Ever since Doja Cat’s viral hit, “MOO!” she’s been an artist to watch. The catchy, parodical song is about cows – that’s about it. “Bitch I’m a cow/Bitch I’m a cow/I’m not a cat/ I don’t say meow,” she sings in the chorus of the song. After the song was posted on YouTube with a makeshift iMovie-esque music video, it quickly amassed 3.4 million views within a week and half of it being posted. Following her rise to fame, she then released a deluxe version of her debut album, “Amala,” including “MOO!,” the Rico Nasty assisted “Tia and Tamera,” and “Juicy.” These songs give us a taste of Doja’s talent and what to expect on her new album, “Hot Pink,” which was released on November 7.
One of the reasons why Doja Cat has been admired by listeners is because of her versatility and she shows it off on this album. Here are the five best songs off of Doja’s new album:
“Addiction”
This isn’t Doja’s first time dipping her paws into the pop music genre. Her debut album, “Amala,” features two high-energy songs – “Game” and “Down Low.” The tracks weren’t exactly standouts because of its overly clublike presence, but she tones down the EDM feel on her pop songs and refines it to a sound that fits her artistry. On “Addiction,” Doja describes her unshakable feelings for a man telling him that he is all she needs. “I am addicted, a little/Under the influence, a little/And it makes me want to dance, a little/An itch I just can’t scratch, addiction,” she sings on the chorus. We get to see her vocal range as she sings in a register than we are used to hearing from her.
“Won’t Bite” featuring Smino
What makes this song stand out from the rest is Doja and Smino’s wordplay. Another reason why people love Doja is her use of double entendres, but Smino is able to keep up the pace with her on this. He raps, “Keep a ghetto freak, but she lightin’ sage/Natural hair poppin’, don’t ever get it twisted/She at your scalp for the fame.” Before this song, the last time someone kept up with her style of rapping was Rico Nasty.
“Bottom Bitch”
Doja lets her rock-inspired side shine on this track. The rock mixed with rap trend has become more apparent in the genre with Rico Nasty and now Doja. This guitar-heavy track gives an angsty, 90s grunge feel – due in part by the Blink182 sample on the song – overlaid with modern production. One of the song’s low points is the lyrics. After listening to it more than once, it’s hard to make out the meaning. A contributor on Genius’s lyrics page said, “The term “bottom bitch” is slang in pimping culture – as stated in other annotations in this song – and implies that this girl is the one Doja trusts the most and has been with the longest. It might also refer to her girl being her sexual submissive, but given the emphasis on pimp jargon, the first meaning is the most salient.”
“Cyber Sex”
This song is the epitome of the Doja Cat we know and love. Lyrics chock full of eroticism and humor mixed with a confident cadence and delivery are all of the aspects you don’t find in many artists, you can have some parts but not others. With Doja, you have it all. Her colorful personality translates into her quirky quips take her music from being good to great. “Swipe right ’cause he thick and he handsome/Love a sneak peek/when you free? Can we cam up?/No shot to the screen, put your hands up/Make it pop in your face like a Samsung,” alluding to the defect in some Samsung phones that caused some to catch on fire and even explode.
“Rules”
The Los Angeles rapper has been getting a lot of comparisons to Compton rapper, Kendrick Lamar. She delivers her second verse with a swift quickness similar to Lamar, which is understandable, and with this verse, she earns her own spot that needs no comparison when it comes to skillful rappers. In the second verse, she raps, “Bad yellow bitch with her eye on the prize/But n****, I ain’t no minion /Millions, thousands, billions/Bobs on me like Dylan, blondes on me like Hilton/Wendys on me like Williams, shouting, digging.” This part of her verse proves to nay-sayers that she makes more than just viral, “meme music,” and she can actually spit some meaningful bars.
Moises is a full-time freelance writer based in New York City. He graduated from the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY. He reports mainly on arts and culture.