Normani made her musical comeback when she released the Cardi-B assisted “Wild Side.” Less than two weeks later, the song is already on the Billboard Hot 100. According to Billboard, the single debuted at No. 14 on the music chart, coming right after “Rapstar” by Chicago emcee Polo G. Its first-week placement is now the singer’s highest debut since launching her solo career in 2018.
Additionally, “Wild Side”— which sold 17,000 records in the US its first week — landed in the fourth spot on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip Hop Song. It also makes an appearance on the Hot R&B Songs list as the No. 3 hit.
The success of Normani’s latest single may be attributed to its similarities to Aaliyah’s “One in a Million” or the sensual video that features her complex and impressive choreography. Cardi’s verse may have even catapulted the record to another level of success, though many question her appearance on the song.
A slew of social media critics recently said that Cardi’s feature should have been left off of “Wild Side” or reserved for the remix, eventually prompting the “Up” emcee to promise the release of a version that excludes her verse from the track.
“Same people that says this shit is the same people that didn’t buy shit, don’t request on radio, not streaming, not adding no value or numbers to the song,” she added. “But opinions on Twitter for a hit tweet ‘cause hating but keeping up with Cardi it’s what’s in.”
“Can’t imagine this record without you. THAT’S THE TWEET,” Normani said in response to Cardi’s words. She then followed up with a post that clarified the role Cardi played in the music video and more generally, her music career.
“I don’t think you guys understand how harddddd this woman has gone for me,” she wrote. “You have been a champion for me throughout this whole process even when I was freaking out the night before releasing. God don’t play when it comes to His. We good sis.”
See the tweets below.