Over the past decade, Doja Cat has advantageously employed the limelight to create a lovable and light-hearted persona, easing her way into fans’ minds and hearts. With simple yet unforgettable lyricism, distinct, spirited production, and an infectious affinity for playfulness, Doja Cat escalated to great heights in her music career, capturing devoted and passionate fans along the way. Her vibrant, flirtatious character was so fascinating to audiences that it had practically absolved her from all prior defamations and attempts at cancellation: racism in her early works and in the online space, public outbursts at celebrities and fans alike, and a generally unapologetic attitude towards her past. The vast majority of her audience was ready to forgive and forget at the drop of a new single, knowing that the latest trending song she released would inevitably be irresistible. With this power, however, came a darker underbelly.
In the later months of 2023, Doja Cat transformed her bubbly online personality into something of a satanic monstrosity. Starting by shaving her head and eyebrows, fans expressed concern as she tugged at the strings of mental health, stating she was looking for control in her career. Tired of being an industry puppet and facing constant criticism in every avenue, she was nearly pushed to the brink of leaving music forever. Her hunger to break ties with the character she upheld eventually reached a pinnacle, leading to her sudden, jarring changes in appearance.
Demonic imagery painted her page, establishing a new satanic aesthetic that was the complete antithesis of her previously bright image. Contrasting greatly from the protective and defensive stance fans took for her prior controversies, a premature post-mortem for Doja Cat began without hesitation. With a simple shoulder shrug, audiences chalked up her new, crazed state to a side-effect of fame, and longed for what once was. They missed their favorite SoundCloud veteran, the up-and-coming singer and rapper with a sharp ear for R&B melodies, and of course, the silly internet meme they could laugh with. Her humor contributed greatly to the allure of her persona, giving people another glimpse into the normal-person-turned-popstar pipeline in an unconventional yet endearing way. Her 2018 novelty hit “Mooo!” especially characterized her as a goofball, enamoring fans, while showcasing her ability to work in tandem with punctuated lyrics and a whimsical yet hypnotic track.
Using this momentum, Doja Cat’s electric debut studio album, Amala, established her signature sound in a very public way. Alternating between raunchy tracks like “Wine Pon You” and “Candy,” impishly playful songs like “Go To Town,” and punchy tracks like “Tia Tamera,” she was consistently dynamic and devoted to crafting an original, mesmerizing sound on the album. This momentum only snowballed further the following year when she released her sophom*ore album Hot Pink. Recreating the same balance of fresh, flirtatious, and fun music, her already well-known releases amassed viral success. With Tiktok in its prime over the 2020 quarantine, several Doja Cat’s songs were swallowed by the platform and spit out as trends, taking the form of lip syncs, dances, comedy bits, or thirst traps. Soon, no one could stop talking about her music; it was nearly impossible for OG fans to gatekeep her talent any longer as she was swept fervently into the mainstream. She quickly reigned as a champion in each genre she dipped her toe in, creating a greater amalgamation of those genres as she went. She collaborated with artists across pop, rap, and R&B, introducing herself to the smallest minority of people that didn’t already recognize her music.
Undeniable talent paired with a delightful, magnetic personality, particularly following the release of her third album, Planet Her, captivated pretty much anyone that crossed her path. Her creative vision for the album and in her music videos was radiant, with a slight tone of mischief. Her chemistry with her features — namely SZA, The Weeknd, Saweetie, and Megan Thee Stallion — was easily observed by viewers and portrayed eye-catching, memorable narratives related to the song’s lyrics. Regardless of the nature of the song, neither the videos nor the performances took on an intense feeling of severity. Even when her songs took on darker or more painful subject matter, Doja Cat always had a way of making it both enjoyable and relatable in a way that was entirely her own.
Understandably so, many years of rigorously maintaining the same character and caliber of work with no room to expand, grow, or explore novel concepts made her sinister social media appearances almost inevitable. While she emerged as fresh as a rose from the concrete, many were shocked at the inconceivable number of thorns, and were ultimately scared away. She made an effort to maintain a “meme-like” approach to her social media content, but disdained the aesthetic she’d perfected, again claiming that industry motives had always dictated her self-portrayal. The claim may have merit, but her indisputable charm and personality that came alongside the music seemed anything but industry manufactured. In fact, for many, it was that genuine, fun-loving behavior that was a leading factor of her growth.
Still, perhaps it was a necessary break from being the beloved pop star, a role that undeniably harbors enormous pressure, and one that requires too many hands on an artist’s creativity. Her virality at times seemed to misconstrue the essence of her music, squeezing her into a “perfect package” of palatable, republishable, trendy nonsense. Her original works were constantly appropriated into soundbytes, taking away the value of the cohesive narratives she was creating. Combined with being social media’s favorite object of scorn, it was clear that the only way to release herself was a carefully calculated change into an entirely new entity.
Doja Cat’s Instagram showcased handmade paintings of demonic figures, a sculpture of herself covered in blood, tattoos with cryptic messaging and animal skeletons, and digitally-morphed photos of her face turned into an alien-like creature. It wasn’t quite the bubble-gum princess aesthetic adopted by “Kiss Me More,” and was certainly not welcomed as such. With no releases in two years and a startling amount of shock value, people began speculating that the sudden tone shift was a ploy for attention.
Aggressively grabbing this sentiment by the throat, Doja Cat released a single, justly titled “Attention,” alluding to her struggles; her lyricism depicted her frustration in not being able to clearly articulate who she is, and that her efforts are often discredited and made fun of. The content of the song was incredibly compelling, showing maturity and self-awareness not present on social media. In fact, her social media undoubtedly alienates the same content creators that only celebrate the Doja Cat marketed to the masses, and draws in those who are willing to discover what more she has to offer.
Her strategy has played a vital role in the successful release of her newest album, Scarlet, where she shows incredible range in composition, lyricism, and style. Her true versatility shines through each track, showing great intention and deliberation for the narrative she wants to deliver. She fools around with the same joking tone from Amala but swirls it with a darker, harsher production and delivery that parallels the darkness in her media bursts. She dexterously weaves in the same qualities of her prior music with a newfound sophistication, drawing from her lived experience and inner turmoil to show the urgency of her decisions.
Doja Cat’s personality shift demands to be recognized in her album, and is a masterclass in the art of surprise. Now, for the first time, it’s no longer up to the collective to decide on the merit of her music; it’s the individual that gets to buy in. Undertaking such a monumental change could have landed her in a world of hurt and disrespect, but her skillful maneuvers and love for sour taste was plenty to send her on her way to being completely invincible.
