In recent years, music fans have been embattled between shunning an artist for their online and real-life antics or completely ignoring the obvious quirks of a musician in exchange for their awesome artistry. Doja Cat has found herself a part of the elite class of questionable artists.
Her talent has transcended the gimmicky times of ridiculous baby bangs, exaggerated glutes, and asinine rap bars. The eccentric artist quickly ascends past her competition with her ability to rap, sing, incite poetry, and appeal to the mainstream. Yet, not even Doja Cat can escape the reality of a saturated music market flailing to survive another industry-altering evolution — A.I., streaming, and the riddance of the middle-man.
Doja, who started her career in live color with playful genre-bending bangers such as “MOOO!,” “Tia Tamera,” and “Juicy,” has upped the ante in antics, even getting into a war of words with her online fanbase. Some vowed to never listen to her music again after she went online and told fans she doesn’t love them.
Then, there was Scarlet, Doja Cat’s fourth studio album. The 17-track creation is one of Doja Cat’s best, although sonically unique from her previous album entries. The short-tressed superstar wastes no time, dumping her lead singles, the swanky “Paint The Town Red” and bass-thumping “Demons,” at the top of Scarlet. As Doja raps in “Demons,” it’s clear she’s “on to bigger things.”
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The next few songs utilize shock value titles and hooks, but does more than satisfy music listeners thirst for “real hip hop.” Doja taps into her bravado with “Wet Vagina,” at one point taking a dig at the Kardashians, and “F**k The Girls (FTG),” where she rips a new hole in her competitors’ rears.
If that wasn’t convincing enough of Doja’s reign, she puts on more pressure with the eye-scratching “Ouchies,” a catchy fight song with an ending reminiscent of rap queen Nicki Minaj.
The tempo slows with the self-confident “97,” a track that may require a replay to understand its absolute creative genius and just how much Doja sounds like a female Kendrick Lamar — something much needed in the exhausting over-sexualized world of Sexxy Reds and such.
Don’t underestimate the value of her production, either. The balancing beam of lyricism and instrumentation appears to not be a challenge on, actually, the entire album.
Doja digs into her Cali-smooth bag with “Go Off,” again sounding like Kendrick, a compliment. On “Agora Hills,” Doja sings and raps over a 1990s R&B style beat using a flirtatious, Californian accent.
That ’90s vibe parlays its way onto the Mary J. Blige style beat used on “Can’t Wait,” where its clear Doja is influenced by creative great Lauryn Hill. It’s the perfect segway to “Often,” assumedly an ode to Erykah Badu and Solange, where Doja alters her voice to achieve the raspy sounds of the earthy queens.
Back-to-back, the tracks are immaculately made. As far as competition goes, like her or not, Doja ain’t no joke — in hip hop, pop, or R&B — and as she raps so effortlessly in “Balut,” where she admits she copies the greats, “it’s like taking candy from a baby.”
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Scarlet is available for your listening pleasure on all music streaming platforms.
