Cardi B Explained Why She Didn’t Submit “WAP” For The Grammys & It Makes Sense
After the 2021 Grammy Awards nominations announcement on Tuesday, Nov. 24, many music fans noticed there was a top song missing from the nomination list. ICYMI, Cardi B's "WAP" wasn't nominated for the Grammys, but it's not a snub. Here's why Cardi B said she didn't submit the song for The Grammys.
Following the Aug. 7 release of "WAP," the raunchy collab with Megan Thee Stallion landed on Time's list on 10 Best Songs of 2020 and took the top spot on Billboard's Hot 100. However, once the Grammy noms dropped on Nov. 24, it was noticeably missing from the list. In a live steam, Cardi B explained why she didn't submit the song for the Grammys, saying, "Like I said, I never pressed for a Grammy, but y'all not gonna take away something that I know I worked my *ss off [for], that I deserve."
She continued, "If I was pressed for a Grammy I would've submitted 'WAP' for this year and I didn't submit it. I didn’t want to be submitted to award shows until I put out my album because I think my album is so good." She added, "It means something and I worked on it a lot. I’ve been working on it for almost 2 years. And some songs are just so emotional to me because I did them during quarantine."
Cardi B finished addressing the issue by reiterating, "I'm not pressed for nothin'."
Her song with Megan Thee Stallion was first announced on Aug. 4, a few days before it was released. "WAP" was the first song for Cardi B to debut since her May 2019 single, "Press," so it was already a big deal.
Since Cardi B didn't provide any details on when her new album will drop, fans can only hope it's sometime in early 2021, because it's already been a long wait. Her debut album, Invasion of Privacy, dropped in April 2018, and ever since, fans have been calling for a sophomore album. If she does release the new album in 2021, she will likely submit "WAP" along with the rest of the album for the 2022 Grammy Awards, but it doesn't seem like she needs the recognition from The Recording Academy to know she's got a hit.
Initially, fans may have assumed Cardi B was snubbed, since other big names in the industry, notable Black artists, have been completely left out of the nomination list over the years, such as The Weeknd's absence from the 2021 nomination list.
Although Cardi B didn't submit any songs for the 2021 Grammy Awards, her partner in crime on "WAP" did. One of the songs nominated for the Best Rap Performance category is Megan Thee Stallion's "Savage" single featuring Beyoncé. Megan is also nominated in the Best New Artist category.
Other nominations for the Grammys include Record of the Year noms for Beyoncé's Black Parade, Doja Cat's Say So, Megan Thee Stallion's Savage, and Billie Eilish's Everything I Wanted.
The Grammys will air on Jan. 31, 2021, on CBS at 8 p.m. ET.
