Cardi B Celebrates Billion-Stream Milestone on Spotify, Discusses Songs That Got Her Into The Spotify Club

Cardi B is on top of the world as her latest streaming milestone propels her star power to new heights. On Tuesday, May 14, the 31-year-old rapper appeared on Spotify’s Billions Club: The Series, celebrating her impressive achievement of surpassing one billion streams on the platform.

During the episode, Cardi received plaques for four of her hit songs: Maroon 5’s Girls Like You, WAP featuring Megan Thee Stallion, I Like It with J Balvin and Bad Bunny, and Taki Taki with Selena Gomez, Ozuna, and DJ Snake. Each track played a significant role in cementing her place in the exclusive Billion-Stream Club.

While waiting for an oxtail meal delivery, Cardi shared fond memories tied to each song, starting with Girls Like You. Making a play with the lyrics of the song, she joked, “Girls Like You could never be me, bitch. A billion motherf—ing streams on you h—.” 

Released in 2017, just before her debut album Invasion of Privacy, this collaboration holds a special place in her heart.

“My daughter was in me when I did this song,” Cardi explained, adding that performing the song feels different because of the personal connection. “It touches me a little bit different,” she stated.

Cardi revealed that her record label was initially against releasing the track, fearing it would compete with her album. However, she stood her ground. “I love the song. I got to do the song, and then I did,” she said. The success of Girls Like You surprised her, and she marveled at the power of her music, stating, “I never thought that a record would be so big. You always feel like, ‘Would any of my songs ever have this power again?’ So for a billion people to sing word for word, it’s just like amazing and a reassurance that you could do it.”

Reflecting on I Like It, Cardi shared how she excitedly played the verses from Balvin and Bunny for her family at her grandmother’s house, bragging, “‘I have a song with Bad Bunny and f—ing J Balvin.’” Initially unsure about the Spanglish track, she was thrilled by its resonance with listeners.

Recalling the music video shoot for I Like It, Cardi mentioned her collaborators’ reactions to her pregnancy, which she had not yet announced publicly. “I didn’t want people to know. It was my first time meeting [them], and their faces were like, ‘Hey!’ and then ‘Oh!’ when they saw my stomach,” she recalled.

Discussing Taki Taki, Cardi touched on the confusion surrounding the song’s title. “Everybody keeps asking us like, ‘What does ‘Taki Taki’ mean?’” she said. “And it’s like, we don’t know. It’s just a word that Ozuna made up. I don’t freaking know.”

When her final plaque for WAP arrived, Cardi confidently stated, “I knew that record was going to be a GOAT.” Despite her initial concerns about the song feeling incomplete, a conversation with Megan Thee Stallion changed her mind. “It meshed very well, like butter and f—ing bread,” she said.

The politically charged track, which celebrated women’s sexuality, sparked controversy but also made a significant cultural impact. Cardi noted, “This song is not that freaky,” expressing surprise at the backlash.

Cardi wrapped up the episode by thanking her fans and reflecting on her journey. “I just want to say thank you to my fans because, sometimes, I could be a little bit hard on myself. Sometimes I don’t appreciate who I’ve become because I just feel like, wow, the more money, the more problems. The more fame, the more depression,” she admitted.

She concluded with determination, saying, “I will never stop. The goal is never going to be reached because I’m always hungry for more.”

After starting 2024 with new releases Enough (Miami) and Like What (Freestyle), Cardi is expected to drop her highly anticipated sophomore album later this year. Though the project’s release date and title are still under wraps, Cardi assured fans that nothing will stop her from delivering new music in 2024.