"Bongos" is a song by American rapper Cardi Bfeaturing fellow American rapper Megan Thee Stallion. It was released on September 8,2023,through Atlantic Records as a standalone single.[2] "Bongos" marks the pair's second collaboration,following their 2020 hit song "WAP".[3] The song debuted at number 14 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion announced "Bongos" on September 4,sharing its cover artwork and release date on social media.[4] Cardi B had announced to Vogue México y Latinoamérica in August 2023 that she was not going to release any more collaborations before her next solo single.[4] It was not shared that "Bongos" would be included on her upcoming second studio album.[5] Cardi B later explained that the song had been "part of a plan for a minute now" and called it "just one of those records where you need somebody",revealing that she "chopped" up the verses Megan Thee Stallion had sent her,also calling Megan her "work wife".[6]
Composition
The bongos are a type of Afro-Cuban drum. The song has an incessant male spoken word beat ("bong,bong,...") that introduces the song and persists throughout the chorus and verses. The colorful costumes and sets are complemented by a visual refrain of bouncing female buttocks to the beat. Variety's Thania Garcia remarked that the song has "Latin-infused beats" on which the pair "spit their verses over a twerk-worthy bassline".[7]
Music video
The music video was released alongside the song on September 8,2023.[8] It was directed by Tanu Muino in Beverly Hills and Malibu,California with a budget of 2 million dollars.[9] In an interview for iHeartRadio,Cardi B explained that her first intention was to film the video outside the United States,but the Atlantic hurricane season forced the project to be shot in Malibu.[10][11]
The location is the Beverly Estate in Beverly Hills,previously featured Beyoncé's visual album,Black Is King.[12] The video also presents choreographies and references in costumes and filming to Beyoncé's film.[13] It shows Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion at a beach "wearing over-the-top accessories and custom fits".[7] Cardi B called the video "intricate" and "beautiful" and felt it has a "whole complete different type of theme".[14]
Live performances
On September 12,2023,Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion performed "Bongos" for the first time at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards. The performance began with Cardi descending to the stage from atop a large disco ball,after which the duo performed a dance routine dressed in sparkly blue outfits surrounded by background dancers.[15] Justin Curto of Vulture praised the performance as a highlight of the night,[16] whereas Pitchfork's Madison Bloom described it as "boring" and less memorable than the pair's first collaboration "WAP".[17]
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