Doja Cat gained mainstream success in late-2019 after her song “Say So” became a TikTok sensation, inspiring a dance challenge. Her career has since flourished, with multiple hits and tours, and a Grammy award in the category of Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for her collaboration “Kiss Me More” with SZA.
Since her breakthrough, Doja has not been shy from controversy. Most recently, the singer has lost over 250,000 Instagram followers after feuding with fans. “My fans don’t name themselves s-.” She wrote on Threads, “If you call yourself a ‘kitten’ or f- ‘kittenz’ that means you need to get off your phone and get a job and help your parents with the house.’
One user asked what to change their username to, and Doja responded, “Just delete the entire account and rethink everything, it’s never too late”. Her fans seemed to follow these orders, with many major fan pages being deactivated. She defended herself by posting “My life my rules my style my attitude”. Additionally, Doja shot down a request to state that she loves her fans by writing “I don’t though cuz I don’t even know ya’ll” and called an account using her full name “creepy as f-”.
She has now deactivated her Threads account and posted on her Instagram story that the reduction in followers left her relieved. She wrote “Seeing all these people unfollow me makes me feel like I’ve defeated a large beast that’s been holding me down for so long and it feels like I can reconnect with the people who really matter and love me for who I am and not who I was. I feel free”.
Despite this tension with fans, many listeners are eager for her upcoming fourth album, Scarlet, set for release on September 22, 2023, which will be accompanied by her first arena tour, where Ice Spice and Doechii will join her.
In an interview with Harper’s Bazaar, the first single “Attention”, released in June 2023, was described as an introduction to what is to come. Doja claimed that the album is more introspective, a nice mixture of stories and bops, and she played with her rap skills and expressed her life whilst recognising her past self and genres. This single experiments with a jazz-influenced musical style, addressing her haters and reminding them that she is still the one to watch, with her rap alternating between soft-tinged vocals and punchy bars.
Her second single, “Paint The Town Red”, alludes to the emotional consequences of fame over a jazz-influenced beat that samples Dionne Warwick’s “Walk on By”. This single became the first Hip-Hop song to top the pop charts in a full calendar year as it rose to Number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 on September 7, 2023, marking its fifth week on the chart overall since its release on August 4, 2023.
On September 1, 2023, the third single of the upcoming album, “Demons”, was released. The lyrics jab at sceptics with a similar attitude to her second single, hinting towards a theme for the album’s topic. This comes over a bass-heavy beat with her voice fluctuating between a baby voice and rapping with a clipped flow, the rhythm unnatural similar to a text-to-speech app.
Never far from criticism, Doja has faced backlash over the demonic imagery in her new releases. Her second single features her singing about being the devil and a ‘demon lord’, and with a cameo from Addams Family star Christina Ricci, the music video for her third single contains satanic imagery as Doja transforms into a devilish creature with horns and scaly skin. Some critics have labelled this demonic vision as disturbing, whilst others have met the development with praise and claims of amazing artistry.
The musician has also recently opened up about what is next for her career, expressing a desire to make clothing, dabble in makeup, consider stand-up comedy and explore acting. Doja claimed that she would love to do movies that she believes in and would stop the music to immerse herself in acting for a period of time. Adding that she loves comedies and action films, she expressed that she wants to learn martial arts and be in a film like John Wick.
Doja Cat's journey in the music industry, from her TikTok breakthrough with "Say So" to her Grammy win for "Kiss Me More," reflects her ability to captivate a diverse audience. Despite recent controversies and public clashes with fans, her unapologetic self-expression and musical experimentation continue to shape her evolving career. As she gears up to release her fourth album, "Scarlet," and explores new creative avenues beyond music, Doja Cat remains a dynamic force in the entertainment world, leaving fans and critics eagerly anticipating her next artistic endeavor. Whether you're a devoted supporter or have reservations about her recent actions, her indelible mark on the industry is undeniable. And MANIC MAGAZINE loves her.
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