ASMR—autonomous sensory meridian response—is a very strange and interesting phenomenon sweeping YouTube, where people whisper into microphones and produce sounds meant to soothe. It’s not for everyone, including this writer, which is why I could stomach only a minute or so of this ASMR effort from Cardi B.
The rapper recorded the 13-minute session with W Magazine, filling the time by discussing her own relationship to ASMR, her breakout single “Bodak Yellow”, and motherhood. All of it, of course, is presented in a hushed whisper, and she adds to the sensory experience by rubbing a fuzzy rug and playing with the clacking balls of a children’s toy. Check it out below.
Cardi B gave a compelling interview to Jimmy Kimmel last week, and recently performed “Get Up 10” at the BET Hip-Hop Awards. She’ll return to the stage for a string of festival appearances in the coming months, including the Tropicalia Festival in Long Beach and Los Angeles’ Rolling Loud. She’s also said to be working on new music, which may or may not address her ongoing feud with Nicki Minaj.