Cardi B Teased An Unreleased Janet Jackson Sample; Could She Be Leaning Into R&B Vibes for Next Album?

Cardi B has once again previewed music from her highly anticipated sophomore LP, and fans may be witnessing the rapper explore her R&B side.

On Monday, the melodic snippet was shared on Cardi’s Instagram Story and seems to find the singer flexing her vocals. The beat seems to be a spin on Janet Jackson’s “Funny How Time Flies (When You’re Having Fun).” The track was originally featured on Jackson’s 1986 “Control” album, which sold over 14 million copies worldwide.

Cardi’s snippet was met with positive reviews, rebuilding the anticipation for the project, which has been nicknamed “CB2” across social media. The short clip appears to be the first slow track previewed by Cardi for the second album. This would indicate that R&B vibes will be felt throughout the project, which is not a totally foreign concept for Cardi.

On “Invasion Of Privacy,” the Bronx MC incorporated elements of the genre in singles such as “Be Careful,” which found the rapper crooning the hook. Cardi’s singing was initially off-putting to some, coming off the heels of her bar-heavy anthem, “Bodak Yellow.” However, the track soon caught on, going four times platinum. “Ring,” featuring Kehlani, and “I Do,” with help from SZA, also showed off Cardi’s comfortability in the R&B space.

It remains to be seen what Belcalis plans to do with the Jackson sample or if it’ll make the cut at all. In the six years since her Grammy Award-winning debut album, Cardi has experimented with many different sounds. Therefore, it’s likely that R&B will just be one of many musical art forms used to craft “CB2.”