WAP (song)

"WAP" is a song by American rapper Cardi B featuring guest vocals from fellow American rapper Megan Thee Stallion. It was released through Atlantic Records on August 7, 2020, as the lead single from Cardi B's upcoming second studio album. "WAP" is an acronym for "Wet-Ass Pussy". Musically, it is a hip hop song driven by heavy bass, drum beats, and a sample of Frank Ski's Baltimore club single "Whores in This House" (1993). In the lyrics, Cardi B and Megan discuss how they want to be pleased by men, specifically referencing numerous sexual practices.

"WAP" received widespread critical acclaim for its sex-positive message, and for empowering women, with Rolling Stone, NPR and several other publications ranking it as the best song of 2020. Some observers, ranging from social conservative pundits and politicians to Snoop Dog, CeeLo Green and The Tiger King, criticized the song for its sexually explicit and racist lyrics. It debuted atop the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100, becoming the first female rap collaboration to do so and recording the largest opening streaming week for a song in U.S. history. It gave Cardi B her fourth number-one single and Megan her second in the U.S. The single spent four weeks atop the chart and spent multiple weeks at number one in several other countries. "WAP" became the first number-one single on the inaugural ''Billboard'' Global 200, topping the chart for three weeks, and it earned the 11th position on IFPI's year-end singles chart. As of March 2022, the song was certified 7× Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

The music video, directed by Colin Tilley, features cameos from several women, including television star Kylie Jenner, singers Normani and Rosalía, and rappers Latto, Sukihana, and Rubi Rose. "WAP" broke the record for the biggest 24-hour debut for an all-female collaboration on YouTube. Cardi B and Megan performed the song at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards.

Background and release

On August 3, 2020, Cardi B revealed that she would release a collaboration with Megan Thee Stallion soon, and simultaneously unveiled its cover art on social media. Three days later on August 6, she announced via Instagram that the music video for the song would be released alongside it on August 7, but that the video would feature the censored version of the track. A clean version was sent to US radio, as opposed to the original version. In it, the hook is changed from "wet ass pussy" to "wet and gushy", among other censors. It marked Cardi B's first release of 2020, and Megan's first release following a highly publicized shooting incident allegedly involving her and Tory Lanez, where Megan sustained injuries from a bullet to her feet. Cardi B confirmed that the song will appear on her upcoming second studio album.

Production and composition

"WAP" is an acronym for "Wet-Ass Pussy". Cardi B wrote and recorded her verses for the track and reworked parts of it several times. She wrote multiple versions of the hook before deciding on a final one. Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion first connected through their respective wardrobe stylists. After meeting her in Los Angeles, Cardi B told her team that she was considering a collaboration with her. A couple of days later, both sent tracks to each other. Cardi B had her business partner Brooklyn Johnny send "WAP". After receiving her verses, the song's engineers started editing and mixing vocals, as well as reworking the beat and the arrangement to make it more hooky.

"WAP" is a hip hop, trap, and dirty rap song with heavy bass, and it heavily samples Frank Ski's 1993 Baltimore club single "Whores in This House". Ski teased his involvement in a Twitter post the day before the song's release. Writing credits are given to Cardi B, Megan Thee Stallion, producers Ayo the Producer and Keyz, Ski, and Pardison Fontaine.

Reception

Critical response

"WAP" received widespread critical acclaim. For ''Pitchfork'', Lakin Starling called it "a nasty-ass rap bop, bursting with the personality of two of rap's most congenial household names". Jon Caramanica of ''The New York Times'' deemed it "an event record that transcends the event itself", and stated that both rappers "are exuberant, sharp and extremely ... vividly detailed" in the song that "luxuriates in raunch". Rania Aniftos of ''Billboard'' described the song as a "scorching banger". Mikael Wood of ''Los Angeles Times'' deemed it a "savage, nasty, sex-positive triumph" and stated that "the women's vocal exuberance is the show—the way they tear into each perfectly rendered lyric and chew up the words like meat". Cardi B's voice in the song was described as "throaty" and "staccato".

For ''The Guardian'', Dream McClinton wrote, "the hit collaboration ... has become a belated song of the summer, empowering women and enraging prudes along the way ... tshould be celebrated, not scolded". In NPR, cultural critic Taylor Crumpton deemed both rappers "women leading the genre into new era of unification between women rappers" with "an already iconic song about women sexuality". She praised the message, describing it as "if you need to come, step to me, you have to be able to fill my sexual needs, and these are what they are". In another article from ''Pitchfork'', Jayson Greene said that it "has become the song of this ... summer—a ripe ... sex jam", deeming it detailed and "joyfully explicit".

Reactions from conservative figures

"WAP" was criticized by many social conservatives in the United States, who claimed that the song was offensive and prurient and that it would cause harm to American culture and society. James P. Bradley, a health industry executive and Republican politician, wrote, "Cardi B & Megan Thee Stallion are what happens when children are raised without God and without a strong father figure", adding that the song made him want to "pour holy water" in his ears. DeAnna Lorraine, also a California Republican, said the song set "the entire female gender back by 100 years." and that rappers were "completely wrong" if they thought the song does "anything to empower women."Defenders of the song claimed that critics mischaracterized the artists. August Brown of the ''Los Angeles Times'' wrote that, contrary to Bradley's comments, Megan "did indeed have a strong father figure" and Cardi B "is no stranger to faith". Social media users accused Lorraine of hypocrisy for using the language of women's advocacy to denigrate a song created by two women.

Megan Thee Stallion responded personally to Lorraine's comments in an interview with '' GQ'', mocking Lorraine for having "literally had to go listen to this song in its entirety". She went on to say that critics of the song, including Lorraine, must not have "WAP" themselves.

Conservative political commentator Ben Shapiro criticized the song's message in a widely seen video in which he recited the song's lyrics, many of which he self-censored with euphemisms such as "p-word". He sarcastically stated that "this is what feminism fought for".

Shapiro's video was mocked by multiple news outlets and fans of the song. Shapiro's comments, particularly his remarks on vaginal lubrication, were condemned as medically inaccurate by prominent gynecologists; many social media users also mocked the comment as a " self-own", implying that Shapiro was unfamiliar with vaginal lubrication due to an inability to sexually satisfy his wife. Arwa Mahdawi in ''The Guardian'' opined that Shapiro's reaction was proof that "women taking charge of their sexuality ... drives conservatives up the wall", and remarked that Shapiro "doesn't seem particularly well acquainted with female anatomy".

Impact

Complex called the song "the epitome of female empowerment." in which the women featured are "unapologetically themselves." In ''The Wall Street Journal'', Neil Shah considered the song "a big moment for female rappers" and "a historic sign that women artists are making their mark on hip-hop like never before". In ''The New York Times'', Ben Sisario commented that it "is almost certainly the most explicit song ever to reach the top". Similarly, ''Slate'' staff deemed it "the dirtiest and most sexually-explicit Hot 100 number one of all time". Nick Levine of the BBC
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