Cardi B and Bruno Mars brings the slow jam on ‘Please Me’
Cardi B and Bruno Mars have reunited for another 90s-centric single.
The first time Cardi B and Bruno Mars teamed up for a single, the latter was the main star. Now, with the new single, “Please Me,” the tables have turned, with the former now becoming the main attraction.
To refresh one’s memory, the first time Cardi B and Bruno Mars hooked up for a single was “Finesse,” which was recorded in 2017 and became a nice-sized hit in 2018 with its an ode to the New Jack Swing era of the late-80s/early 90s. Though Cardi really shined in “Finesse,” the single was a Mars project through-and-through; but this time around, Mars is playing second-fiddle to Cardi, and for good reason.
By the time the“Finesse” remix was released, Cardi B was on her way to surpassing Nicki Minaj in becoming the modern “Queen of Hip Hop.” In 2017, “Bodak Yellow” made Cardi only the second female rapper in history to have a song top the Billboard Hot 100 (Lauryn Hill was the first with “Doo Wop [That Thing]” in 1998); and, from that point on, her star power would only rise, culminating in her spectacular debut LP, Invasion of Privacy, which recently earned her a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album.
So, one can see the flip-flop here as the co-star has now become the main attraction, and on “Please Me,” Cardi plays the starring role to sheer perfection.
Much like their first collaboration, “Please Me” has that 90s feel to it, this time, though, the two enters the old-school slow jam arena. It’s important to note that “Please Me” is not a remake of “Touch Me, Tease Me,” the 1996 hit made by Case and Foxy Brown. When one hears this single just hard enough, however, one can entertain that notion that “Please Me” carries some snippets of that mid-90s R&B classic.
The slow jam-vibe on “Please Me” is undeniable and sounds terrific, and Cardi proves that she can, without a doubt, handle the slow-nature of the single. In fact, Cardi proved that her flows can adapt to all types of genres on her debut and that elastic approach is something that her predecessors (and yes, I’m including Minaj) really can’t replicate.
Mars is more-than-happy to be in the shadows on “Please Me.” He’s basically reduced to the chorus, allowing for Cardi to shine all throughout the single. It’s not the R&B slow jams of old, but it does please those who have more of an old-school taste while retaining much of the vibe of the new era to more-than-satisfy their respective fanbases.
Check out the single below.
Remy’s Rating: 9.5
