Remember when Doja Cat notoriously tweeted that she was quitting music at the height of her career last year? Or when she lost over 300,000 followers on social media after starting a war of insults toward her fans? Most music fans can recall both of these instances, causing the singer’s album rollout for her fourth studio album “Scarlet” to be her weirdest one yet.
While Doja Cat clearly has a way with words outside of music, the singer also has completely transformed her sound on her new record, ditching the pop-iness of her previous works such as “Planet Her” and “Hot Pink” for ‘90s-inspired rapping and production. Yet, one cannot be mad about this, as “Scarlet” has the potential to be one of the best rap albums from this year for its range and quality.
With a few singles dropping ahead of its release such as “Attention,” “Paint The Town Red,” “Demons” and “Balut,” it’s clear that Doja Cat is resorting to honesty rather than a polished sound. For example, “Attention” and “Demons” both address the absurdities of fame, with the singer calling out the ways in which the public eye only wants to see artists fail, especially for someone as controversial as her. These tracks in particular set up a great foundation for the rest of the album, preparing the singer to take down her critics.
This album also has so much confidence and swagger embedded throughout, evident on tracks such as “Wet Vagina” and “F--- The Girls (FTG),” where Doja Cat raps about her success and taking pride in her individuality. The first track feels like a club beat, using autotune and imitating the flashes of cameras for the rapper to belt lines such as, “You can have a trophy, I no longer need those.”
Meanwhile, the latter track has two interpretations. One could be that the world still views women, especially female performers, as oversexualized and overrated — a result of sexist societal norms. The other could be how women are only set up to tear other women down, which Doja Cat addresses as she says, “Girls don’t let girls live, but that ain’t killin’ me.” Overall, it’s one of the standouts of this record because of how these sentiments still hold true in our current society, layered behind a warping bassline.
While Doja Cat sets out to destroy her haters on the album, she also seems to be enthralled with sex -- not a surprise for fans with past songs such as “Need to Know” and “Cyber Sex.” With many rumors around her current relationship with J. Cyrus, an online personality who has many allegations against him for manipulating and emotionally abusing his Twitch team, the tracks that clearly mention him are almost eerie.
However, they do have the potential to be some of the singer’s best songs, including the immediate fan-favorite “Agora Hills.” Using a new style of rapping, which sounds like Doja Cat is imitating a valley girl, she raps about being in love and crushing hard on someone as if she were a teenager again. The music video also is just as iconic, referencing the '90s again with its costume design and pre-iPhone technology.
“Can’t Wait” and “Often” also see Doja Cat talk about her love life, becoming more vulnerable as the persona she puts on for the public changes when she’s with her lover. Maybe it’s a rare glimpse into the singer’s serious side – which is hard to decipher when she’s constantly tweeting absurdities and referencing old Vine videos in other songs on the album – or a way for her to justify the relationship she’s currently in.
Although arguably the most important track on this record is the finale, “WYM Freestyle.” A total diss track, Doja Cat ends on this statement: stay in your lane. With lines like “F--- up all them other albums on repeat (F--- ‘em, f--- ‘em) / F--- what y’all been sayin,’ ‘I ain’t for the streets’ (Okay)” and “Got my body done, but look who’s really sittin’ now / B----, you must be kidding (Must be kidding),” the singer releases all her inner tension and anger, perfectly encapsulating her dislike towards the music industry and the commentary circling around her career.
Overall, “Scarlet” by Doja Cat is new, innovative and a total 180 from her previous works, proof that the singer is finally creating music that reflects her views on society, pop culture and fame. Even if the singer is not the most professional at times, she is ahead of the trends, making music that actually is carefully crafted and mixed, not aiming to make radio hits anymore.
Rating: 5/5
