Cardi B shares why she was discouraged from putting out her album last year

It's been three years since Cardi B released her chart-topping debut album, Invasion of Privacy, and fans are ready for album #2.

"I feel like at this point, it's like a timeline that I created," says Cardi in the Spring 2021 cover of XXL Magazine. "Because last year, I was like, I gotta put out my album this year. But, then I just stopped working on my album out of nowhere because I feel like the whole COVID thing discouraged me to put out my album. Because I want to put out an album, and I want to tour."

Like "most big hip-hop artists during the COVID pandemic," Cardi wants to be able to go on tour with her album and perform for her Bardigang fans.

The "UP" rapper says she misses in-person promo tours and interviews about her music. "There's no feelings to...me doing interviews with people through a computer. I want to meet up with people. I want to have a conversation. It's a better vibe," she explains.

In a perfect world, Cardi says she would love to throw an album release party in New York or Atlanta.

"I want to see people. I shouldn’t fly out 50 of my friends just so they could be there in Atlanta and then somebody might catch COVID. No. So, it’s just something that I stopped, but then now that I keep putting out my singles, I keep saying like, "Damn. I have no choice but to put out my album this year."

April 6th marks the third anniversary of Cardi's major-label debut, Invasion of Privacy, under Atlantic Records. The album earned her a #1 album on the Billboard 200 chart, a Grammy for Best Rap Album, a diamond-certified single "Bodak Yellow."

By Rachel George
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.