After a seven-year wait following unanimously acclaimed 2018 debut Invasion of Privacy, Cardi B finally returned to DSPs and vinyl and CD store shelves this month with her sophomore album AM I THE DRAMA?

This week, following a months-long media full-court press, DRAMA debuts atop the Billboard 200 with 200,000 first-week units. In addition, the album charts 17 of its tracks on the Billboard Hot 100, led by the Kehlani collab “Safe,” which debuts at No. 26.

Was the first-week performance of DRAMA less or more than what we expected? And will we get a third Cardi B album before the turn of the decade? Billboard staffers discuss these questions and more below.

1. Cardi B’s AM I THE DRAMA? bows atop the Billboard 200 with 200,000 first-week units moved. Is that number lower, higher or about what you would have expected? 

Kyle Denis: I’ve had so much time to predict her first week numbers and gauge my expectations, and I’m still unsure. Considering hip-hop’s current commercial pull, the lack of hit single or viral guest verse ahead of the album release, the plethora of variants, and her late-stage promotional blitz, 200,000 first-week units is around where I would have expected AM I THE DRAMA? to land. What’s getting me is how much we had to see Cardi and her team sweat and fight to reach that figure…

Carl Lamarre: Higher, but not by much. I’m proud to say that I was one of the very few who thought that Cardi could eclipse 175K. She sealed my bet when she went crazy with her promo run going into release week. From doing in-store meet-and-greets to literally kissing babies in Dyckman, her hustler’s spirit is what helped her sprint to a hefty 200k debut. 

Jason Lipshutz: Higher. “Eternity” doesn’t do justice to a seven-year gap between full-length projects in modern hip-hop, and while Cardi B has scored multiple chart-toppers since 2018’s Invasion of Privacy, AM I THE DRAMA? arrived without any hit single preceding it. The lack of momentum ultimately didn’t matter, since Cardi remains such a force of nature as a hip-hop artist and personality. Her return was always going to generate a lot of interest, but considering the circumstances, DRAMA outpaced reasonable expectations in its debut week.

Heran Mamo: A bit lower considering the meme-driven and guerilla marketing for the album, from the “courtroom edition” CDs featuring viral images from her recent assault trial on the covers to selling said CDs and more plus vinyls on the streets of NYC. AM I THE DRAMA? earned 15,000 fewer album sales than Invasion of Privacy in the first week, which had the biggest sales week for an R&B or hip-hop album in 2018 upon its release – and the latter was only available to purchase as a digital album. Meanwhile, AM I THE DRAMA? had multiple digital and physical variants and still didn’t fare better than her debut album.

Andrew Unterberger: A little higher, just because there were really no safeguards for Cardi’s performance on this album — it didn’t have an advance streaming hit or a real wave of positive momentum that it was coming in on, and 2018 streaming numbers are not being repeated by many artists in 2025. Still, it’s Cardi B: You knew that even in a worst-case scenario she was gonna make six digits, and probably fairly comfortably. And 200,000 is a very nice first-week number for her right now.

2. Much has been made of the seven-year wait between Cardi’s first two official albums. Do you see DRAMA’s first-week performance as validation of her taking as long as she did?  
 
Kyle Denis: Sure, DRAMA‘s first-week performance validates the idea that people are interested in Cardi B albums post-Invasion of Privacy. But I’d argue that number could have (and probably would have) been higher with a shorter wait. If she pulled 200k without a hit anywhere near the level of “Bodak Yellow” (or even “Be Careful”), imagine what she could have done without having to rebuild her momentum from the ground up mere weeks before the album’s full release. I still think an album dropping after “Money”/“Press” in 2019 or “WAP”/“Up” in 2021 would have pulled stronger (or at least comparable) numbers.

Carl Lamarre: Yes and no. It validates why artists should take more time between their albums, especially after coming off a successful debut like Invasion. SZA played it masterfully, after segueing between Ctrl and SOS. Despite her five-year gap, she remained relevant, doling out high-profile features like her Grammy-winning collab with Doja on “Kiss Me More” to her show-stealing appearance on K. Dot’s “All the Stars.” Most importantly, Cardi and SZA thrived off their respective waits because they did what many artists should do when taking time off in-between projects: go out and live life.   

