In December 2018,Cardi B posted a video to Instagram of her rapping part of the song. She later said that she was set to release it soon before teasing it,but decided to release "Money" instead.[4] On May 27,2019,Cardi B tweeted that the "single and official cover art drops this Friday 5/31",that featured the image of Aileen Wuornos in Aileen Wuornos:The Selling of a Serial Killer.[2] She shared the cover art of the single,which features her escorted out of a court room entirely naked by a group of men with paparazzi taking pictures of her.[5]
Critical reception
"Press" received generally positive reviews from critics,with many noting the evolution of the rapper's attitude towards the media in the lyrics from previous songs such as "Bartier Cardi" and her featured verse on husband Offset's single "Clout";NME called the song "defiant",[6] while Billboard labelled her as "pressing on" amid "bad press,haters,beefs".[7]Pitchfork praised Cardi being "now fully ready to take aim at any haters" while noting the deviation between "non-stop cut-downs" and "goofier boasts about her money and sexual prowess";the magazine also stated that the rapper had "sharpened her rapping abilities to deadly effect" in the song.[8]
Music video
The video generated controversy;in it,Cardi and other dancers are either partially or fully nude. The scene pictured shows the crew assassinated lying on the floor.
Cardi B announced that the video for "Press" would be released in June 2019 on her Twitter. The video was then officially released on June 26,2019,on her YouTube account.[10] It was directed by Jora Frantzis and co-directed by Cardi. The parental advisory-marked music video has since received over 100 million views.
The video opens with Cardi B's character shooting a male and a female after having a threesome. Accused of murder,she then is arrested and taken to an interrogation,where she challenges the officers. She is seen leading a choreographed routine with a crew of nude dancers. She killed a courtroom jury and the dancers.[11] The clip closes with her angrily drowning her cellmate in the toilet.[12]
Live performances
The first televised performance of "Press" was when Cardi B performed live at the 2019 BET Awards,along with a performance of "Clout" featuring her husband Offset.[13]Entertainment Weekly named it "the top moment" of the night in their review article.[14]BET ranked the esmerald attire as the best performance outfit since their first show in 2001.[15] Introduced by Drake,Cardi B opened her set at the 2019 OVO Fest performing "Press".[16]
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