Hi, I’m Brittany Ward and I work as an Associate Music Supervisor here at PlayNetwork. My choice for album of the year is Cardi B’s debut Invasion Of Privacy. Ever since the release of the album’s hit single “Bodak Yellow” I knew Cardi B would be someone I would be listening for. The future of who she would be as an artist was up to her. Only having released some mixtapes and being on a reality TV series, Cardi B was a clean slate…then came Invasion Of Privacy. It was almost a surprise since she announced the release in March and it came out later in April. Even with the short time for promotion, the project took off reaching number one on the charts, making her one of five women rap artists to reach number one.
This album is my personal favorite because I can listen to the full album, song by song, multiple times and still enjoy it because Cardi B has an exciting voice with her style of rapping to what she chooses to talk about. The themes she touches on range from her struggle to make a better life for herself, earning respect in the music industry as a woman, to more touches on feminism and how that reflects on her own personal relationships. Switching back between singing and rapping, all the songs are well rounded and make for a debut album with variety. Her Latin twist on her hit song “I Like It” with J Balvin and Bad Bunny is one of the ways she showcased her culture through this album. She is unapologetically herself, embracing all parts of her personality. She shows her range as an artist and can stand alone without features. Although who she chose to accompany her on her songs balances her flawlessly.
Following the album release, her performance of “Be Careful” on Saturday Night Live made it clear she could stand her own… with her eyes closed, singing and rapping her heart to the world. This is only her jumping off point and I’m excited to see what she gives us in the future.
Artist: Cardi B
Track: Be Careful
Album: Invasion Of Privacy
Twitter: @iamcardib
