Cardi B Becomes First-Ever Female Performer at the “Oscars of Porn”
Cardi B was recently announced as a performer at the 2019 Grammy Awards next month, where she’s also nominated for an impressive five awards. But her first live performance of the year—and, incidentally, a history-making event—went down on Saturday, at the AVN Awards in Las Vegas, which honor adult video stars.
During the ceremony, she took the stage to perform high-octane renditions of “Bickenhead” and “She Bad,” off her juggernaut debut album Invasion of Privacy, per TMZ. With the performance, Cardi officially became the first woman to perform at the 35-year-old AVN Awards; when the historic lineup was announced in November, she said in a statement, “I’m so excited that the AVN Awards chose me to be their first female performer ever! I can’t wait!”
The awards show is typically referred to as the “Oscars of Porn,” and Cardi came dressed for the occasion: Throughout the night, she alternated between blue and green lingerie sets, complete with garters and matching thigh-high tights, and a complementary blue and green hairstyle. She shared several photos of her ensembles on Instagram after the show. “I’m a little pornstar today,” she captioned one, then added on another, “Can I be sexy one time and not get called a slut ? Sheeesh!”
The night before, Cardi put on an intimate 40-minute show for an audience of cam girls, as part of the AVN Adult Entertainment Expo. According to TMZ, she told the crowd that she was more excited about this performance than for her upcoming performance at the Grammys. For that performance, she sported another risqué look, this one a red leather lingerie set with matching coat and thigh-high platform boots.
In the coming months, fans can expect to see a lot of Cardi B in Vegas, after it was announced that she’s signed on for a residency at the Palms Casino Resort. Her residency will reportedly take place at KAOS, the newly-renovated resort’s “dayclub and nightclub amphitheater-style complex.” While musicians typically use Vegas residencies as career retrospectives, Cardi only has only one album under belt, which means she’ll have less of back catalog to choose from than counterparts like Jennifer Lopez and Lady Gaga.
On the other hand, Invasion of Privacy is all killer and no filler, so her show will be stacked with hits. Couple that with her electric stage presence and her preternatural talent and it’s clear that Cardi’s Vegas residency will be one of the must-see shows of the spring.
