Doja Cat, also known as Amala Ratna Zandile Dlamini, may just be one of the most versatile female artists of this generation. She can sing, dance and most importantly, perform with the confidence that some struggle to fully embody on stage. Sadly, after experiencing burnout and harassment from fans on social media, the singer announced she would be quitting music after her tour with The Weeknd this summer.
There’s no doubt that Doja Cat has left a lasting impact on the music scene, but it’s even more important to highlight her impressive rise to fame.
With that being said, here is a timeline of Doja Cat’s career:
2014
Doja Cat was only 17 years old with previous music experimentation on SoundCloud when she released her first single “So High” in 2012. Two years later, she signs to RCA Records on a joint-venture deal with Dr. Luke’s vanity label Kemosabe Records.
March 27, 2014
The rapper finally releases a music video for “So High,” which now has over 30 million views on YouTube.
Nov. 2, 2015
Dlamini uploads “Dindu Nuffin” to SoundCloud, one of her most controversial songs to date. The song is taken down after its title was found to refer to the racist slang term, coined in alt-right online circles to demean victims of police brutality. In 2020 on an Instagram live, Doja Cat denies that the song was made in response to the July 2015 death of Sandra Bland.
March 30, 2018
Doja releases her first studio album Amala on her record label, which unfortunately doesn’t perform well on music charts. Standouts such as “Go To Town” and “Tia Tamera (ft. Rico Nasty)” do eventually help solidify her as an artist later down the line in her career.
Aug. 10, 2018
Doja Cat releases what is now one of her most viral songs “Mooo!,” which was accompanied by a green-screen home music video and the singer rocking a cow costume. It’s by far one of the most outrageous and creative music videos to have blessed YouTube, proving that the singer does have a comedic side to her.
Nov. 7, 2019
The singer’s second studio album Hot Pink drops, with critics giving rave reviews and receiving instant streams overnight. With songs such as “Say So” and “Streets,” this album helps Doja Cat grow in popularity, highlighting her exquisite rapping abilities and energetic charisma within all 12 tracks.
Feb. 27, 2020
Doja Cat drops the music video for what would soon be a TikTok hit, “Say So.” The video even features the TikTok dance creator Haley Sharpe. With an array of colors and dancing reminiscent of the 1970s, this music video made a lasting impression on everyone before the COVID-19 pandemic came into full force.
May 1, 2020
The singer teams up with her musical idol Nicki Minaj for the “Say So (Remix).” After rumors spread that the two were not on good terms, the duo proved everyone wrong with the surprise release of the already iconic track. The track debuted at No.1 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it Doja Cat’s first No.1 song.
Aug. 2020
After being exclusive to SoundCloud since 2018, Doja Cat releases “Freak” to all streaming platforms. She also wins Best New Artist at the MTV Video Music Awards, where she performed a medley of her songs “Say So” and “Like That (ft. Gucci Mane).”
September-October 2020
Dlamini is featured on multiple songs including Chloe X Halle’s “Do It,” Ozuna’s “Del Mar” and Bebe Rexha’s “Baby, I’m Jealous” and Ariana Grande’s “motive.” She also performs at the Billboard Music Awards, dancing in a burlesque-themed outfit and singing a medley of “Say So,” “Like That” and “Juicy.” The singer also performs for the first time on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Jan. 7, 2021
Doja Cat joins in on more features with fellow rapper Saweetie for “Best Friend” and Ariana Grande and Megan Thee Stallion for the “34+35 (Remix).” Following the release of Ariana Grande’s remix of her smash hit, the song reached a peak of No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Her once slept-on single “Streets” from Hot Pink also begins to gain traction after going viral on TikTok, peaking at No.16 on the Billboard chart.
March 2021
The singer attends the sixty-third Grammy Awards after being nominated for three awards: Best New Artist, Record of the Year for “Say So” and Best Pop Solo Performance. She also performs at the ceremony, this time rocking a tight black latex jumpsuit with alien-like choreography.
Doja Cat also begins teasing her third album, which she reveals is named Planet Her.
April 9, 2021
Doja Cat releases the first single off Planet Her called “Kiss Me More (ft. SZA),” which officially becomes the song of the summer, reaching No.5 on the Billboard Hot 100.
May 2021
Doja Cat wins Top Female R&B Artist at the 2021 Billboard Music Awards, performing “Kiss Me More” with SZA.
June 11, 2021
The second single off Planet Her, “Need to Know,” is released along with a music video. The video showed a new side to Doja Cat as she totally embodied the themes of femininity, sexuality and sensuality as she sported an alien look again, even including special guests such as Grimes.
Hours before its release, the singer takes to social media to reveal the album art and tracklist for Planet Her.
June 25, 2021
Planet Her is finally available to stream, with major features on the album such as Ariana Grande on “I Don’t Do Drugs” and The Weeknd on “You Right.” It received rave reviews and transcended genres, as Doja Cat included pop ballads along with spunky rap verses.
Sept. 15, 2021
Doja Cat hosts her first award show, that being the MTV Video Music Awards. During the show, she also performed “Been Like This” and “You Right” off of Planet Her, trapezing through the air.
Nov. 23, 2021
Planet Her receives 11 Grammy nominations, including the top prize of Album of the Year. The singer is also nominated in other categories such as Record of the Year and Song of the Year.
March 31, 2022
After admitting to being extremely overworked, along with receiving constant harassment from fans, Doja Cat announces she will be quitting music after her summer tour with The Weeknd. To many fans' disappointment, she continues to adamantly stick to her statement.
April 3, 2022
Doja Cat wins her first Grammy award for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for her hit song “Kiss Me More (ft. SZA).” Rushing to the stage after they announced her win mid-bathroom break, the rapper was overjoyed and even shed a few tears over the award.
April 17, 2022
As one of her final major music festival performances, Doja Cat wows the crowd at the first weekend of Coachella, playing a mix of songs from her past three albums.
