WAP (song)

"WAP"
Cover art for "WAP": portrait of Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion leaning against each other, set to a hot pink background. Both of them have their eyes closed and their tongues sticking out, wearing tall, black wigs that look identical.
Single by Cardi B featuring Megan Thee Stallion
ReleasedAugust 7, 2020 (2020-08-07)
Genre
Length
  • 3:07 (single version)
  • 2:46 (radio edit)
LabelAtlantic
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Cardi B singles chronology
"Writing on the Wall"
(2019)
"WAP"
(2020)
"Me Gusta"
(2020)
Megan Thee Stallion singles chronology
"Girls in the Hood"
(2020)
"WAP"
(2020)
"Don't Stop"
(2020)
Music video
"WAP" on YouTube

"WAP" (an acronym for Wet-Ass Pussy) is a song by American rapper Cardi B, featuring American rapper Megan Thee Stallion. It was released on August 7, 2020, through Atlantic as the lead single from Cardi B's upcoming second studio album. Musically, it is a hip hop song driven by heavy bass, drum beats, and a sample of Frank Ski's single "Whores in This House" (1993). With sexually explicit lyrics which made it gain popularity, the song reached the top of the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.

After shelving a demo of the song in 2019, Cardi B revisited the song during COVID-19 lockdowns, recording additional verses and deciding to turn it into a collaboration with Megan. In the lyrics, Cardi B and Megan discuss how they want to be pleased by men, specifically referencing numerous sexual practices. Upon release, "WAP" received widespread acclaim from music critics, who praised its sex-positive message and for empowering women, with Rolling Stone, NPR, and several other publications ranking it as the best song of 2020.[1][2][3]

It became the first female rap collaboration to debut atop the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and had 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 non-consecutive 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 September 2023, the song was certified 8× Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

A music video directed by Colin Tilley accompanied the single's release. It 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, leading to over 1,000 viewer complaints being sent to the Federal Communications Commission. Social conservative politicians and pundits objected to the song for its sexually explicit lyrics, and the ensuing discourse fueled the song's impact.

  1. ^ Bernstein, Jonathan; Blistein, Jon; Dolan, Jon; Ehrlich, Brenna; Freeman, Jon; Grow, Kory; Hoard, Christian; Leight, Elias; Shaffer, Claire; Sheffield, Rob; Blake, Emily (December 7, 2020). "Year in Review: The 50 Best Songs of 2020". Rolling Stone. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
  2. ^ "The 100 Best Songs of 2020". Pitchfork. December 7, 2020. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
  3. ^ "The 100 Best Songs Of 2020". NPR. December 3, 2020. Retrieved December 15, 2022.

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