by Cardi B’s 2018 hit single “Bartier Cardi” was one of the biggest and most talked about songs of the year. However, not everyone was quick to appreciate its significance or enjoy its infectious energy. As with many major pop culture moments, “Bartier Cardi” received some criticism and skepticism from those outside of its target audience. But there are good reasons why this chart-topping song deserves to be appreciated even by listeners who may not typically gravitate towards hip hop or rap.
Catchy and Energetic
First and foremost, “Bartier Cardi” is just plain fun and catchy. From the opening notes, Cardi B’s charismatic delivery over the upbeat instrumental immediately grabs your attention. Her rapid-fire flow rides the bouncy beat with confidence and bravado. Within just a few listens, the song’s melodic hook is guaranteed to get stuck in your head: “I don’t dance now, I make money moves.”
Cardi B’s energetic performance keeps the song moving at a brisk and lively pace. Even for casual listeners, it’s hard not to find her charisma and rhythm infectious. The song demands movement – it’s the type of track that’s easy to nod your head or tap your foot to without even realizing. Its catchiness crosses genre boundaries and appeals to a wide audience.
For hip hop fans especially, “Bartier Cardi” delivers the type of adrenaline rush the best party songs provide. It’s the perfect music to play loudly with friends or at a club. Cardi B designed it to make listeners feel empowered and want to dance. For three minutes, the song transports listeners to a world of confidence, wealth, and good vibes. Its energy alone makes it worthy of appreciation.
Cultural Impact
Beyond just being a fun listen, “Bartier Cardi” also left an undeniable mark on popular culture and the music industry in 2018. Upon its January 2018 release, it shot straight to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart – becoming Cardi B’s first US number one single. It remained there for three consecutive weeks.
The song’s success helped cement Cardi B as not just a popular new artist, but a bonafide superstar. She was the first female rapper to top the Hot 100 with a solo track since Lauryn Hill’s “Doo Wop (That Thing)” in 1998. “Bartier Cardi” showed that Cardi B transcended hip hop and genre boundaries to appeal to a wide commercial audience.
Its impact rippled across social media as well. Videos of people dancing and lip-syncing to the song flooded platforms like Instagram and YouTube. Celebrities from musicians to athletes were seen enjoying the track. Cultural references to lyrics and the song’s catchphrases became ubiquitous.
By the end of 2018, “Bartier Cardi” had been streamed over 1 billion times. It went double platinum and became one of the best-selling singles of the entire year. Its success was a watershed moment for both Cardi B’s career and for women in hip hop. Given its massive popularity and cultural penetration, “Bartier Cardi” absolutely deserves to be appreciated for the impact it made.
Female Empowerment Anthem
Beyond just being an earworm, “Bartier Cardi” also works as an anthem of female empowerment and independence. Cardi B’s raps celebrate her wealth, accomplishments, and lavish lifestyle – all achieved on her own terms as a woman in the male-dominated fields of music and entertainment.
In the lyrics, she brags about the expensive clothes, jewelry, and cars that she can afford thanks to her financial success. But she’s also proud that she earned it all independently without needing to rely on a romantic partner. Lines like “I don’t need no handouts from no man, got it out the mud on my own” project an image of a confident, ambitious woman who paved her own way to the top through hard work.
For female listeners and hip hop fans, this type of representation is empowering. At a time when women in rap still face prejudice and criticism over their sexuality or personal lives, Cardi B unapologetically reclaims the narrative. She celebrates her femininity and accomplishments without diminishing either part of her identity.
The song’s message of financial independence and self-made success defies expectations and stereotypes about gender roles or what women “should” rap about. It encourages listeners to embrace their ambitions and live freely without social restrictions. This type of empowerment is universally appealing and important, making “Bartier Cardi” a feminist anthem deserving of widespread respect.
Confidence and Humor
Part of what makes “Bartier Cardi” so entertaining is Cardi B’s confident yet playful persona. She raps with a sense of humor about lavish topics like expensive clothes in an almost tongue-in-cheek manner. Even when boasting, she does so with a sly smile and twinkle in her eye.
This approachability is part of what helped the song connect with a mainstream audience. Cardi B doesn’t take herself too seriously or get preachy. She relays her braggadocio in a way that comes across as fun, not aggressive or intimidating. Listeners are drawn in by her charisma and invited to celebrate alongside her rather than made to feel small or judged.
Her punchlines like “If it’s four, then it’s four, it’s never five/If it’s two, then it’s two, it’s never three” show off her wit and comedic timing. She pokes fun at herself and situations rather than putting others down. This type of confidence paired with humor creates a very entertaining listen that transcends genre or demographic boundaries.
Even those outside of hip hop culture can appreciate Cardi B’s amusing personality and delivery. She invites listeners in to share in the joke rather than keeping them at arm’s length. This approachability makes “Bartier Cardi” more universally palatable and deserving of a wider audience.
Sample Appreciation
As a major hit, “Bartier Cardi” also deserves credit for popularizing the musical sample it’s built upon: Kodak Black’s “No Flockin.” Cardi B takes the instrumental from that song and elevates it to new heights with her charismatic flow and lyrics.
In doing so, she introduces Kodak Black’s track to millions more listeners who may have otherwise missed it. Sampling is a cornerstone of hip hop music, but mainstream hits like “Bartier Cardi” that reach beyond core fans do important work of exposing audiences to lesser-known songs. They encourage sample appreciation and discovery of an artist’s wider catalog.
For those who enjoy Cardi B’s track but may not listen to much rap otherwise, exploring Kodak Black’s music based on hearing “No Flockin” as the foundation of “Bartier Cardi” opens them up to a new world of hip hop they hadn’t considered before. Hits that creatively re-purpose samples spread influence far beyond just the new song itself.
This cross-promotion deserves recognition, as it helps introduce new potential fans and has a network effect for the art form as a whole. “Bartier Cardi” spreads more love for the culture of hip hop through its savvy sampling choice.
Conclusion
While “Bartier Cardi” may not be for everyone’s personal tastes, it’s undeniable that the song achieved mass popularity and cultural resonance in 2018 for good reason. Beyond just being a fun, catchy listen, it broke barriers, spread empowerment, and showcased Cardi B’s charismatic personality.
Through its impact, sampling appreciation, and ability to bring joy, “Bartier Cardi” transcended genre boundaries and connected with a mainstream audience. Even for more casual music fans or those outside of hip hop culture, the song deserves to be acknowledged for its entertainment value, significance, and the ways it moved the industry forward.
With infectious energy, wit, and an anthemic message, “Bartier Cardi” proved deserving of its commercial success and status as one of the defining songs of its era. Though not the preferred choice of music for all, its qualities of fun, empowerment, and cultural penetration make it worthy of appreciation even beyond Cardi B’s dedicated fanbase. Its catchiness, humor and significance ensure “Bartier Cardi” has earned its spot in the popular canon.
