Stanisland Magazine

Big new Cardi B album ‘Am I The Drama?‘ features snappy music but doesn’t live up to the hype

Last updated: 20th September 2025

Cardi B returns with a new album chronicling heartache, anger, and a vibe determined to be back on her grind. Am I The Drama? marks her long-awaited return, standing on business with a 23-track album with a runtime of just over an hour.

Review and Breakdown

It’s one of the most anticipated drops — owing to a gap from 2023’s Invasion of Privacy. The release was further hyped by her fractured relationship with her now ex-husband, rapper Offset.

Am I The Drama? sticks to its usual menu of sniping contemporaneous figures, like on Imaginary Playerz, where she raps: “Gloryhole, b****es don’t know who thеy f***in’ with.”

Tracks such as Man Of Your Word document introspective battles where she picks up the pieces, and debriefs her marriage. However, she rolls the clock back on tracks like Shower Tears ft Summer Walker, inspired by an ex-boyfriend who texted other women while lying beside her.

Principal, featuring Janet Jackson, explores similar constructs and draws on her experience to vet potential partners.

Cardi continues to lament this recurring theme, but also exclaims what she is willing to do to make it work: “Take me to the trenches (Trenches), I don’t ever panic (No), Take me anywhere, just don’t take me for granted (Facts).”

READ MORE: Cardi B Sends for Offset on ‘Outside’

While it can offer some gems, there are also rough diamonds that just aren’t worth cutting. Other times, it’s tremendously cringe, evidenced by What’s Going On with Lizzo.

Safe featuring Kehlani is another formulaic pop composition — a sonic execution has been done to death. Including Up and WAP on the album dampens its track list — now bordering on archive status — which also drew criticism from fans.

The Verdict

While some songs are okay, it ultimately falls by the wayside to play it safe. There’s a limited artistic approach to Am I The Drama?, as it navigates the boundaries of pop music, utilising rap as a vehicle.

At times, its production fires up the stone oven, but it’s quickly extinguished, like on Bodega Baddie, contrasted by Salute’s superior music, adding to its already poor curation.

While it’s hip-hop at its core, this is a personal album that will resonate with a particular listenership — it’s not for everyone, but we’ve heard this stylistic drop before, many times.