Following her recent Billboard and Grammy Awards, rapper Cardi B walked home last weekend with two more awards for “Album of the Year” and “Female Hip-Hop Artist” at the BET Awards. At the awards show, she premiered her latest single, “Press” with an enigmatic performance that quickly caught the attention of viewers and fans. Now, a few days later, the track has been officially released with a video on YouTube. Cardi stated on Instagram that she directed this video alongside previous collaborator Jora Frantzis, known for his work on “Money” and “Be Careful”.
Artistically, the video is shot through the lens of a cinematic narrative that touches on the recent legal issues and press Cardi has been facing. Spliced between scenes of a courtroom, interrogation room and jail house is a bloody, provocative choreography matched by an equally as diverse ensemble of wardrobe changes. In combination with the music, the video adds a dynamic presentation from the artist that feels personal.
As she has continued to push the boundaries of her art both visually and sonically, the growing success of her career has also followed. Within five hours of the video’s premiere on YouTube, it had already amassed nearly 2 million views, demonstrating the heightened media prowess Cardi holds in pop culture today.
By Ty Morris
Directed by: Jora Frantzis
