To kick off September, Megan Thee Stallion not only made her first vocal appearance of 2023 on Cardi B’s “Bongos,” but she also joined the New York rapper to perform the song at the MTV Video Music Awards on September 12. Containing a mix of tropical, Latin flair and Afrobeat-inspired percussion, “Bongos” was a bit of a deviation from both Meg and Cardi’s traditional trap-rap sound that they displayed on their first smash hit collaboration “WAP,” and may be a sign that Meg is headed in a slightly new sonic direction in the near future.
On Tuesday (September 19), Billboard published an interview with Meg where she mostly discussed her new ad campaign with Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, but also touched on “Bongos” and even more new music on the horizon.
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When discussing “Bongos,” she emphasized how strong her friendship with Cardi is, and how much they trust each other as artists. Additionally, she explained why they didn’t feel any pressure to live up to “WAP,” which peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 upon release.
“I know for myself, I don’t make music with any expectations. I don’t really care about charts and stuff like that,” she said. “Obviously, everybody wanna be No. 1, everybody wants to win, everybody wants to give their fans these bragging rights. But I just make music because I love to make music, so I’m not making it like, ‘Oh, I gotta top this’ or ‘Oh, we have to be better than the last time.’ I’m like, ‘No, we’re gonna make a song because we like to make music, and it’s gonna be fun!’ It doesn’t have to be the same vibe. That was already its great, own moment. It served its purpose at that time. That was two, three years ago. We two different women now! So this is different. “
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Then, Meg was asked about the potential for a new project in the near future. With this interview coming just weeks after fellow rapper Tory Lanez was sentenced to 10 years in prison for shooting her, and only a few months after she told InStyle in May that “fans can expect new music when I’m in a better place,” it seems like she finally feels secure in pursuing her solo career once again.
“I feel like I’m finally closing all the old chapters and now I’m starting with a blank slate,” Meg told Billboard. “Very fresh, very new. I think the Hotties are gonna be so excited. I’m trying different things. I got a lot of things that I produced with Ju and with some new producers.”
When asked what upcoming releases could sound like, the Houston-bred star didn’t want to reveal too much, but let fans know that they wouldn’t have to wait too much longer.
“Just expect the unexpected,” she said. “Expect a lot of rawness, a lot of realness, a lot of sh— talking. Just know I’m coming and I hope everybody ready.”
A new LP from Megan would be her first since her sophomore album Traumazine from August 2022, which included appearances from marquee rap and R&B names like Future, Latto, Pooh Shiesty, Jhené Aiko, and more.
Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for Coachella