Cardi B is officially outside. The Bronx rap queen made her return on June 20 with the high-energy anthem “Outside,” her first solo single of 2025—and it’s already shaping up to dominate the summer.
After months of teasing snippets on social media, Cardi finally delivered what fans had been begging for. The cover art sets the tone with a New York-style block party: a gushing fire hydrant, scattered red Solo cups, and dominoes hint at the track’s raw, streetwise vibe. On Instagram, she teased the release earlier this week, writing: “We OUTSIDE this Friday”, sparking instant hype from the ever-loyal Bardi Gang.
“Outside” finds Cardi reclaiming her voice and independence, with hard-hitting bars that nod to her separation from Offset. “I’ve been cuffed up too long, let me remind n—as,” she declares, signaling both personal and artistic liberation. The track is a bold, no-apologies statement—Cardi at her most authentic and unapologetic.
Although she’s kept a relatively low profile musically this year—contributing to the Smurfs Movie soundtrack and Pardison Fontaine’s “Toot It Up”—“Outside” is a strong indication that the wait for her sophomore album may soon be over. It’s been seven years since her Grammy-winning debut Invasion of Privacy, and fans are ready.
2025 has already been a personal turning point for Cardi, who debuted her relationship with NFL star Stefon Diggs courtside at a Knicks playoff game in May. She also shared the first photos of baby Blossom, her third child with Offset, following their second divorce filing in 2024.
With “Outside,” Cardi proves she’s still a force to be reckoned with—on the mic, in the spotlight, and in full control of her narrative.