“Be Careful”

Cardi B has never been the type to avoid the elephant in the room. Whether it's a sweeping issue like racism or a stray comment from a hater that crosses her radar, the Bronx rapper isn't going to mince words. Her latest single, “Be Careful,” is no exception, taking aim at a lover, (possibly her fiancé, Offset). Rapping like a woman fed up, she fires a warning shot to either get it together or get lost, and the result is her most pop-forward and barefaced release yet.

“Be Careful” is a risky, if not altogether divisive, song to drop just one week ahead of her highly anticipated debut record, Invasion of Privacy. It's a single that suggests the album will further reveal one of music’s most accessible stars. On the other hand, for fans ready for stomp-somebody-out floor-fillers, Cardi instead has chosen refinement. She sands her edges with some laid-back raps and diffident singing over bossa nova-tinged production. Her Latina roots are on full display and her accent more apparent than ever as she laments her significant other’s inability to act right, complete with a nod to Lauryn Hill's “Ex-Factor.” She's vulnerable here, but far from weak. Lines like, “You got me lookin’ in the mirror different/Thinkin’ I’m flawed because you inconsistent,” cut to the heart of how a lover’s indiscretions can mess with the self-image of even the most confident people.

It’s new territory for Cardi B—not quite the playful sashays of the “Finesse” remix, and a far cry from the blistering attitude of “Bodak Yellow” or “Bartier Cardi”—but it's not a complete 180. Though wrapped in shiny new packaging, the underlying qualities that fans love about Cardi are still here. “Be Careful” is raw, unfiltered, and will certainly galvanize plenty of ladies to demand their worth be acknowledged. And if nothing else, she's made a compelling case to be prepared for anything when Invasion of Privacy comes out. If not even Offset is safe, literally anyone can get it.