# @popbase on Instagram

- **Type:** Video
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/Da3BTJihi0Q
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/68023364-popbase-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/43ba29188d.jpg
- **Posted:** 2026-07-16T16:00:00.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Pop Base (@PopBase) — https://gondola.cc/PopBase

## Caption

5 years ago, Nomani and Cardi B released 'Wild Side.' 

Giving Normani her first solo single since 2019's 'Motivation.' The track took shape during a difficult stretch for Normani, who'd stepped back from music partly due to the pandemic and her mother's returning breast cancer diagnosis; her mother actually encouraged her to keep creating, and the resulting song became a source of comfort. Normani told Starrah she wanted something unapologetically sexy, describing a growing sense of owning her sensuality as a woman. Cardi B's verse came together almost by accident — she heard a snippet Normani posted online, and their shared stylist helped connect the two, with Cardi joining the record while Normani was already deep into video rehearsals.

The song interpolates Aaliyah's 1996 classic "One in a Million" and was co-written by both artists alongside Starrah, Pardison Fontaine, Keynon Moore, and others, with production handled by Starrah, Normani, and a small team of additional producers. Cardi B praised the collaboration as Normani's big comeback moment, calling herself just part of the support team. The Tanu Muino-directed video — choreographed by Sean Bankhead and drawing visual inspiration from Ciara's "Like a Boy" — featured both artists in daring, minimal styling, including a nude scene between them that sparked some media debate, with Rolling Stone accusing the pair of queerbaiting, a claim Cardi B publicly pushed back on by pointing to her own bisexuality.

Critically, the song was a hit: outlets from Pitchfork to USA Today praised its sultry, meticulously crafted R&B sound and Cardi's effortless rap verse. Commercially, it debuted at number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 — Normani's highest solo chart debut — while topping several R&B-specific charts and earning RIAA Gold certification within three months. The video racked up millions of views quickly and later ranked as the third most-watched R&B video of 2021 on Vevo, and Billboard spotlighted its Aaliyah sample among the best in modern R&B/hip-hop, cementing "Wild Side" as a defining moment in Normani's transition toward full-fledged solo stardom.

#normani #cardib #popculture

## Stats

- **Views:** 65,431
- **Likes:** 4,022
- **Shares:** 0
- **Comments:** 79

## Tags

popculture, normani, cardib

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