WAP (feat. Megan Thee Stallion)

"WAP" is a groundbreaking anthem of female sexual empowerment and autonomy. The title itself, an acronym for "Wet-Ass Pussy," is a deliberately provocative and unapologetic statement. The song's core meaning revolves around women taking control of the narrative surrounding their own sexuality. Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion use explicit lyrics to celebrate their desires, challenging the long-standing double standard in the music industry where male rappers are often praised for graphic lyrics while female artists are condemned. By openly and graphically discussing their sexual needs and pleasure, they dismantle the notion that female sexuality should be hidden or shameful. The song is a reclamation of sexual expression from a female perspective, emphasizing that women can be as assertive, demanding, and in control of their sexual experiences as men. It is a sex-positive declaration that advocates for uninhibited self-expression and rejects patriarchal views on how women should behave or express their sexuality.

The song is a bold and unapologetic declaration of female sexual desire and autonomy, delivered by Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion. It begins by reclaiming the derogatory term "whores" through a repeating sample of Frank Ski's "Whores in This House," transforming it into a statement of empowerment. Both artists take turns describing their sexual preferences and prowess with explicit and vivid detail, asserting control over their own bodies and pleasure.

Cardi B's verses are filled with confident boasts and direct demands. She uses powerful, often humorous, metaphors to describe her anatomy and sexual appeal, such as parking a "big Mack truck" in her "little garage" and referencing the sound of "macaroni in a pot." She subverts traditional gender roles, stating, "I don't cook, I don't clean, but let me tell you, I got this ring," indicating that her value is not tied to domestic duties but to her self-worth and desirability. Her lyrics are a direct challenge to the idea that women should be passive or submissive in sexual encounters.

Megan Thee Stallion continues this theme with her own brand of confident and commanding lyricism. She details her physical standards for a partner and asserts her own desires, using phrases like "Gobble me, swallow me" and demanding a partner who can handle her intensity. Her verses are equally explicit and empowering, portraying a woman who is fully in charge of her sexual experiences and unafraid to articulate exactly what she wants. She plays with ideas of roleplay and dominance, flipping the script on typical male-centric rap narratives. The recurring chorus, with its metaphors of a "bucket and a mop," reinforces the central theme of extreme sexual arousal, presented not with shame, but with celebratory and almost comical exaggeration. Throughout the track, the artists position themselves as sexually liberated women who are not only aware of their power but revel in it, challenging societal double standards and celebrating female sexuality in its most candid form.

"WAP" originated from a beat created by producers Ayo the Producer and Keyz, which was sent to Cardi B in 2019. She recorded a verse but initially shelved the track. During the COVID-19 lockdowns in March 2020, Cardi B revisited the song, feeling it was the right time to work on new music. She decided the song needed a feature and, encouraged by her stylist, reached out to Megan Thee Stallion, as fans had been clamoring for a collaboration between the two rap stars. The song samples the 1993 Baltimore club classic "Whores in This House" by Frank Ski, a sample that is looped prominently throughout the track. The songwriting credits include Cardi B (Belcalis Almanzar), Megan Thee Stallion (Megan Pete), the producers Austin Owens (Ayo the Producer) and James Foye III (Keyz), along with Pardison Fontaine (Jorden Thorpe) and Frank Rodriguez. The song was released on August 7, 2020, as the lead single from Cardi B's then-upcoming second studio album. A clean, radio-friendly version with the hook changed to "Wet and Gushy" was also released.

"WAP" is set in 4/4 time and is rooted in the rhythmic conventions of trap music, characterized by a slow tempo and syncopated hi-hat patterns. The song's rhythm is driven by the relentless, looped sample of "There's some whores in this house," which creates a hypnotic, cadence-like foundation. Over this, Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion deliver their verses with complex and varied rhythmic flows, often using triplets and syncopation that play against the beat, a common feature in modern trap. The rhyme schemes are intricate, employing a mix of perfect rhymes, internal rhymes, and assonance to maintain a dynamic and engaging lyrical structure. The rappers' flows are a key element, becoming a percussive instrument in themselves that interacts with the sparse beat. This interplay between the steady, looping background and the rappers' energetic, complex vocal rhythms creates the song's signature tension and propulsive energy.

