Doja Cat’s latest album is determined, bold and inspiring, making it a fun listen. She celebrates small joys—friendship, her mom’s macaroni and cheese—and shows off her lyrical skills. However, while “Scarlet” solidifies Doja’s skills as a rapper, the message sometimes falls short.
“Scarlet”, released in September. 22 is filled with her trademarks: intriguing improvisations, playful lyrics and moments of softness that make it clear how happy Doja is now. The first track, “Paint the Town Red,” sets the tone with playful, devilish imagery and a Dionne Warwick sample. The song prepares the listener for a kind of resurrection – “I will shine once again / Believe me, I have a magical foresight” – Doja is ready to play by her own rules and show the world what she can do through rap.
Several other songs on the album also reflect this message, such as “Fuck the Girls (FTG)” and “Skull and Bones.” Even the final song, “WYM Freestyle,” ends the album on that same note, enhanced by its shifting vocal inflections and rich beats.
While I enjoyed the smoother vibe of the second half of Scarlet, some of the songs felt unnecessary. Of the album’s back half, only “Agora Hills” and “Can’t Wait” memorably tempered the album’s aggression with something softer. “Agora Hills” appeals to her romantic, vulnerable side: “Baby, can you call me back? I miss you / It’s so lonely in my mansion.” The second half of the album can be a refuge for those who like Doja’s gentler side, especially if the first half was too harsh for them. While the album was meant to showcase the rapper’s range, some tracks don’t live up to that promise.
As a fan of Doja, I was intrigued by the idea of Scarlet, but the execution was a bit disappointing. The album could have struck a balance between frustration, love and personal reinvention, but the tracks’ delivery of these messages often faltered. It didn’t sound nearly as different as Doja Cat promised. Some songs, including “Agora Hills,” sound like they could be from her 2021 release “Planet Her.”
That’s not necessarily a bad thing – “Planet Her” combines elements of pop and rap from a variety of artists without losing its ethereal sound. However, given the amount of hype and controversy she generated around her complete change of style, the similarity of the tracks on “Scarlet” undermined her credibility.
I first encountered Doja Cat’s music in 2018 when she released her first studio album, Amala. His seductive and fun lyricism made me quickly become a fan. Tracks like “Go to Town” and “Body Language” marked her arrival on the R&B scene as an artist with sassy lyrics and a playfully sexualized approach. She was quirky, confident and laid-back and it showed in the music.
It came as a complete shock to fans when Doja Cat recently fired her past discography is like extortion of money. Next years of criticism On her rapping skills and TikTok’s version of songs like “Kiss Me More” and “Say So,” the artist insisted her next release would be completely different. Doja vowed to release the demons she claimed were suppressed by the expectations of mainstream music.
Doja Cat is of course incredibly talented, and overall I loved the album – I wouldn’t be surprised if “Gun” and “WYM Freestyle” showed up on my next Spotify Wrapped. With that said, I hope her future releases truly live up to the promise of exploring the depths of her demonic side and shock us all.
While Doja has built a reputation for being outspoken, bashing past projects and the audiences that supported them was a step too far for some fans. On the one hand, she wouldn’t be where she is today if it weren’t for the fans of her previous albums. On the other hand, feeling trapped by expectations is understandable.
Doja Cat has the right to explore new styles in her music, no matter what backlash she may face. However, “Scarlet” was not the departure from pop music that it promised.
Contact Sophia Anderson at (email protected).