While Cardi B's own relationship with Migos's Offset has been thrown into the spotlight, Invasion of Privacy feels like her Lemonade moment, one that magnifies her insecurities for public consumption.
With the success that “Bodak Yellow” brought her, this album could have been filled with 13 carbon copies. But it isn’t; instead, Invasion of Privacy is filled with carefully crafted tracks which ably show her many sides. Cardi B knows who she is and where she came from and she isn’t trying to hide it from anyone.
While it’s hardly the kind of earth-shifting, politically-charged record music snobs demand but shouldn’t command from an artist of her caliber, it makes for a riveting and wildly listenable debut LP.
The cathartic vulnerability, twerk-team feminism, and free-wheeling trash talk she practiced with earlier releases is perfected on Invasion of Privacy. The project eschews the mega-tracklisting trend by delivering a solid thirteen songs fortified by carefully chosen features that compliment Cardi’s bombast and versatility.
On Invasion of Privacy, she breezes past the challenge of a highly anticipated debut by making one of the most exciting rap albums in years.
Invasion of Privacy flaunts so many different aspects of Cardi's game, it comes on like a greatest hits album, as undeniable as the excellent New Wave suit she rocks in the cover art. It's already tough to remember what it was like not having Cardi B around. Invasion proves she's here to stay.
This balance between over-the-top party starters and thoughtful reflection makes Invasion of Privacy an impressive debut for a rising star who can back up her outspokenness with raw talent.
Her debut album Invasion of Privacy isn’t so much an introduction as her final word: she is here to stay.
Invasion of Privacy is executed perfectly, playing to all of Cardi B’s strengths.
This album could’ve easily been a rushed job to keep the hype of Cardi going, but Invasion of Privacy is a success simply because Cardi B took control of what she wanted to say.
She’s probably the most powerful woman in hip-hop right now, but what’s encouraging is that she seems to be carving a self-made path that allows for contradictions, imperfections, variabilities. Cardi B got here by rapping her face off, and on Invasion Of Privacy, she determines to stay here by doing it for—well, nine more tracks. So far, so good.
With an album title in Invasion Of Privacy, it would have been remarkable for Cardi to flip the openness of her Instagram page into an audiobook and not succumb to the invincibility cloak that comes along with a rap star title. Still, when you combine this decent first outing and relentless work ethic, there’s no question Cardi is here to stay.
There is, of course, more room than ever before for a plethora of female rappers to enjoy their share of the spotlight ... Cardi B is merely the latest to appear into the mainstream, a position she is sure to occupy for some time, and with enough potential showing on her debut release to give hope to anyone listening that she can only get better from here.
While the quality of Invasion of Privacy drops off a bit in the second half, it’s overall a promising commercial debut for Cardi B.
#1 | / | Rolling Stone |
#1 | / | The Ringer |
#1 | / | TIME |
#2 | / | Billboard |
#2 | / | Entertainment Weekly |
#2 | / | Esquire (US) |
#3 | / | Highsnobiety |
#3 | / | NZ Herald |
#3 | / | Okayplayer |
#3 | / | PAPER |