Graphic: drawing of doja cat Andrew Mazariegos-Ovalle/The Olaf Messenger
Biting the hand that feeds you and leaving it wanting more seems impossible. However, rap-pop star, Doja Cat, walks this line with her recent project “Scarlet” and its controversial roll-out.
Once loved by the general public for hits like “Kiss Me More” and “Say So,” artist Doja Cat has taken much criticism in the spotlight for the recent controversy surrounding actions such as “dismissing” her fans and calling fan- favorite albums “Planet Her” and “Hot Pink,” as ‘cash grabs.’ Marking a new direction in her career, hyped up to be one of authenticity and the solidification of Doja’s status as a rapper, “Scarlet” was projected to be an album for the books in terms of Doja’s legacy.
“Scarlet” begins with “Paint The Town Red” and “Demons,” two of the album’s lead singles that address Doja’s newfound confidence regarding her place in the public eye. With “Paint the Town Red,” this is apparent in popular lyrics of the song such as, “B***h, I said what I said, I’d rather be famous instead,” which is seemingly related to her controversy around the concept of worship from fans and her distaste of it, a concept also explored in other projects such as Phoebe Bridger’s “Punisher.” However, Doja addresses this in a way that states that she doesn’t care about others’ opinions of her. She knows that she is still famous and of high regard, a large theme that is explored in the rest of the album. Much controversy surrounded both singles “Paint The Town Red” and “Demons” due to their seemingly demonic imagery, which began speculation around Doja Cat’s involvement with the music industry’s supposed darker side, such as the Illuminati and the act of “selling one’s soul to the devil.” Similar rumors have followed other artists throughout their careers, including Beyonce, Billie Eilish, and Lil Nas X. The demonic imagery goes along with upbeat, hype music that energetically carries through half of the album with songs such as “Ouchies” and “F**k The Girls (FTG).”
In the latter part of the album, things slow with ballads such as “Attention” and “Balut,” the other two singles off the album. It is in this part of the album that Doja begins to address deeper, rawer topics. In songs such as “Love Life,” Doja shows appreciation for fans with lyrics such as “I love it when my fans speak French, I love it when they like my fits.” It is with these more personal songs that listeners begin to realize that this “Scarlet” figure is moreso a character that Doja is playing, similar to alter egos like that of Nicki Minaj’s “Roman Zolanski” and Megan Thee Stallion’s “Tina Snow.” However, the controversy that surrounded this album cannot be put all on this “Scarlet” alter ego.
In the “Scarlet” rollout, Doja Cat promoted the idea that this album would be a great shift in her career, which would be a way to address some of its controversies. We’ve seen these situations before with pop stars such as Britney Spears or Nicki Minaj. However, many argue that “Scarlet,” in some ways, is very similar to that of Doja Cat’s previous musical history. With accusations that huge, you must be able to back up your claims with influential, unique music. While “Scarlet” doesn’t fall too short of this, Doja Cat is an unreliable narrator in what she promoted this album to be.
