In the seven years since Cardi B left an indelible mark on hip-hop and pop culture with her Billboard 200-topping, Grammy-winning debut studio album, Invasion of Privacy, two U.S. presidential administrations passed, Taylor Swift’s re-recordings project began and presumably ended, and Cardi went from expecting her first child to awaiting the arrival of her fourth. In this era of instant gratification and constant consumption, each passing year without Cardi’s sophomore album felt more mind-boggling than the last.  

The interim between her two studio LPs, of course, was anything but quiet: She added two more Hot 100 No.1s to her collection with “Up” and the Megan Thee Stallion-assisted “WAP,” dropped several singles that bricked by her standards (remember “Hot S—t?”) and cemented her near-incomparable cultural pull with film cameos (Hustlers), buzzy co-signs via ace guest verses (GloRilla’s “Tomorrow 2”; Latto’s “Put It On Da Floor Again”), successful product lines (Whipshots), and, most notably, her major moves in the fashion world. 

Invasion of Privacy had been a perfect storm. Cardi and her team harnessed the momentum of her “Bodak Yellow” breakthrough into a succinct 13-song set that introduced a new leading voice in the rap arena, one who prioritized slick-mouthed humor, trademark Bronx bravado and the urgency and drive of a person whose survival instincts evolve with each new chapter of life. Following up a beloved modern classic and a near-flawless rollout was always going to be a daunting task, especially seven years later. While Cardi’s position in the rap game was hardly questioned in earnest, questions abounded. Should Cardi pull a Lauryn Hill and never drop another studio album? Is her position really secured off of one album? Could a second album actually hurt the legacy that Invasion has accrued?

Now, just as the first autumn breezes sweep through her New York City hometown, Cardi has put every question to bed with her behemoth of a sophomore album, Am I the Drama? Housing 23 tracks and clocking in at over 70 minutes, Drama arrived on Sept. 19 after a blitz of an album campaign that truly kicked off in July around Paris Fashion Week. Armed with a half-baked crow aesthetic and stacked with A-list features including Selena Gomez, Janet Jackson and Summer Walker, Drama attempts to synthesize the past seven years of Cardi’s marriage, industry tiffs and emotional maturation into a coherent narrative arc. An overstuffed tracklist and slightly sloppy sequencing prevent the record from fully realizing its potential, but over the course of an hour-plus, Cardi sufficiently reminds us why the crown was hers to return for in the first place. 

“Dead,” on which Summer Walker delivers a surprisingly solid SZA impression, opens Drama with a smattering of fictional, Makaveli-era 2Pac news reports quickly giving way to a single, fiery verse from Cardi. When she spits, “Tell a b—h, ‘You better use your head ‘fore I come there, put a hole in it’/ Like, baow, baow, baow, now she can bowl with it,” Cardi spins the ferocious ambition of Invasion of Privacy opener “Get Up 10” into a snarling, more vicious tone. She’s almost annoyed that she has to take time out of just her second album to remind people who exactly she is. If “Dead” has one shortcoming, it’s the lack of real news snippets; if we’re going to get into all of Cardi’s Drama, let’s really do it and immediately root the album in that reality.

The ominous feel of “Dead” continues on “Hello,” whose whirring Halloween-evoking synths and foreboding hook herald the biting JT-aimed disses littered throughout “Magnet,” one of Drama’s instant standouts. Confusingly, Cardi gives us three songs to settle into her Drama persona before calling Selena Gomez for a pop number that’s either ridiculously catchy or immediately forgettable, depending on your mood. Perhaps slotting it closer to the other pop girl collabs — like the atrocious, Lizzo-assisted “What’s Going On” and the smooth Tyla-featuring “Nice Guy” — near the end of the record would have worked better instead of stunting the momentum of the first three songs.  

When contextualized with the following two New York-tributing tracks, pre-single “Imaginary Playerz” and smash-in-waiting “Bodega Baddie,” the placement of “Pick It Up” is even more befuddling. Although “Playerz” arrived to mixed reception and a soft Hot 100 debut (No. 70), it plays much smoother as an album track, working as a foil to the Cash Cobain-assisted “Better Than You” on the album’s second half. If the Jay-Z-sampling “Imaginary Playerz” is Cardi nodding to the storied past of New York hip-hop, then “Better Than You” is her wink at the region’s present and near future. Am I the Drama? may not always play as a traditional New York rap album, but Cardi makes sure to situate herself in both the city’s history and its present hip-hop ecosystem, which she doubles down on with the celebratory, El Prodigio-sampling “Bodega Baddie.” Even though its sub-two-minute runtime is frustrating, the inevitable “Bodega Baddie” remix is sure to dominate whatever season it arrives in. 

