"WAP" Wouldn't Exist If It Weren't for the COVID-19 Pandemic
At least it gave us one good thing.
When Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion dropped “WAP” earlier this month, it seemed like the song, and music video, couldn’t have come at a better time. But it turns out the hit was crafted all the way back in 2019. According to Cardi B’s longtime engineer Evan LaRay Brunson, the rapper recorded the first verse a year ago, and only decided to revisit the song once the coronavirus quarantine measures were in place.
Brunson told Grammy.com that once lockdown measures prevented touring and performances, Cardi began spending more time in the studio recording new music. That included revisiting old tracks; the two picked up the song that would become “WAP,” and Cardi was inspired to create the second verse. Megan Thee Stallion only joined the song around April or May, Brunson recalls, at the suggestion of Meg’s stylist. Now of course the song has broken records, inspired merch and provided the summer’s most impactful music video.
The engineer also shared that Cardi has recorded 15 songs since lockdown measures began (including another he believes will be a major hit), in addition to spending more time with her family. Brunson added that social distancing measures haven’t altogether changed the recording process.
“As far as the recording process, it’s sort of the same,” Brunson told Grammy.com. “The only thing different is the artists weren’t in the studio together. But, now, people send verses over. We’ll be on FaceTime coming up with ideas. We can do Zoom recording. That’s what we’ve been doing. We’ve been at the house recording.”
For more music, see Lauryn Hill’s live set for the Louis Vuitton Men’s Spring/Summer 2021 show.
