INDIO, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 16: Megan Thee Stallion performs onstage at the Coachella Stage during the … [+]
In less than a day, Megan Thee Stallion will return to the music industry with her highly-anticipated new single. Titled “Bongos,” the track sees her reuniting with fellow rapper Cardi B in a play to score another big hit. How the tune performs commercially is yet to be seen, but this song in particular likely means a lot to Stallion.
“Bongos” marks Stallion’s first single release since wrapping the drama surrounding her assault by musician Tory Lanez. The singer and rapper was convicted of shooting Stallion in the foot following a party in the Hollywood Hills in 2020. In 2022, he was found guilty of the violent crime, and in August of this year, he was officially sentenced to a decade in prison.
Stallion has been through a lot during this entire process. In addition to being shot, she was forced to testify against Lanez and endure a deluge of online hate from fans of the now-sentenced musician. During the trial, Stallion was emotional during her time on the stand, saying, “I don’t wanna be on this Earth,” and, “I wish he woulda shot and killed me if I knew I would go through this torture.”
Since the trial, Stallion has remained relatively quiet when it comes to new music. In an interview with InStyle, the rapper said that “Fans can expect new music when I’m in a better place. Right now, I’m focused on healing.” She added that “The music and entertainment industry can be a grind, so it’s important to take time off and avoid burning out.”
With “Bongos,” Stallion is testing the waters to see how the public will react to new music. Her name has been in the media lately much more because of this trial instead of because of her art. Will the masses rush to support the Grammy winner and her latest drop in even larger numbers than before, following the tribulations she’s been through? Or, will the opposite be true, and will she face an unfair uphill battle to rid herself of this trauma?
How “Bongos” performs depends on a number of factors, but all the attention she’s received, both negative and positive, will surely play a role in the tune’s ascent up the charts.
When Cardi and Stallion first worked together several years ago, their joint tune “WAP” was a massive success. The tune debuted at No. 1 on the Hot 100, bringing both artists back to the summit on the most competitive songs chart in America. Whether “Bongos” will repeat that success, or come even close, will be seen in the coming weeks, but this track surely means a lot to Stallion especially, as it is her first step back into doing what she loves following a grueling and trying time in her life.
