Pop music’s Swiss army knife checks off every box on latest album.
Doja Cat has been refining every element of her skillset as a musician since she first rose to prominence. Her rapping, singing, songwriting and creativity have always been exceptional, and her continuously topping the charts is evidence of that.
Her 2019 album Hot Pink, with hits “Say So” and “Juicy,” served as a breakthrough for her into commercial recognition and success. The album proved she is one of pop music’s best at crafting innovative, catchy hooks. But, her ability to incorporate elements of hip-hop and R&B while keeping the same standard of quality is what was most impressive.
Now, a little less than two years later, Doja Cat is back, continuing to elevate her game. She released her third studio album Planet Her last week, Friday June 25. World class popstars like Ariana Grande and The Weeknd and some of hip-hop’s most talented in Young Thug and JID join Doja on the tracklist, along with R&B queen SZA at the end of the album with her and Doja’s smash hit “Kiss Me More.”
Planet Her consists of 14 unique tracks that keep the listener on the edge of their seat to hear what Doja will pull off next. The sassy album has the total package of several impressive vocal performances on hooks while complementing her feature guests flawlessly, and rapping her ass off when she elects to.
Songs like “I Don’t Do Drugs (feat. Ariana Grande),” “Ain’t Shit,” “You Right” with The Weeknd and “Imagine” all showcase Doja’s elegance on the choruses. Her harmonizing has never been better as she uses multiple layers of vocals to pull off thrilling, addicting hooks such as:
You know you got me fucked up
Got me on stuck, chasin’ that rush
Had to give in, couldn’t give up
I just want you, but I don’t do drugs
Still I want you, ooh-ooh (All I want is my baby)
Ooh, ooh-ooh (All I want is my baby)
Ooh, ooh-ooh (All I want is my baby)
Ooh (My baby, my baby)
“I Don’t Do Drugs (featuring Ariana Grande)” — Doja Cat
Doja’s versatility takes another grand step on songs like “Options (feat. JID)” and “Payday (feat. Young Thug)” where she sets up her rapper counterparts with several distinctive vocal inflections, changing pitch with ease. She has always had a cute, whispery singing voice at her disposal, and transitions from it to soothing melody to confident rapping in a matter of seconds on “Payday.”
I just can’t believe
I got what I wanted all my life, now we go
Oh-yeah, yeah, yeah
Getting paid e’e’yday, yeah
Said, everything that I want (Yeah)
I don’t need it, I got it already
Tell me what you want, uh
Point to it, I got you baby, get it, uh
I just keep drippin’ like a fuckin’ mermaid, yeah
And drop a band to keep the smile on that face, yeah
“Payday (featuring Young Thug) — Doja Cat
Doja puts it all together on the arguably the album’s best track “Get Into It (Yuh).” Sandwiching her slick-tongued rapped verses is a hook that utilizes background “get into it, yuh” vocals to perfection. The song truly feels like its Doja Cat featuring Doja Cat and Doja Cat. Her vocal inflections, confident rapping, harmonious singing and infectious energy are all at their peak on this fourth track of the album.
Two days after its release, Doja Cat added five new tracks with two new features in Eve and Gunna as a deluxe to add even more highlights to the record. Planet Her is expected to debut at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 chart with around 110,000 sales, a massive jump from her last album peaking at No. 9.
Doja Cat takes her listeners on an excursion through her musical arsenal on Planet Her, with each track feeling like a different planet of her solar system. The diversity of the tracklist, coupled with outright high-quality songwriting makes every track interesting and unique. Nobody is doing like Doja is, continuing to be elite in every aspect she brings to the table.