The TM88-produced “Salute” brings the Drama from the Uptown clubs and into Cardi’s diary. She enters a stank face-inducing pocket on the track, reminding us that she’s always shone brightest when she’s on a track by herself. As she raps in the first verse, “I am the reference, yeah, I am the vision board/ I put that shit on these bitches, they can’t ignore.” After making a pit stop to inspect everyone’s salutes, Cardi kicks off a four-track run (“Man of Your Word,” “Safe,” “What’s Going On” and “Shower Tears”) that serves as the emotional crux of Am I the Drama? 

Plainly put, it’s a shame someone who allegedly treated Cardi as awfully as Offset did is the subject of a career-best song like “Man of Your Word,” but that’s what turning pain into power is all about. Built around a somber hook, courtesy of prominent R&B/hip-hop songwriter Dougie F, “Man of Your Word” finds Cardi taking stock of her tumultuous marriage, its heart-shattering demise and the harsh realities she’s had to confront while rebuilding her life. “But since I had a ring, I never wanted no Ring cam/ And now I got a ring on every finger but the one on my ring hand,” she spits over the eerie, drumless Jeff Kleiman-produced beat, offering us a peek into the real-life drama that we consumed as tabloid fodder.  

With parts of her flow recalling the lovey-dovey warning shot that was “Be Careful,” “Man of Your Word” is another Drama moment that explicitly nods to Invasion of Privacy, ensuring continuity between the two LPs, even if Drama itself isn’t as coherent as it could be. Two R&B-steeped collaborations — new single “Safe” (with Kehlani) and the Summer Walker-assisted “Shower Tears” — bookend “Man of Your Word,” and they both recall the slower, more introspective moments that gave Invasion of Privacy so much range. While “Dead” pushed Walker slightly out of her comfort zone vocally, “Tears” is a much better mélange of the two artists’ energies.

Lead single “Outside” still feels a bit limp, but solo cuts like “Check Please,” “Trophies” and the Jeezy-evoking “ErrTime” pick up the slack. In that trio of songs lies Cardi’s secret weapon for whatever follows Drama: DJ SwanQo. Between producing “Get Up 10” and most Drama standouts, the Grammy-winning producer-songwriter understands Cardi’s voice better than any of her other current behind-the-boards collaborators. He crafts her deliciously menacing beats that pair perfectly with her ability to flip from a tongue-in-cheek punchline to a searing jab in a single line. The back half of Drama also houses the aforementioned “Better Than You,” which suffers from a Cash Cobain verse that plays like an afterthought, and the Lourdiz-assisted “On My Back,” which unavoidably feels like the result of Bardi and Doja Cat being unable to sync schedules in time for Drama’s release. 

“On My Back” also features one of two Control-era Janet Jackson samples on Drama, which would be overkill if they weren’t so well-done. The “Funny How Times Flies” flip on “Back” is undeniably sexy, while the “Pleasure Principle” sample on “Principal” makes for one of the most infectious beats on the album. (Why Cardi decided to title her song “Principal” despite exactly zero lyrical nods to any of that word’s definitions, the world may never know — homophones really can trip up anybody!) Of course, there’s also a post-“Not Like Us” diss called “Pretty & Petty,” where Cardi empties several clips on “Whole Lotta Money” rapper BIA, while still delivering a hook sticky enough to live outside of its hyper-specific context. And, for what it’s worth, any song with the line, “I hate when a b—h think she cute ’cause she lightskin,” is an instant winner.  

“Killin You Hoes” is the album’s proper closer — although the midweek release of bonus track “Doing Too Much” begs to differ — and it’s a surprisingly laid-back conclusion to Drama. In fact, it almost sounds like a Nothing Was the Same-era Drake outro. Cardi sounds truly settled in her status and herself on “Killin”; she no longer feels the need to convince anybody that she deserves what she’s accomplished, and that she’s earned and secured her spot. It’s that calm, collected confidence that allows established modern rap classics “Up” and “WAP” to play like a highlight reel at the album’s end instead of their inclusion remaining a cheap numbers-boosting ploy.  

