Key Takeaways:
- Cardi B’s new single “Outside” signals a fiery return and sets the tone for her next album.
- “Outside” builds momentum for Cardi’s long-awaited sophomore album, following delays and fan anticipation.
Cardi B is popping out with new music to kick off the start of summer. On Thursday (June 19) night, she dropped off “Outside,” her much-anticipated first single of the year, produced by Charlie Heat and HeyMicki.
Off the top, she makes a declaration that after being “cuffed up too long,” she is back on the prowl and ready for a good time. The rapper announced her divorce from Offset in the summer of 2024 after being married since 2017. In recent months, she has been spotted booed up with New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs. He received a tongue-in-cheek shoutout when she said, “Heard them Patriots got them n**gas, let me in the locker room,” on the track.
“When I tell you these n**gas ain’t s**t, please believe me (Believe me)/ They gon’ f**k on anything, these n**gas way too easy (At all)/ Low-down, good-for-nothing dirty dogs, I'm convinced (Uh-huh)/ Can’t wait to see your mama, tell her how she raised a b**ch,” rapped Cardi on the chorus.
Her verses have some equally lethal bars, too: “Well, let’s go wrong for wrong (What?), let’s go lick for lick (Let’s go)/ If I can handle that (Uh-huh), let me see you handle this (Okay)/ Do you how you do me, bet you we won’t speak again/ Favorite player from your favorite team, he in my DM, uh/ I’m so small and tiny, he so big and tall/ Might let him dunk this p**sy like he dunk the ball.”
“Outside” builds excitement for Cardi’s sophomore album
Fans demanded that Cardi release the pop-out ladies’ anthem, “Outside,” after she teased them with a snippet in the past. On Tuesday (June 17), she confirmed its release with a photo of the single's artwork shows a red fire hydrant, a grimy sidewalk, and a street littered with remnants of a night of partying, accompanied by the caption: “We OUTSIDE this Friday!!”
Cardi’s last solo drop was 2024’s “Enough (Miami).” Since then, the diamond-certified MC has been locked in on her sophomore album, the long-awaited follow-up to 2018’s Invasion of Privacy. According to Billboard, she revealed delays were due to missing features, but the energy around “Outside” proves fans are still all in.
She reportedly said during an Instagram Live session, “I’m not really trying to press or go crazy on these artists because I love them down. But it’s like, come on now! I need that! I need that right now! Helloooo!” She continued, “Y’all don’t want to miss this opportunity. I’ll sing this s**t myself! But I really need y’all, and I need y’all to hurry up, and I love y’all. I feel like nobody want[s] to miss being on this album,” the “Bodak Yellow” artist concluded. As it stands, an official release date and track list have not been announced.
With “Outside,” Cardi B isn’t just dropping bars, she’s reclaiming her space. As fans wait for her next full-length project, this track sets the tone for a new chapter that’s raw, unfiltered, and fully in her control.