Scarlet / Doja Cat / October 6, 2023
- Joshua Yoo
- Nov 10, 2023
- 1 min read
Updated: Jan 29, 2024
Far from the days of her industry-friendly pristine image as an emerging pop star, Doja Cat has pursued a transformation that repels a lot of the expectations, pressure, and conversation around her identity, for good reason. ‘Scarlet’ carries out the musical component of this transformation, channeling a lot of the fire and intensity of her lyricism into a much broader range of sounds than ever before, but perhaps lacking the musical punch to serve its messaging justice.
The introduction tracks set a strong and excitingly different tone to the album, clearly putting the distance between her pop-R&B sensibilities with cuts like “Demons” and “Wet Vagina” bringing a new distorted, abrasive brand of rap for her. These and other tracks that feature more of her focused rapping make for some of the most well-written and memorable moments on ‘Scarlet’, whether it’s the anti-anthem “F**k The Girls (FTG)” that deftly criticizes the industry’s misogynistic practices, or the gorgeously arranged groove and verses on “Attention”, easily one of the most impressive songs of her entire catalogue.
At 17 songs and an almost hour length, the album doesn’t always justify its scope, especially with the calmer and more melodic cuts often lacking the songwriting focus or production to remain as engaging. It paints the lead singles in a brighter light, but leaves the entire listening experience with noticeable gaps.
Nonetheless ‘Scarlet’ stands out as her most diverse album to date, as it’s always refreshing to hear an artist making music honest to herself.
Highlight(s): Attention, Skull & Bones, Paint The Town Red, F**k The Girls (FTG), Wet Vagina
Lowlight(s): Go Off, Often, Gun, Shutcho
Comments