All US Number 1s From 2021 Ranked Worst To Best
14. Up - Cardi B
Yet another case of an A-list rapper serving the least memorable chart-topper of their career. Unlike Drake's What's Next, though, this song at least is catchy, and the music video, which further solidified Cardi's status as a fashion icon, is a lot more memorable.
Cardi B had the biggest song of 2020, on cultural impact alone - love it or hate it, WAP was an instant classic upon release. The pressure was high for her follow-up single, the second off a studio album that has yet to be released, but it almost seems with this effort like Cardi was playing it safe. Yes, the video was ready to go viral, with its provocative outfits, energetic choreography, and partial nudity, but the track is a lot tamer, and managed to get to number one on the strength of a live medley with WAP, which incurred the wrath of conservative politicians. Meaning that Up needed its predecessor to become a bigger hit than it was.
As for what the chorus means - 'If it's up, then it's up, then it's stuck' - that's anyone's guess.