Over the years, pop star Doja Cat has definitely evolved. Doja Cat is an artist who typically makes pop-rap and hip hop and normally her songs are good, but personally, this last album was a diss and many of her die-hard fans are confused with the sudden change. When Doja Cat originally started to rise and become more known in 2019 from her “ Hot Pink” Album up until her 2021 “Planet Her” Album they were very upbeat and joyful. As she rose to fame her songs became more known on TikTok which got her more listeners and supporters. Doja’s latest album Scarlet was released on September 22, 2023, and the sudden change in the mood and vibe of her music has alienated many fans.
Many of her fans were shocked she decided to release a new album because rumors were going around stating that she was completely over with music and was no longer doing it due to the fact that she was trending on TikTok, and did not want to be recognized as the girl whose songs were on TikTok.
To leave behind the artist she once was — the one that would put on a cow costume and moo for a viral hit — Doja has crafted a hard-as-nails persona. At first, she shaved her head and dressed up as a cat at the Met Gala, but that was just the start of her new “era.” Previous to her album release, she began posting pictures with demonic references and even got a tattoo related to demons. She continued posing similar things more frequently on her page, leaving her fans to question if she sold her soul or was mentally unstable.
Fast forward to the first music video of the album, where she is hanging off ceilings dressed as a demon.
Many of her die-hard fans were not big fans of the change, as they were scared almost to keep being within her following. Without hating the album too much many of the songs were once again popular off mainly Tik Tok once again so they weren’t that bad. The songs getting noticed on social media are “Attention,” “Often,” “Love Life,” and “Paint the Town Red,” which was the first song of the album to go viral.
“Paint the Town Red” became the fastest solo female rap song to reach 100 million Spotify streams, and the first-ever solo female rap song to reach No. 1 on the Spotify Top 50 – USA chart — impressive for how different it is from her other songs. The next song that stuck out to me was “Love Life” because in the lyrics, she sings, “ They love when I embrace my flaws.” That stuck out to me because it makes her music have a more personal meaning behind it, kind of talking about all of the hate she has been getting.
Overall, the album was honestly just okay. After the wait for a new album Doja Cat’s fans are rewarded with this out of nowhere change? Many aren’t a fan and many stayed fans, so I guess you could say success on some part. I also think that a lot of listeners judged the album before it even came out or they even heard it because I find that there are a lot of underground messages within each track. The album may be for different people. Maybe it’s the one for you and maybe it’s not. but giving it a chance won’t hurt.