Jason Lipshutz: It’s hard to say, since, if Cardi had released three more albums between Invasion of Privacy and AM I THE DRAMA?, she very well could have had three more No. 1s in her collection. What the debut of DRAMA does validate is the public’s continued interest in all things Cardi, from passionate hip-hop fans excited to check out a high-profile new release to curious casuals who want to hear what outrageous things she might say on her latest opus. A seven-year wait for a second album would hamstring most rap headliners, but Cardi is undeniable enough to break convention and still come out on top.

Heran Mamo: Not really. Invasion of Privacy set the bar really high: a No. 1 debut with 255,000 equivalent album units, two Hot 100 No. 1 hits (lead single “Bodak Yellow” and “I Like It,” featuring Bad Bunny and J Balvin) and a Grammy for best rap album. While AM I THE DRAMA? also scored a No. 1 debut on the Billboard 200 (and already includes two Hot 100 No. 1s), it had a relatively clear runway to the top slot this week and earned 55,000 fewer equivalent album units than her debut album despite her meticulous marketing efforts. For an artist of Cardi’s stature – not just in rap, but in general – and for an album with this much anticipation building, one could argue that a No. 1 debut and 200,000 units moved in the first week is about what you’d expect if not a bit more.  

Andrew Unterberger: It doesn’t necessarily validate it as a strategy, though it does show that it wasn’t too detrimental to her long-term prospects. Some of the hottest rappers of 2018 are barely even mainstream propositions in 2025; Cardi certainly doesn’t have that problem and probably won’t for some time. But could she have had an even stronger sophomore performance if she’d just powered through releasing LP2 in 2021? We’ll never know, but it’s hard not to wonder.

3. Of the new songs, “Safe” with Kehlani is off to the hottest start. Do you see it becoming a lasting breakout hit from the set? Does the album have a song you think is more likely to be that? 

Kyle Denis: I think so. Anecdotally, I’m seeing this being received much more warmly than both “Outside” and “Imaginary Playerz.” Of course, it also helps that Kehlani has a rising hit of her own in “Folded,” which should help the momentum of “Safe” on rhythmic radio. I still have my eye on “Magnet,” though. Obviously, there’s also “Bodega Baddie,” which very well could become the set’s true monster hit if the right person remixes… maybe next year’s Super Bowl halftime show performer? 

Carl Lamarre: “Safe” is the money record to me. It was an instant winner when I first heard it at her private listening party in August. She and Kehlani have incredible chemistry and thrive off each other well. After the success of “Ring,” “Safe” feels like a perfect sequel to their 2018 scorcher, and if anything, it’s a strong enough indicator as to why these two should drop an EP one day.

Jason Lipshutz: It’s been interesting to watch listeners gravitate toward “Safe,” a relatively subdued R&B track about romantic longing, instead of more cutthroat fare like “Imaginary Playerz,” “Hello” and “Pretty & Petty” — but that success speaks to both the quality of “Safe” as a sumptuous listen, as well as the refreshing change-up compared to the tone of Cardi’s usual hits. It doesn’t also hurt that Kehlani is enjoying another mainstream moment, as “Folded” continues pushing up the Hot 100. “Safe” is an unlikely breakout hit from Cardi’s new album, but the stars have aligned in its favor.

Heran Mamo: I’m not surprised that “Safe” caught on first: Cardi featured Kehlani on “Ring” from Invasion of Privacy,and the single hit top 40 on the Hot 100, peaking at No. 28. “Safe” is already off to a better start since it debuted at No. 26. But I feel like “Pretty & Petty” has a shot of being this album’s breakout hit because of its hook and all the clever, memorable shots she took at Bia, starting with the viral first verse: “Name five Bia songs, gun pointin’ to your head/ Bow, I’m dead.” Bia teased that she’s prepared to respond on her album BIANCA next month, which will inevitably bring listeners back to Cardi’s track to better understand the timeline of their beef. Cardi’s inextinguishable spirit means she knew she had to come in with that heat after a seven-year gap between projects, so “Pretty & Petty” can only burn brighter from here.  

Andrew Unterberger: I do feel like “Safe” has all the ingredients for real breakout hit potential, but I’m kept from being too bullish on its prospects after it debuted outside the top 25 on this week’s Hot 100. How it does next week may ultimately be a better indicator of its long-term ceiling — if it maintains momentum or keeps from slipping too much it should have a good chance to go the distance, if it’s in the chart’s bottom half next week, maybe it’s not the one after all.

