Rating: 3/5
On her latest LP, Doja Cat has found herself at an artistic crossroads.
From the status of an internet meme with her track “Mooo!” to becoming one of the most listened-to artists in the world, Doja Cat has had all eyes on her with every release. Her single “Say So” became a massive super-hit over the span of multiple years.
The success Doja achieved with her first record Hot Pink would transition seamlessly into the release of her follow-up titled Planet Her with hit singles “Woman” and “Kiss Me More ft. SZA.” With the album, she became a global chart-topper and an inspiring figure for women in the field of rap music. After the glamorous and divinely feminine era of Planet Her, Doja began to craft a new image for herself.
Her presence on social media became increasingly provocative, embracing a style that generated controversy among her fans. Amid this artistic metamorphosis, Doja released the single “Attention,” a hip-hop inspired track with an enigmatic, sinister aura. As a single, the track works perfectly in her favour. Doja knows what she is doing, she knows how she is viewed in the public eye, and she is fuelled by the attention she has attracted.
Despite Doja’s attempt to distance herself from her previous work, Scarlet has several tracks that could easily fit into her older eras. The album’s opening track “Paint The Town Red” has a less edgy sound than “Attention,” drawing more inspiration from the chill-hop style of her previous releases. It’s one of the album’s stronger moments, even if it suffers from a generally repetitive beat. The chill atmosphere is pleasant, but it feels strikingly similar to her older work, which Doja herself dubbed “cash grabs” in a tweet.
The following track is the single “Demons,” which was released with a music video starring Christina Ricci. Doja’s commanding presence is the most noteworthy aspect of the track; it’s clear she is giving the performance her all. The instrumentation leaves much to be desired, however. The entire track features the same fuzzy-sounding sampled beat that hardly demands the listener to give it the attention it wants.
Thematically, it seems to cover the same ground as the previous track: Doja’s relation to fame and controversy. The lyrics hardly delve into this from a personal lens though, making the track come off as generic. The lack of interesting production choices leads this to be one of the biggest missed opportunities to create an anthem of a song that would surely become a Halloween classic.
Doja’s attempt to set the Scarlet era apart from her previous work continues to fail on the album’s deep cuts. Musically, tracks like “Go Off,” “Shutcho,” “Agora Hills” and others could be sandwiched between tracks on her albums Planet Her and Hot Pink. The tracks themselves are not unlistenable, but they leave a lot to be desired and appear as missed potential. Thus, there is not much differentiation on Scarlet as both an album and an era other than Doja’s messy image and attitude.
A major pitfall of Scarlet is the fact that it is built on Doja’s tendency to poke the bear. Between controversy and her generally rude behaviour towards her fans, many of the messages Scarlet seeks to get across appear self-absorbed, narcissistic and generally unlikeable.
The album concludes with “Balut,” rounding off the album’s second, more interesting half. The track features a downtempo instrumental reminiscent of the ‘90s trip-hop group Massive Attack. Doja coos over verses that address her ability to create hit after hit. She’s committed to the hustle and has the algorithm figured out, to the point where “it’s like taking candy from a baby.”
For a very middle of the road album, “Balut” ends the project on solid note, though it serves as a reminder of what Scarlet could have been had bolder musical choices and a fleshed-out narrative been made.
Scarlet peels back the curtain of potential for Doja. She’s one of the most popular artists in her game and has opportunities to excel towards improvement, but with this album, she’s created another speed bump for herself. Of course, all the negative reviews will hardly touch Doja, and she has made that abundantly clear, but with this stubbornness she prevents the prospect of artistic growth from reaching her.
Much like its cover artwork, Scarlet can be likened to a spider. It takes many twists and turns in the process of weaving its web, but the result lacks precision in its design, preventing it from catching the prey it wants and leaving behind a mess.