Megan Thee Stallion is back with new music. On Friday, Nov. 3, the hip-hop star dropped “Cobra” — the first single released under her independent entity, Hot Girl Productions — following a bitter legal battle with her former label.
The music video for “Cobra” was also released on Friday, and it depicts the artist as she climbs out of the mouth of a venomous cobra. At one point, she’s in a glass box surrounded by onlookers as she sheds pieces of her skin just like a snake (watch the full video below).
Last month, Megan and her former label, 1501 Certified Entertainment, settled their contract disagreement and “amicably” parted ways, according to Variety. Just a week before the settlement, the 28-year-old rapper stated that she was funding her music career moving forward on Instagram Live.
“This part of my album is very much so funded by Megan Thee Stallion because we’re trying to get off … Y’all know what’s the tea. But I have no label right now,” she explained to her fans, according to Billboard. “We’re doing everything funded straight out of Megan Thee Stallion’s pockets … We are in my pockets, hotties, so let’s do our big one.”
The song’s lyrics confront the singer’s mental health and her struggles to stay afloat amid a series of challenges in her life. “Breakin’ down and I had the whole world watchin’ / But the worst part is really who watched me / Every night I cried, I almost died / And nobody close tried to stop me,” she raps in the first verse.
In July 2020, Megan was the victim of gun violence when she was shot in the foot by rapper Tory Lanez. Lanez was found guilty and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. She spoke about the trauma that the shooting and its aftermath caused her in an essay for Elle in August 2023.
“I don’t want to call myself a victim. As I reflect on the past three years, I view myself as a survivor, because I have truly survived the unimaginable,” she penned at the time. “Not only did I survive being shot by someone I trusted and considered a close friend, but I overcame the public humiliation of having my name and reputation dragged through the mud by that individual for the entire world to see.”
Megan landed on Forbes’ annual 30 Under 30 list four years ago and received a daily cover feature in November 2022. The interview teased a future world tour, her third studio album and a Netflix
NFLX
“Cobra” is the singer’s first solo release since Megan’s 2022 sophomore album, Traumazine. The record debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 chart and was home to hits like “Sweetest Pie” with Dua Lipa and “Pressurelicious” with Future.
Stream “Cobra” below.
Read the full article here