4. After receiving universal acclaim for her 13-track debut album Invasion of Privacy, Cardi went much more everything-goes with her 23-track sophomore album, including the inclusion of early-2020s singles “Up” and “WAP” at the end of the tracklist. Do you think that DRAMA ultimately justifies its length and general inclusivity song-wise? 

Kyle Denis: No. After sitting with the album for over a week, there are definitely a handful of songs that should have been left on the cutting room floor, “What’s Going On” chief among them. Sure, including “Up” and “WAP” fast-tracked the album to double-platinum status, but she couldn’t even debut all the set’s new songs on the Hot 100. You win some and you lose some! One of the most frustrating parts of an album listening experience is sifting through the duds to find the jewels, who wants to do that after already waiting seven years? 

Carl Lamarre: Personally, I’m not a fan of anyone having more than 20 songs on an album anymore. Cardi did reveal in our cover story that she recorded over 60 tracks for DRAMA, so it’s natural that she would want to include a lot of songs on this project. Of the 23 records overall, I think if she kept it at 15, my letter grade would leap from B/B+ to a strong A.

Jason Lipshutz: After this amount of waiting, the fact that a new Cardi B album exists, however overstuffed, is a gift that I won’t take for granted. While AM I THE DRAMA? is not as focused or cohesive as Invasion of Privacy, its extended track list contains plenty of riveting moments — and, yes, “Up” and “WAP” are years old at this point, but they’re both still great! Normally I would ding a superstar for emptying the clip with a too-long project, but with Cardi’s first album since 2018, I’m generally fine with a more-is-more approach.

Heran Mamo: Just because there was a long wait for AM I THE DRAMA? doesn’t mean the album needed to be that long. Although she defended her inclusion of “WAP” and “Up” on the album that’s earned double platinum certification by the RIAA within 10 days of its release, the hits’ placement at the tail end of the project feel like she just tacked them on there for a guaranteed boost. There were a few other tracks (such as the Lizzo-assisted “What’s Goin On” and “On My Back,” featuring Lourdiz) that felt like filler or disturbed the sequencing of the LP, but given her high-profile marital issues with Offset and new relationship with Stefon Diggs, beefs with Bia and JT and the other headline-making drama that’s played out over the last few years, Cardi had much to say and didn’t hold back for 70 minutes. 

Andrew Unterberger: Of course 23 tracks is too long — but to her credit, it’s only about 4-5 tracks too long, rather than the 8-10 that I’d feared going in. There aren’t a lot of outright duds on this album, and I understand Cardi B both wanting to include all her favs and anticipating the “seven years and only [lower number] tracks?” criticism if she’d gone modest with the tracklisting. But man, a 16-track version of this album would’ve been tight.

5. Make a prediction: Will we get Cardi B LP3 before the year 2030? 

Kyle Denis: CB3? Ha! Let’s get through the Little Miss Drama tour first. 

Carl Lamarre: I predict a 2028 release for Cardi. DRAMA officially made her a highly anticipated albums artist. After she experiences her first headlining tour next February, I can see her wanting to return to the studio and begin plotting her next move just because of that newfound confidence she’s soaking in. For now, she should breathe and savor the fruits of her labor.

Jason Lipshutz: No. When you think about the history of major artists finally releasing long-awaited albums, from Dr. Dre with Compton to Guns N’ Roses with Chinese Democracy to D’Angelo with Black Messiah, the track record doesn’t suggest that another new album followed sooner than expected afterwards. This might be it for a long time. I hope I’m wrong!

Heran Mamo: Considering AM I THE DRAMA? is nearly double the length of Invasion of Privacy, she bought herself some more time to release the next album, so I’m inclined to say we won’t be getting CB3 in 2030. But in the seven years between both albums, Cardi has doled out verses every one of those years, including her third Hot 100 No. 1 and RIAA diamond-certified hit “Girls Like You” with Maroon 5, DJ Snake’s “Taki Taki” also featuring Selena Gomez and Ozuna, and remixes on Glorilla and Megan Thee Stallion’s “Wanne Be” and Latto’s “Put It on da Floor.” So even if we don’t get another Cardi album this decade, she’ll at least keep us fed with her A-list assists.

Andrew Unterberger: Probably not, but that’s OK. However long the gap is between LP2 and LP3 ends up being for Cardi, it won’t feel as long as it did here; she’ll never have this kind of pressure on her for an album release again.

