Cardi B is officially back in album mode. On Friday, the rap superstar released her new single “Imaginary Playerz,” a bold track that samples Jay-Z’s classic “Imaginary Player.” The release comes with a high-glam music video featuring Cardi on a private jet and sailing across the water on a luxury yacht.

Lyrically, the rapper takes aim at comparisons, rapping:

“My flop and your flop is not the same/ If you did my numbers, y’all would pop champagne/ If I did your numbers, I would hop out a plane.”

Speaking earlier this week on X Spaces, Cardi revealed just how important this single was to her:

“This song is like a staple for me and I had to get it approved by the one and only [Jay-Z]. It’s a very hip-hop record and I hope you guys enjoy it.”

The drop comes as anticipation builds for Cardi’s long-awaited sophomore album, Am I The Drama? — her first full-length since the Grammy-winning Invasion of Privacy in 2018. The new record will span 23 tracks, including recent single “Outside” (Track 14), her 2021 hit “Up,” and the blockbuster Megan Thee Stallion collab “WAP.”

Cardi recently shared an alternate cover for the album and a chilling cinematic trailer: crows swarm a mansion as Cardi fights to escape, only to face off against an evil version of herself perched on a vintage car, commanding the chaos.

The rollout hasn’t been without a little drama of its own. Cardi admitted she was nervous that Taylor Swift might release her own album on the same day, but after Swift revealed The Life of a Showgirl will arrive Oct. 3, Cardi celebrated with relief-filled memes.

As Cardi told Rolling Stone last year, the album reflects her constantly shifting moods:

“I’m a different person every single day … Sometimes I want club bangers, sometimes I want to be mad, sometimes I want to sing. This album is all of that.”

With Am I The Drama? officially on the way, and “Imaginary Playerz” setting the tone, it looks like Cardi B is gearing up for one of the year’s most talked-about releases.

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