Am I the Drama? is an exhausting listen. There’s a terrific 15-16 track album buried in here, but, at the end of the day, nobody enjoys digging for the jewels — especially after waiting to see them for seven years. Instead of several mini pockets of proper narrative flow, the whole album could have (and should have) been more streamlined. But the Drama is also equally thrilling and edifying, much like the experience of witnessing Cardi’s rise and watching her maneuver celebrity, heartbreak and beef at the highest level. A triumphant rebuke of the sophomore slump and a project that genuinely feels like a reflection of Cardi’s life — and not a hits-chasing collection of tracks — Am I the Drama? reaffirms that eight years after her initial Invasion, Cardi B remains one of the most vital rappers in the game. 

Big Mama and Big Cardi are back together. After Cardi B name-dropped Latto on the original “ErrTime,” it was only right the Atlanta native blessed the remix to the Am I the Drama? standout, which arrived on Wednesday (Sept. 24).

Cardi pops off on the opening verse of the thumping tune, which finds her calling out the women who were making moves on Offset when they were together. “If I take your n—a, I don’t wanna hear no cryin’/ Cause I ain’t say s—t when h—s was out herе f—n’ mine,” she raps.

Latto takes the baton and kicks off with a bar that could reference both Playboi Carti — “Pop Out” was on his MUSIC album — and Cardi B, since she’s been open about having cosmetic surgeries to her body. “Pop out, brand new body like I’m Carti in this motherf—ker/ B—h, I’m giving belt out like karate in this motherf—r,” Latto raps.

Fans were fired up as they expressed their excitement in the YouTube comments. “Once she mentioned Latto, it was only right to have her on the remix & I’m soooo here for it,” one person wrote.

Cardi and Latto teamed up in 2023 for the “Put It On Da Floor” remix, which is titled “Put It On Da Floor Again.” The remix launched the track to No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 and is certified Platinum by the RIAA.

The Bronx bombshell hasn’t taken her foot off the gas pedal since the arrival of Am I the Drama? on Sept. 19. She surprised fans on Tuesday (Sept. 23) with the release of a bonus edition track titled “Don’t Do Too Much.”

Listen to the “ErrTime” remix below:

As fans of The Tonight Show know all too well, host Jimmy Fallon is a huge Taylor Swift fan. And in a video posted to his own and the late-night show’s social media accounts on Thursday (Sept. 25), the Swiftie may soon see the pop superstar take a seat on his couch.

The clip — captioned with a simple “Not a lot going on at the moment” — starts off with the comedian placing bets in a game of roulette, stacking his chips on black 10, black 6 and red 25. The wheel then spins, with the ball going round and round as an excited Fallon watches, until it finally lands on … black 13. “Ugh!” the frustrated TV personality sighs in exasperation. “Baby, that’s show business for you.”

As he walks around the offices of Rockefeller Center, a parade of decked-out showgirls complete with feathery headdresses and sequined costumes walks by with an “Excuse us, honey,” leaving a stunned Fallon behind.

So let’s break it down with some Swiftie math and an Easter egg hunt — something Fallon has done multiple times on his own show: The initial set of numbers were 10, 6 and 25, potentially indicating a show date of Monday, Oct. 6, which would be just three days after Swift’s upcoming new album, The Life of a Showgirl, drops. And 13, as any even casual Taylor Swift fan would know, is her favorite number. Follow that with his quote about show biz combined with the showgirls who saunter by? It’s all pretty convincing that the 14-time Grammy winner may be set for another appearance on NBC’s long-running late-night talk show.

Though neither The Tonight Show‘s nor Swift’s reps have confirmed the appearance, Swifties are convinced it’s happening after seeing Fallon’s video.

“TAYLOR SWIFT OCTOBER 6TH EXACTLY!!!” one person commented on the TikTok post.

“I LOVE WHEN JIMMY GETS IN ON THE EASTER EGGS YESSSS 😍😍😍,” added another on Instagram, while someone else commented, “Yess TAYINTERVIEW is backkkkk. It’s been a long time coming @jimmyfallon . Don’t forget to call Andrea up.”

In addition to this very likely Tonight Show appearance to promote The Life of a Showgirl, Swift is already confirmed to return to The Graham Norton Show on the album’s release day, Oct. 3. She’ll be appearing alongside Jodie Turner-Smith and Domhnall Gleeson.

Watch Fallon’s teaser video below:

@jimmyfallon

Not a lot going on at the moment.

♬ original sound – Jimmy Fallon

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon airs weeknights on NBC at 11:35 p.m., and streams on Peacock.