The War and Treaty‘s surprise guest appearance at Zach Bryan‘s record-setting concert Saturday (Sept. 27) in Ann Arbor, Mich., has led to a conflict with a nonprofit in suburban Chicago.

The married duo, based in Nashville but originally from Albion, Mich., joined Bryan for a performance of “Hey Driver,” a song The War and Treaty recorded with him on his self-titled 2023 album. The show’s attendance — 112,408 according to AEG Presents — made it the largest ticketed event ever in the U.S., breaking a record established by George Strait 15 months prior in Texas. It also set a merchandise sales record with $5 million.

However, the group had been booked to perform at Marty’s Barn Party for Equestrian Connection, a Lake Forest, Ill., organization that uses horses as therapy to “positively impact the lives of thousands of mentally, emotionally and physically challenged children and adults.” The War and Treaty pulled out just hours before the event — three according to the organization, five according to the group — which has led to a series of scathing recriminations on social media.

“Trying not to judge but hard to understand why the band would cancel their paid commitment or at least give us sufficient prior notice,” the organization posted. “Still trying to process the lack of empathy.” Marty’s Barn Party organizer Diana Finley Schnell wrote in a separate post that the War and Treaty no-showed for its sound check without any notice, and that the Equestrian Connection didn’t learn they wouldn’t be showing up until a call was placed to the booking agent. “They said they won’t be here now because they got a better offer for a tour. I’ve never seen such a sad display of unprofessionalism in my life…. How can you confirm the day before and then to not show up or even contact the event to tell them. We still wouldn’t know if we hadn’t called their agent…If I ever see them at a show and have the chance I am doing something to destroy their show.”

The sold-out charity event did go on as planned with two Chicagoland groups, the John Koziol Band and the According to Kate Country Band, brought in to take The War and Treaty’s place. Equestrian Connection has not responded to Billboard‘s requests for additional comment.

Acknowledging to Billboard that “it was a hard decision to make,” the War and Treaty’s Michael and Tanya Trotter pushed back at the way the situation is being portrayed.

The Trotters said on Tuesday (Sept. 30) that they received an initial call from Bryan’s father on Friday night inquiring if they would want to sing the National Anthem as part of the show at Michigan Stadium, but a formal invitation did not come until Saturday morning, after the group had arrived in Chicago. After consulting with management and their booking agency, The War and Treaty decided to head to Ann Arbor but maintain they notified the Marty’s Barn Party organizers immediately.

Per the contract, the War and Treaty handled its own transportation, while Equestrian Connection was to provide lodging, ground transportation and food.

 “We never checked into the hotel, we never went to the venue, never ate any food, never did any of that,” Michael Trotter said. “(The event organizer) is out there saying we stole their money, ate their food, checked into hotels, all this stuff about us that’s just not true.” The $50,000 performance fee was refunded, he said; the group made a separate $5,000 donation and provided a video for the event apologizing for its absence and explaining why. “We were very transparent that Zach Bryan called, this was the offer, we returned their money, made a donation, tried to help fill the (performance) position,” a War and Treaty source close to the situation added. The group did make some use of shuttle services the charity provided and has offered to reimburse that expense, according to the Trotters.

The reason for the decision, they added, related to their close friendship with Bryan and the significance of the song and the collaboration in their career. Bryan namechecks Trotter at the start of the track — “This is your song Mike, let’s do it” — and while song itself muses on the experience and consequences of the nomadic career of a touring performer, the Trotters also relate it to Michael’s publicly acknowledged struggles with PTSD after his military service in Iraq.

“While we were (on stage) I was keeping in mind the times when I was standing on helipads in Iraq, standing on the banks of the Euphrates River being shot at…where I thought I wasn’t going to be able to do this dream of mine to be a musician and recording artist,” Trotter explains. “I never imagined being in a stadium of 112,000 people-plus singing a song that Zach Bryan and the War and Treaty have done together. Being able to represent the U.S. Army — all my battle buddies, all the veterans — (and) represent my city, Albion, in the state of Michigan, with my wife and our friend and partaking in his success and being part of that…we had to do it.

“In hindsight I wish that Zach would’ve asked us a lot earlier,” Michael Trotter explained, “but, I mean, it’s Michigan and it’s the biggest concert in U.S. history. You don’t really get that opportunity many times in your life.”

