As the world began to understand the gravity of the coronavirus pandemic, much of the entertainment industry began to shut down; both developing and finished films have been delayed, awards shows have shifted towards a virtual format, and a number of A-listers have tested positive for the virus. But Cardi B pushed through the pandemic to film the internet-breaking visuals for her new song “WAP,” going to great lengths to make sure the experience was safe for everyone involved.
"WAP," which also features Megan thee Stallion, saw Cardi and a few friends exploring the secret rooms of a mazelike mansion. The accompanying music video took the stars throughout the house, delighting viewers with a new sexy surprise behind each door; Normani in one, Rosalía in another, and rap upstarts Sukihana, Mulatto, and Rubi Rose in a third. Oh, and Kylie Jenner was also there.
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With so many people involved in the filming of the "WAP" visuals, safety was of the utmost importance, and Cardi took it upon herself to ensure that the environment would not be a COVID-19 hotspot.
“It was kind of weird shooting the video in the age of corona,” Cardi told i-D in a new interview about the song's impact. “Like, we had to spend $100,000 dollars just on testing. Everybody on the shoot had to get tested for coronavirus."
Even the exotic animals on set had to follow COVID-19 protocol, Cardi shared.
"We had a tiger and a leopard there, but we didn’t film with them in there because of safety and because of the pandemic," she revealed. "We spliced those scenes together.”
Cardi's dedication to safety in the age of corona shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone because the rapper has been concerned about the spread of the virus from the very beginning. At the start of the pandemic, Cardi urged her Instagram followers to take it seriously because "shit's getting real" — a clip that quickly went viral and resulted in a charitable song that contributed funds to families struggling amidst the financial hardship brought on by the pandemic.
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She's also talked about the disparate level of access to testing that celebrities have in comparison to regular people. Coronavirus testing is crucial, explained Cardi back in March, so the government needs to provide it to the public free of charge.
"I feel like the government should just charge that shit to the game and not charge people for it because at the end of the day, this shit could have been prevented when they found out about this shit a couple of months ago," she said passionately. "This is y'all fault that it got in this motherfucking country!"
Clearly, Cardi doesn't play when it comes to the coronavirus. And honestly, she's doing a better job of using her resources limiting its spread than most. A certain person in a certain Oval Office should take notes.
The World Health Organisation says you can protect yourself by washing your hands, covering your mouth when sneezing or coughing (ideally with a tissue), avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth and don't get too close to people who are coughing, sneezing or with a fever.