In the run-up to the 2026 Milan Winter Olympics, world champion figure skater Alysa Liu is switching up the music in her program. In an Instagram post on Wednesday (Sept. 24), Liu announced that she was dropping D4vd‘s 2023 collaboration with Laufey, “This Is How it Feels,” from her short program in light of the ongoing police investigation into the death of a 15-year-old girl who was found in the trunk of a Tesla registered to the artist.

“As many of you know, I recently debuted a new short program for the ‘25-‘26 season,” she wrote in the post, which did not explicitly mention the D4vd or the investigation. “However, in light of recent news, my team & I are confidently pursuing a different direction that aligns with my values & just my overall ethos. I’m eager to start brainstorming new ideas, & I want to ensure my creative process isn’t rushed.”

She added that, in the meantime, her fans may see some “familiar” programs as she re-tools. Liu, 20, won the World Championship in March after announcing her retirement from competitive skating in 2022.

In an interview with the Associated Press, Liu explained, “I have to change it, you know? Forced to change my hand, basically. But that’s alright. I almost was grieving the process — ‘Oh, I have my programs. They were going to grow and evolve, and I was going to add more to it.’ But there’s nothing like a fresh start.” The AP reported that Liu made her season debut two weeks ago at the Lombardia Trophy in Italy, where she won the short program with her since-scrapped “This Is How it Feels” routine.

For now, Liu is working on an entirely new short program with her coaches, with the team sifting through potential soundtracks. Last year, Liu skated her short program to Laufey’s ballad “Promise.”

Her move comes as the LAPD continues its investigation into the death of 15-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, whose decomposed body was found in the front trunk of a 2023 Tesla registered to 20-year-old D4vd (born David Anthony Burke) on Sept. 8 after police were alerted to a “foul odor” coming from the impounded car’s trunk at a two lot in Los Angeles; Hernandez was last seen alive in April 2024 in Riverside County.

In the weeks since, D4vd’s Hollywood Hills home has been searched by the LAPD in connection with the case and he’s canceled the remaining dates on his 2025 Withered world tour. The singer’s rep previously said in a statement that he is “fully cooperating with the authorities” in the investigation in which the LAPD has not yet named a person of interest or suspect and have not made any arrests.

In addition to the scotched dates, Kali Uchis has said she’s working on getting her D4vd “Crashing” collaboration taken off streaming platforms, while Rolling Stone reported that a deluxe edition of the singer’s debut Withered album, Withered: Marcescence — which was slated to drop last week — has not been uploaded to streaming services as planned; at press time it appeared the album had still not been released on streaming.

Taylor Swift and fiancé Travis Kelce might be “End Game,” but according to her longtime friend Ed Sheeran, even he was in the dark about their recent happy announcement.

During a chat with Andy Cohen ahead of the four-time Grammy winner’s performance for SiriusXM’s Small Stage Series held Wednesday (Sept. 24) at New York City’s Irving Plaza, Sheeran revealed how he learned about the couple’s engagement, which was announced on Aug. 26.

During a series of rapid-fire questions from the TV personality, the singer had a one-word answer for how he found out about the proposal: “Instagram.”

A surprised Cohen responded, “Instagram?! Like everyone else? You didn’t even get a DM in advance?” To which Sheeran replied with a simple shake of his head and a “no.”

The singer also replied in the negative when the Radio Andy host asked whether he had heard Swift’s upcoming new album, The Life of a Showgirl, yet, and whether he had received a save-the-date for the wedding.

While he may not yet have a save-the-date, it is bound to come, as the two musicians have been good friends and collaborators for more than 10 years. The two Grammy winners first collaborated in 2012 on “Everything Has Changed” off her album Red, which peaked at No. 32 on the Billboard Hot 100. They’ve since gone on to work together on multiple songs together, including “The Joker and the Queen,” “Run (Taylor’s Version)” and the aforementioned “End Game,” all of which landed on the Hot 100.

He also was her supporting act on the Red tour, with the two often performing together during the 2013 trek. Sheeran also shared how close the two are during an April chat with Alex Cooper on the Call Her Daddy podcast, with the discussion coming while he reflected on digging up his old cellphones and going through text messages the two stars exchanged.

“I lived in Nashville, and she lived in Nashville, and we used to fly to and from the gigs together and do all sorts of … I don’t know,” he told Cooper. “I literally spent almost every single day with her for about six months, so I think that period of time [was my favorite].”

He also shared on the podcast that he sees Swift about four times a year now. “Like, instead of catching up the whole time, we have a proper sit-down, six-hour catchups,” he said at the time. “I think that’s like a really nice way to do it.”

Watch Sheeran chat with Cohen about how he learned about Swift’s engagement above.