The song employs several notable stylistic techniques. Musically, it is a minimalist trap and dirty rap song. The production is sparse, built around a heavy, throbbing bassline, minimal drum programming, and the heavily looped vocal sample from Frank Ski's "Whores in This House". This minimalist approach places strong emphasis on the artists' vocal delivery and lyrics. Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion utilize distinct vocal flows that complement each other; Cardi's delivery is often described as throaty and assertive, while Megan's is charismatic and fluid. Lyrically, the song is built on graphic imagery, audacious metaphors, and direct address. The narrative voice is consistently confident and commanding. The music video, directed by Colin Tilley, is a crucial stylistic component, featuring a surreal, Dr. Seuss-inspired aesthetic, high fashion, and cameos from prominent female figures like Normani, Rosalía, and Kylie Jenner, reinforcing the theme of diverse female power. The video's budget was reportedly $1 million, indicating the high-production value intended to match the song's bold statement.

"WAP" had a monumental cultural impact upon its release. It debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, breaking the record for the largest opening streaming week for a song in U.S. history with 93 million streams. It was the first female rap collaboration to debut at the top spot. The song sparked a massive public discourse, receiving both widespread critical acclaim for its sex-positive and empowering message, and intense criticism from conservative commentators who found its lyrics offensive and immoral. This controversy only fueled its popularity, making it a viral sensation on platforms like TikTok, where it inspired a popular dance challenge. The music video broke YouTube's record for the biggest 24-hour debut for an all-female collaboration. The song was lauded by many as a feminist anthem for challenging double standards and opening up conversations about female pleasure and health. Publications like Rolling Stone and NPR named it the best song of 2020, and its success cemented Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion as leading voices in modern hip-hop, credited with shifting the genre towards more overt and confident expressions of female sexuality.

"WAP" is rich with symbolism and metaphors, primarily used to express female sexual power and pleasure in an unfiltered manner.

• The Acronym "WAP": The title itself symbolizes the song's direct and shameless approach to female sexuality, a topic often considered taboo.
• "Bucket and a Mop": This recurring line is a blunt metaphor for extreme female arousal, using everyday objects to create a vivid and humorous image of just how "wet" the artists are.
• "Macaroni in a Pot": Cardi B uses this metaphor, which alludes to a 2014 viral Vine video, to describe the sound of intercourse, further normalizing and openly discussing the physical aspects of sex.
• "Park that big Mack truck right in this little garage": This is a classic size-and-container metaphor for sexual intercourse, framing the act in terms of power and perfect fit from the female perspective.
• "Swipe your nose like a credit card": A graphic metaphor used by Cardi B that illustrates a specific sexual act, showcasing the song's explicit nature and the artists' dominance.
• Reclaiming "Whores": The prominent sample of "There's some whores in this house" acts as a symbolic reclamation. Instead of being a pejorative term, it's repurposed as a rallying cry for sexually liberated women who own their desires.

The most significant recurring motif in "WAP" is the looped sample, "There's some whores in this house." Repeated approximately 80 times, this phrase acts as the song's central hook and thematic backbone, functioning as a defiant reclamation of a derogatory term. The titular acronym, "WAP," is another crucial recurring motif, appearing throughout the chorus and solidifying the song's focus on female arousal. The chorus itself, with the lines "Bring a bucket and a mop for this wet-ass pussy," is a memorable and repeated hook that encapsulates the track's explicit and humorous celebration of sexuality. These recurring elements are not just catchy; they are instrumental in reinforcing the song's core message of unapologetic female sexual empowerment and make the song instantly recognizable and structurally cohesive.