Whatever fog caused Cardi B to not feel like herself and delay her sophomore album has finally lifted. A week after dropping off new music with her single “Like What (Freestyle),” the rapper addressed struggling to once again feel like the chart-topping artist that she is.

During a TikTok Live on Friday (March 8), she said, “I want to apologize to my fans, to myself, and [to the] people who love me for losing myself, you know what I’m saying? For losing myself… and not being myself because of negative things that, like, put me in a wall, and I wanna apologize if y’all felt that, like, I wasn’t giving my all because of things.”

Cardi continued, “But you know I’m just a f**king human being, b**ch. I’m trying to do this s**t, you know what I’m saying? I’m trying… but I’m finally myself, and all I want from you guys is support, is love, honesty, of course, I don’t ever want you not to be honest, but honesty, support, and always defend me, always love me. ‘Cause this has been a really hard journey to [get] back [to] myself again.”

Two years ago, the “Bodak Yellow” artist admitted during a live chat with fans that “I used to love to make music. But now, making music to me has become a job that [gives] me anxiety. Because everyone just critiques everything that I do. Sometimes you don’t want to do something that makes you feel that much anxiety.” At the time, questions about her follow-up to the four-time platinum-selling album Invasion of Privacy were met with updates like, “I have like a couple of songs that are definite. I don’t know. I don’t know what’s going on with me. I need to just make up my mind and put it out,” which she told “The Breakfast Club” in 2022.

However, the warm reception to “Like What (Freestyle)” and the visual that saw her pay homage to Missy Elliott are an indication that the Bardi Gang and Cardi are ready for the next chapter in her music career. Last Friday (March 1), she made it official that the project would be released before the year’s end, saying in her Instagram Story, “[I'm] not letting my anxiety, I’m not letting what haters say, I’m not letting what fans say” get in her head about the new music. “I’ve got no choice because I’m dropping my album this year, so stay tuned for the announcement.”

As of today (March 9), her next single, “Miami,” is already available for pre-save across streaming platforms, curbing any naysayers who may think her return to the rap scene is a false start.