Cardi B has spoken in a new interview about her desire to finish her new album, saying that she is currently planning to “go away for a very long time” in order to complete the record.

The Bronx rapper is currently working on the follow-up to her 2018 debut LP ‘Invasion of Privacy’.

Speaking to XXL, Cardi said that she had originally intended to have released the album by now, but her plans have been continually scuppered by the coronavirus pandemic.

“I feel like at this point, it’s like a timeline that I created. Because last year I was like: ‘I gotta put out my album this year,’” she explained. “But, then I just stopped working on my album out of nowhere because I feel like the whole COVID thing discouraged me to put out my album. Because I want to put out an album, and I want to tour.”

Cardi continued by saying that she didn’t want to promote her new album solely on Zoom: “I don’t feel like if I do like, an album promo run and everything, like, there’s no feelings to it, me doing interviews with people through a computer. I want to meet up with people. I want to have a conversation. It’s a better vibe.

“I love album release parties. I would love an album release party in New York. I could have one in Atlanta, but I want one also at home. And I want to see people. I shouldn’t fly out 50 of my friends just so they could be there in Atlanta and then somebody might catch COVID. No. So, it’s just something that I stopped, but then now that I keep putting out my singles, I keep saying like: ‘Damn. I have no choice but to put out my album this year.’”

Cardi added that, at the time of the XXL interview, she had “a week of making sure I handle all my business, making sure everything is good, go to meetings”.

“And then, I’m going away for a very long time to finish my album,” she confirmed.

Cardi previously spoke about going into “full album mode” last month when she shared a snippet of unreleased new music. She also recently refuted claims that Eminem turned down the chance to feature on her new album.