by Cardi B’s Energetic Music: A Potential Bedtime Disruptor?
Cardi B has become one of the biggest stars in hip hop and pop music over the past few years. Known for her brash personality and chart-topping hits, Cardi B creates music that is fun, bold, and unapologetically herself. However, one downside of her energetic style is that some of her songs could potentially disrupt sleep if listened to close to bedtime. In this article, we will take a deeper look at Cardi B’s discography and explore how certain songs may stimulate the mind and body in a way that makes winding down and falling asleep more difficult.
Cardi B’s Signature Sound
Cardi B’s music is characterized by fast-paced beats, catchy hooks, and boastful lyrics. She often incorporates Latin-influenced rhythms and sounds from genres like reggaeton into her hip hop productions. This melting pot of styles gives her songs an upbeat, party-like energy that is infectious and gets listeners moving. Some key elements that define Cardi B’s signature sound and could potentially impact sleep include:
Fast Tempos: Many Cardi B songs have tempos of 120-130 BPM or higher. For reference, the average human resting heart rate is 60-100 BPM. Faster tempos stimulate the body’s fight or flight response in a way that makes relaxation more challenging.
High-Energy Choruses: Cardi B expertly crafts catchy hooks and refrains that are designed to get stuck in your head. Their repetitive and stimulating nature can make winding down and clearing one’s mind difficult.
Lyrical Themes: Cardi B frequently raps about topics like sex, money, success, and living lavishly. The boastful and indulgent themes promote an excited, activated state of mind not conducive to relaxation.
Visual Stimulation: Cardi B’s music videos are full of bright colors, elaborate choreography, and lavish settings. Watching such visually stimulating content close to bed may over-activate the senses and prime the brain for wakefulness rather than sleep.
Three Potentially Disruptive Songs
With Cardi B’s signature sound profile in mind, here are deeper analyses of three specific songs that could pose challenges for sleep due to their stimulating nature:
“I Like It” (feat. Bad Bunny & J Balvin)
Released in 2018, “I Like It” became Cardi B’s first number one hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and helped take Latin trap music mainstream. The song’s production is defined by an insistent, pulsing bassline and handclaps that maintain a brisk tempo of 126 BPM. Cardi B, Bad Bunny, and J Balvin trade verses full of sexual innuendo and double entendres over the track.
The music video, filmed on lavish sets meant to depict a tropical paradise, is also highly stimulating visually. It features elaborate choreography, bright neon colors, and Cardi B and guests dancing seductively. Watching such an upbeat, visually engaging video close to bedtime could significantly activate both mind and body in a way that interferes with the relaxation response needed for sleep.
“Bodak Yellow”
Cardi B’s breakout smash from 2017, “Bodak Yellow” helped cement her as a star in her own right. With a pounding, aggressive beat and Cardi B’s boasts about her rise from stripper to celebrity, the song exudes confidence and bravado. Its tempo clocks in at a brisk 124 BPM.
The lyrics themselves promote an excited state of mind, with Cardi rapping about flashy cars, money, and success over the beat’s insistent low-end rumble. Even without viewing the accompanying music video, simply listening to the song’s stimulating production and themes so close to bedtime could trigger a stress response counterproductive to relaxation. The visuals, featuring Cardi in lavish settings and dancing energetically, would only compound this effect.
“Bartier Cardi” (feat. Offset)
Released in 2018, “Bartier Cardi” sees Cardi team up with her husband Offset. With a Latin-influenced beat, handclaps, and Offset’s Auto-Tuned vocals, the song maintains a party-like atmosphere. At 126 BPM, its tempo continues Cardi B’s trend of using brisk rhythms.
The lyrics find Cardi and Offset exchanging flirtations and boasts about their lavish lifestyles. The music video amplifies this stimulating theme with bright colors, elaborate sets, and high-energy choreography from Cardi B and guests. Watching such an upbeat, visually engaging video so close to one’s bedtime could significantly activate both the mind and body, interfering with relaxation. Simply listening to the song itself, with its fast tempo and themes of indulgence, also poses challenges for unwinding the brain and body.
Other Potentially Stimulating Tracks
While “I Like It,” “Bodak Yellow,” and “Bartier Cardi” represent some of Cardi B’s most overtly stimulating releases to date, other songs in her discography could pose similar issues for sleep due to their brisk tempos, catchy hooks, and themes of confidence and indulgence. These include:
“Money” (feat. Lil Kim): Released in 2018, this track finds Cardi bragging about wealth over a pounding beat at 126 BPM.
“WAP” (feat. Megan Thee Stallion): The massively popular 2020 collaboration boasts a tempo of 128 BPM and raunchy lyrics that could keep minds activated.
“Up”: This self-empowerment anthem from 2018 maintains a tempo of 124 BPM with an insistent beat and themes of success.
“Be Careful”: While slower in tempo at 108 BPM, the song’s themes of a toxic relationship could emotionally activate close to bedtime.
“Ring” (feat. Kehlani): With a tempo of 120 BPM and themes of seduction, simply listening to this track before sleep poses challenges.
Potentially More Relaxing Options
Not all of Cardi B’s discography is guaranteed to disrupt sleep, however. Some songs have slower tempos, less stimulating production styles, or themes that could potentially promote relaxation over activation:
“Thru Your Phone”: At 92 BPM, this ballad about long-distance relationships has a more mellow tone through both its production and lyrics.
“Be Mine”: Also at 92 BPM, this love song has an R&B-influenced beat and focuses on intimacy over indulgence.
“Wish Wish” (feat. DJ Khaled): While still maintaining Cardi’s signature sound, the 118 BPM track discusses spirituality in a more positive, peaceful way.
“Wild Side” (feat. Normani): With lush instrumentation and themes of seduction at 108 BPM, this song aims more to seduce than over-stimulate.
“Bet It”: While still boasting confidence at 112 BPM, the song’s mellower beat provides a calmer vibe versus Cardi’s more aggressive singles.
Of course, individual tolerance for stimulation will vary person to person. But for those seeking to avoid potential sleep disruption, slower Cardi B tracks focusing less on indulgence and more on intimacy or spirituality may prove better bedtime companions.
Tips for Managing Cardi B’s Impact on Sleep
For big fans of Cardi B who still want to enjoy her music close to bedtime, some tips can help manage its potential stimulating effects:
Listen with headphones instead of speakers to avoid over-activating the whole body and room with loud volumes and bass.
Watch muted music videos or just listen—removing visual stimulation helps calm the mind.
Listen to mellower album cuts or remixes instead of signature high-energy singles.
Wind down activities for 30+ minutes before listening to allow the body to begin relaxing.
Listen while doing calming activities like gentle yoga, reading, or journaling to balance stimulation.
Try listening to binaural beats or other relaxing music after for 15-30 minutes to unwind further.
Ultimately, the best way to determine Cardi B’s impact is self-experimentation. Listen at different times, activity levels, and with different coping strategies to find what works for individual sleep needs and tolerance of stimulation before bed. With some trial and error, fans can hopefully continue to enjoy the music without disruption to their nightly rest.
