Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion are gearing up for their next big collaboration. On Sept. 4, the two Grammy-winning rap stars announced that they’re releasing a new single on Friday, Sept. 8, titled “Bongos.” They revealed the news on social media with the track’s vibrant cover art, along with Megan sharing a behind-the-scenes photo of her colorful glam on her Instagram Story – perhaps the duo will drop a music video as well?
It’s not yet clear if “Bongos” will appear on Cardi’s second studio album, as she recently told Vogue México that she’s “not going to release any more collaborations” until her album rollout begins. Perhaps “Bongos” came together quicker than expected, but according to Cardi, we can expect more new music from her “very soon.”
“I’m going to put out my next solo single,” she told the publication in an August interview. “Right now, I’m working on the cover art and ideas for the next record because it’s definitely coming up. Everyone always tells me I should put the record out now. They did when I released ‘WAP’ [with Megan Thee Stallion] and when I released ‘Up,’ but I always let them know I’m not going to wait long after all these singles. So stay tuned because it’s coming out very soon.”
“Bongos” is Megan’s first release since 2022’s “Traumazine” and Cardi’s most recent drop this year after collaborations with Latto (“Put It on Da Floor Remix“), her husband Offset (“Jealousy“), and FendiDa Rappa (“Point Me 2”). Cardi and Megan’s new track will mark their second collaboration following the smash-hit success of “WAP,” their famous 2020 pussy rap anthem that had fans in a frenzy and the conservatives condemning its release. If the title and cover art of “Bongos” are any indication, it seems the new single will be yet another ode to their assets.
Cardi and Megan’s “WAP” did more than ruffle a few feathers and break records – it also marked a monumental time for women in hip-hop and those worldwide who unapologetically claimed ownership of their bodies and personal pleasure. In a 2020 interview with i-D, Cardi shared that she was “surprised by the reaction” to the song, saying, “I knew it was gonna have a big impact, I guess, because of me and Megan. But I didn’t know it was going to be so controversial.”
She continued, “I never expected that, you know, conservatives and republicans were going to be talking about the song. I didn’t think the song was as vulgar as they said it was, you know? Like, I’m so used to it. I’m such a freak that I didn’t think it would be a big deal. I didn’t think people would think it was so out of this world.”
Speaking to GQ that same year, Megan addressed why some men, and even some women, criticize those who embrace their sex lives so publicly. She said, “Some people just don’t know what to do when a woman is in control and taking ownership of her own body. I feel like for a long time men felt like they owned sex and now women are saying, ‘Hey, this is for me. I want pleasure. This is how I want it or don’t want it,’ it freaks men the hell out. It just comes from a place of fear and insecurity, like why would anyone be mad about my WAP? It belongs to me.”
