Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion debut at #1 with “WAP”

WAP Cardi B & Megan Thee Stallion

Writer(s): Cardi B, Megan Pete, Austin Owens, James Foye III, Frank Rodriguez, Jorden Thorpe (see lyrics here) Released: August 7, 2020 First Charted: August 22, 2020 Peak: 14 BB, 12 DG, 110 ST, 110 RB, 13 UK, 14 CN, 16 AU, 28 DF (Click for codes to charts.) Sales (in millions): 8.0 US, 1.2 UK, 11.2 world (includes US + UK) Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 1097.67 video, 1369.63 streaming

Awards: Click on award for more details.

About the Song: Cardi B had already topped the Billboard Hot 100 with “Bodak Yellow (Money Moves” (2017), “I Like It” (2018), and “Up” (2020) when she paired with Megan Thee Stallion for her fourth #1. The latter was born Megan Jovan Ruth Pete in Texas in 1995. She had also been part of the rap game since 2017, experiencing her first big success with “Hot Girl Summer” (#11 BB, 2019). She had her first chart-topping success earlier in 2020 with a remix of “Savage” that paired her with Beyoncé. Pairing these two American rappers together was a no-brainer. Not surprisingly, it was the first female collaboration to debut atop the Billboard Hot 100. The song was fueled by heavy bass and drum beats and a sample from 1993’s “Whores in This House” by DJ Frank Ski. Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion rap about “how they want to be pleased by men, specifically referencing numerous sexual practices” WK and “exchanging dirty talk about their lady parts.” SF Some praised the song for “its sex-positive message and for empowering women.” WK Pitchfork’s Lakin Starling called it “a nasty-ass rap bop, bursting with the personality of two of rap’s most congenial household names.” WK The New York Times’ Jon Caramanica said it was “an event record that transcends the event itself.” WK NPR’s Taylor Crumpton said it was “an already iconic song about women sexuality.” WK There were also conservative pundits who criticized the song for sexually explicit lyrics. The New York Times’ Ben Sisario said it “is almost certainly the most explicit song” SF to top the Hot 100. A clean radio version of the song made changes to the song, such as substituting the hook “wet-ass pussy” (the title is an acronym for “Wet-Ass Pussy”) with “wet and gushy.” WK Cardi B explained that the video used the censored version because “even YouTube was like ‘Hold on…that song might be too nasty.’” SF Resources: DMDB encyclopedia entry for Cardi B DMDB encyclopedia entry for Megan Thee Stallion SF Songfacts WK Wikipedia First posted 1/16/2024; last updated 10/13/2024.