Does Cardi B Watch Westworld?

Maybe it was that vulnerability that triggered ambivalence toward the song upon its initial release back in March; after a string of more boastful bangers, fans either embraced or rejected Cardi’s softer, more mournful side. Or they just weren’t crazy about the flow.

I was firmly in the latter category before watching Cardi’s Western-style video. The visuals help give the song—a warning about the importance of reciprocity in a relationship—more heft. There’s the immaculate Catholic church setting in the middle of the desert, Cardi literally glowing as she approaches an altar in a white wedding dress and, later, Cardi draped in black as she raps into her ain’t-shit husband’s open casket. The storyline turns one of Cardi’s arguably more lackluster songs into a juicy little drama.

There’s a clear Kill Bill inspiration, but the video also makes the case for Westworld (is Cardi a host?) slash Western style having a fashion and cultural moment right now. This could easily just be the rhinestone cowboy look of the early ’00s making a comeback, but Westworld is more topical, so let’s go with that. Yee haw, eeeooooow!