, Cardi explained, “I feel like an idiot when I sing ‘WAP.’ I wrote that song when I was 18 or 19 years old. At the time, I thought it was cool to be cool with the party, but now I realize that it’s not cool. It’s dangerous. It’s a dangerous game to play.”
“WAP,” which stands for “Wet Ass Pussy,” was released in 2020 as a collaboration between Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion. It became an instant viral hit, breaking streaming records and debuting at number one on the Billboard Hot 100. However, the sexually explicit lyrics also garnered some controversy.
Looking back now as a married woman in her late 20s and a mother, Cardi seems to have a different perspective on the raunchy hit. She told Lowe, “I have grown up a lot since then and I no longer feel the same way about fame.”
Cardi went on to explain why she now feels so uncomfortable with the message behind “WAP,” saying, “It’s about being famous and wanting attention. That’s a dangerous game to play. I now realize how dangerous it is for young women to seek attention in that way.”
It’s clear that Cardi has matured a lot in the few years since she wrote the track as a teenager. She no longer relates to the mindset of craving fame and attention no matter what. The chart-topping rapper elaborated:
“As a young girl, I thought it was cool to get attention and be popular on social media and at parties. But now I know better. Now I understand that young women should value themselves for more than the attention they can get from men. We deserve real love and respect.”
Cardi’s comments illustrate her growth from a reckless party girl to a responsible woman thinking about the message she spreads to her millions of young female fans. The Bronx native acknowledged she now feels conflicted about performing the controversial song live:
“Even though I feel awkward about ‘WAP’ now, I know that it makes my fans happy when I perform it. They love singing and dancing along to it, so I could never just stop performing it altogether. That would disappoint so many people.”
It’s a difficult balancing act for the Grammy-winner. On one hand, she now sees “WAP” as promoting an unhealthy message to young women about using their bodies for attention. But on the other hand, she knows she has a duty to perform the songs her fans love. Cardi explained her approach:
“I’m going to keep performing ‘WAP’ because that’s what my fans want to hear. But I also make sure that my shows now include songs that spread a more positive message for young women. We have worth beyond our bodies and we deserve healthy relationships built on trust.”
Some of the other hits Cardi rotates at her explosive live shows include female empowerment anthems like “Money” and “Be Careful.” This allows her to balance out the more questionable messages of a song like “WAP.”
Cardi B’s latest album, Invasion of Privacy, features some similar themes of female empowerment and her growth into womanhood. In songs like “Be Careful,” she explores demanding healthy relationships and respect. Other tracks like “Money” celebrate female financial independence and success.
During her insightful interview with Lowe, Cardi also reflected on how she has matured and changed perspectives since becoming a mother. She said, “Having a daughter has made me even more aware of my responsibility as a public figure. I have to make sure I send the right message to young girls.”
Motherhood seems to have strongly influenced Cardi’s feelings towards her hyper-sexualized smash hit “WAP.” She told Lowe, “Now that I have my daughter, I realize that ‘WAP’ promotes a message I no longer believe in. I don’t want my daughter growing up thinking that she needs attention from men or has to use her body to get it.”
Cardi is trying to be more mindful of how she portrays women in her music and public persona from now on. As she said, “I realize I have a responsibility now, as a mother and a public figure, to promote healthy relationships and empowerment for young women.”
Still, the multi-platinum artist understands the catch-22 she is in with “WAP.” She doesn’t fully support the message anymore but knows she can’t just remove it from her catalog. As she summed it up:
“That song doesn’t represent who I am today, but it made me who I am today. My fans love it and I’m grateful for what it did for my career. I’ll keep performing it with pride, while also trying to balance the message at my shows.”
Cardi B’s revelations show major personal growth and self-awareness. Very few artists would be so honest about feeling uncomfortable with the message behind their biggest hit. But Cardi wants to use her immense platform responsibly, even if that means grappling with some of the problematic lyrics in her past work.
The rap queen has clearly done a lot of maturation in recent years as a woman and a mother. This gives her a new perspective on the hyper-sexualized female empowerment message behind “WAP.” Yet she balances this mature hindsight with an understanding of her duties as an artist to keep performing the songs that made her famous.
Cardi B’s candid interview serves as an inspiring model of how artists can evolve and take responsibility for the messages in their music. She shows that growth is always possible if you’re willing to acknowledge past mistakes and work towards sending more positive messages. Cardi proves that artists don’t have to be defined by their past work – they can always change course and use their voices for good.
While she may never stop feeling slightly awkward rapping about her WAP, Cardi B clearly has the wisdom now to use her immense influence to uplift young women worldwide. She sums it up perfectly:
“I’ll always feel uncomfortable singing some of my older songs. But I now understand the power I have to change lives. I want to use my voice to help young girls feel confident in who they are and demand respect.”
