After a months-long wait, Cardi B has finally returned with new music.
At midnight Friday, the Bronx rapper delivered her much-anticipated “Up” single as well as its official video. Cardi began teasing the release on social media earlier this week, telling fans she had been preparing for the drop for more than a month. She also took the moment to express gratitude toward her fans, who have continued to show her love throughout the low times.
“I want to thank all my fans and everyone that genuinely support me,” she wrote. “… Unfortunately I’m not feeling how I wanted to feel today. I’m very happy that you guys are happy and just know I do this cause ya go so hard for me … I can’t thank my fans enough for lifting me up and remaining solid it really be too much.”
Cardi also dropped a little preview of the outfit she rocked on the “Up” cover art, revealing it was a complete stick-on design.
The song marks Cardi’s first official release since “WAP,” the Megan Thee Stallion-assisted single that arrived back in August. “Up” is also expected to appear on the follow-up to Cardi’s 2018 debut album, Invasion of Privacy.
“There is definitely a lot of pressure, which is why I haven’t put out the second album. I haven’t rushed it,” she told Footwear News in November. “Everybody is waiting for that one little mistake. Everybody is dying to say, ‘Her album is trash, her first one is better.’ I have to play it good and make sure everyone likes it and make sure it comes with sick everything. Just the whole roll out has to be sickening.”
You can stream “Up” now on all major platforms and check out its official video above.
Following the release, Cardi collaborator and pianist Chloe Flower shared her own rendition of the new song. Cardi quote-tweeted the cover with the message, “I can’t wait to work with you again.”