Tanya Trotter added that, “Was it the best decision we’ve ever made and how we did it? No, but when I look back at our journey and everything we’ve gone through and the banner he waves and we wave as a couple that battled disabilities, for me it was something that was rewarding to experience.”

With alcohol sales continuing to decline, especially among health-conscious Gen-Zers, event organizers are looking for new sources of revenue to offset the drop in drinking. That includes introducing new categories of non-alcoholic beverages to sell to customers at a premium.

The newest entrant is a category of drinks called tonics, and global concert promoter AEG just announced a significant branding deal on this front with Tractor Beverage Company. The partnership will bring Haymaker, Tractor’s new certified-organic sparkling tonic, exclusively into more than 50 AEG Presents venues across the country. The Haymaker brand contains a recipe made with apple cider vinegar, ginger, and citrus and can be served alcohol-free or mixed into a cocktail.

Brokered by AEG’s global partnership division, the deal taps into what AEG calls “growing demand for clean, non-alcoholic options that still feel like part of the ‘night out’ experience,” according to a press release from the company. “For AEG, it’s about reshaping what fans expect at shows while bringing in a values-led, farmer-founded brand with real cultural credibility.”

According to a 2021 market research report, the tonic market is estimated to be worth $2.1 billion, with an annual growth rate of 10.8% expected through the end of the decade.

AEG will begin serving Haymaker next month at flagship AEG Presents venues including The Shrine Auditorium, The Fonda Theater and El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles; Brooklyn Steel and Terminal 5 in New York; and Mission Ballroom and Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre in Denver. Additional AEG Presents venues and cities will follow in 2026.

The AEG announcement follows a first-of-its-kind sponsorship struck early this year between Live Nation and Athletic Brewing Company, America’s largest non-alcoholic brewer, for the concert promoter’s large portfolio of venues and marquee festivals.

Duke Stump, chief brand officer for Tractor, heralded the deal for celebrating “the deep connection between land, music, and community,” while “bringing our farming roots and spirit to life.”

Holli Branam, senior vp at AEG global partnerships, added that the deal “deepens our commitment to a fan-first beverage program across our venues,” while Andrew Klein, president of global partnerships, called Tractor a “trusted partner who shares our commitment to the passionate music communities we’ve built.”

Hatebreed and its frontman Jamey Jasta say founding bassist Chris Beattie has no legal basis to sue over his ouster from the metalcore band last year.

Beattie brought a lawsuit against Hatebreed and Jasta (James Shanahan) this summer, claiming he had been unfairly kicked out of the band after 30 years. The bassist said Jasta made up a phony story about him harassing a security guard to justify the ouster, when really Jasta wanted to take home a larger share of Hatebreed’s profits.

Hatebreed and Jasta have now filed their first official response to the litigation. In a motion to strike some of the claims docketed on Thursday (Sept. 25), lawyers for the band and its frontman say Beattie’s lawsuit is a “garden variety band break-up case.”

“Plaintiff, a disgruntled former band member of the band known as ‘Hatebreed,’ erroneously asserts a right to remain a permanent member of the band in perpetuity despite the fact that the underlying relationship between the parties was terminable at-will,” wrote Hatebreed and Jasta’s attorneys.

According to the motion, there is no written contract that guarantees Beattie the right to stay a member of Hatebreed forever. Therefore, the band and Jasta say they had the legal right to fire Beattie at any point, and there’s no valid legal footing for the bassist to bring breach of contract claims against them.

Hatebreed and Jasta are asking a judge to ax four of the six claims in Beattie’s lawsuit, all tied to his ouster from the band. The other two claims concern Hatebreed’s merchandise sales, which are not covered in the motion to strike.

The band and Jasta’s attorney, Brian Caplan, declined to comment on Tuesday (Sept. 30), telling Billboard, “We think the motion papers speak for themselves.” Reps for Beattie did not immediately return a request for comment.

Beattie and Jasta co-founded Hatebreed in 1994, and both remained in the band until this past November, when Beattie abruptly departed and told fans in a social media post that the decision was not his own.

According to Beattie’s lawsuit, filed in July, Jasta fired the bassist and claimed it was because he’d harassed a Live Nation security guard at Connecticut’s Toyota Oakdale Theater. Beattie claimed this was “patently untrue.”

Beattie alleged in his lawsuit that Jasta axed him out of greed so that he could recoup a larger chunk of Hatebreed’s touring revenues, publishing royalties and merchandise sales. The bassist is seeking financial damages from his former bandmates.