Atlanta resident Cardi B releases highly anticipated ‘Am I the Drama?’ album

FILE - Cardi B appears at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party in Beverly Hills, Calif., on March 12, 2023. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)

Seven years after her landmark debut “Invasion of Privacy,” Cardi B has returned. And, in typical fashion, she’s doing it with plenty of spectacle.

The Grammy winner made her long-awaited sophomore album “Am I the Drama?,” released Friday, feel like prime-time theater. Friday’s release arrived days after she revealed her fourth pregnancy — her first child with New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs — and barely two weeks after she emerged victorious from a Los Angeles courtroom.

With a title that nods to the scrutiny that has trailed her career, Cardi B channels the swirl of headlines into music that doubles down on her strengths: blunt confidence, playful wit and sharp-edged bravado. The 23-track project features collaborations with Janet Jackson, Lizzo, Selena Gomez, Megan Thee Stallion, Cash Cobain, Kehlani, Summer Walker and Tyla.