On Monday (Sept. 4), Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion announced that they’ll be joining forces once again for a fresh, highly anticipated single called “Bongos.” Slated for release this Friday (Sept. 8), the artists revealed the artwork and pre-save link for the upcoming record.
The cover art featured the pair wearing multicolored curls and one-pieces in blue and purple, respectively. Cardi and Megan’s previous joint effort arrived in the form of their hit track “WAP.” The chart-topping song dominated the Billboard Hot 100 for a month and stirred up considerable controversy.
“Y’all remember when the FCC almost sued me [’cause] I performed ‘WAP’ at the Grammys? What about when all the Republicans literally harassed me over it? On the news every day,” Cardi wrote on Twitter. The widespread criticism she received included possible legal actions and political condemnations.
Check out the announcement for “Bongos” below.
Last week, she and Megan emerged victorious from a legal battle that accused them of plagiarizing the lyrics of “WAP” and “Thot S**t.” Denise Jones, professionally known as Necey X, alleged the artists ripped lyrics from a 2020 song she released called “Grab Em By The P**sy.”
In response, U.S. District Judge Andrew L. Carter wrote, “The lyrics over which [the] plaintiff asserts copyright protection are no more than common phrases, employed frequently in popular culture and other hip hop songs. Likewise, defendants have provided examples of at least three songs pre-dating [‘Grab Em’] which use some variation of the phrase ‘n**gas wildin’.” The lawsuit was subsequently dismissed.
Moreover, Cardi evidently pulled a bait-and-switch on her fans. Although she previously announced a solo career focus in her Vogue México cover, the new collaboration suggests a more nuanced approach. “I’m going to put out my next solo single. Right now, I’m working on the cover art and ideas for the next record because it’s definitely coming up,” she assured.
For Megan, the news of the joint release followed a whirlwind year. She debuted her sophomore album, Traumazine, in August 2022. Apart from dominating the music charts, she also made her presence felt in film and television by guest-starring in projects like the Disney+ series “She-Hulk: Attorney at Law” and the upcoming movie D**ks: The Musical.