Doja Cat Drops Fourth Studio Album ‘Scarlet’ [Play or Pass]

The Scarlet era of Doja Cat is officially here. Doja’s look may be a bit different from what first caught the attention of thousands of fans, but the flow and originality of the 27-year-old artist remain supreme. Scarlet is the fourth studio album from Doja; previous albums include Planet Her (2021), Hot Pink (2019), and Amala (2019). For the first time, Doja completed a body of work with no features on the anticipated 17-track album.

Doja Cat slowly rose in the industry dating back to 2013 when she began uploading music to Soundcloud but didn’t make waves until her debut single “So High” in 2014. Her viral hit “Mooo!” in 2018 officially put her on the fast track to fame. Doja’s charismatic flow and unique persona are evident in everything she does and will be showcased in a major way this fall. Gearing up for her first headline tour kicking off October 31st; The Scarlet Tour starts in San Francisco and hits other cities like Houston, Atlanta, Brooklyn, and Chicago.

I’ve been a fan of Doja Cat for a few years now and I’m always excited to get new music from her. Here’s my breakdown of each track from my FIRST listen of Scarlet letting you know if you should PLAY or PASS.

1. Paint The Town Red
Doja opens her fourth studio album with “Paint the Town Red,” the second single released from Scarlet which features a sample of Dionne Warwick’s “Walk On By.” I’m a sucker for a sampled track so I was already invested in this song before Doja even started her first verse. On the track, Doja is clapping back on all the negative things people have been saying about her online and insists she will continue to go harder. PLAY

2. Demons
The third single from Scarlet was “Demons” with Doja running with this demonic theme in her visuals. The lyrist once again expertly addresses negative feedback, but I will say when I first heard this track I wasn’t feeling it. The heavy bass and Doja’s equally bold chant during the chorus would make for a great concert track and maybe hearing the song live will change how I feel about it, but for now, it’s a no. PASS

3. Wet Vagina
One thing I’m always going to love about Doja is her pen. If you listen to her lyrics she’s always saying something very catchy and will make you want to listen to the tracks again and again to catch everything she said. In “Wet Vagina” Doja is boasting about the presence she brings to the industry in a way only she can. The 808 is making this song tolerable. PLAY

4. F*ck The Girls (FTG)
Again I like the lyrics, but I can’t get down with the track as a whole… yet. I did find myself vibing to the chorus. On the track, Doja is addressing fake females who ride her coat tail. I had to run this song back about three times in a row because there’s something about it that I can’t quite put my finger on yet. but Doja is reminding listeners she is IN the rap game. PLAY

5. Ouchies
We got London on the track and that’s about it. Doja is going round for round with the rap girlies on “Ouchies” and she’s putting up one hell of a fight with her lyrics. The style of the song is giving mid-90s rap and I do love that era, but this song isn’t sticking. PASS

6. 97
With the backdrop of the first mellow beat on the album, “97” mixes Doja’s signature vocals with her composed flow. In the chorus, Doja swoons “looks like we don’t get a shit” and then professes she doesn’t. That is how I feel about this song. It’s so mellow that it almost put me to sleep and could easily be a forgettable track. PASS

7. Gun
Doja is in her Rap/R&B bag and this is my favorite Doja. Who needs a feature when you can devour both elements of a song. Love the beat and how Doja raps about sex so cleverly. She could be saying something vulgar but the metaphors keep it cute. My favorite song off the album so far. PLAY

8. Go Off
An anthem for the independent baddies. “Go Off” is a track for the girls who are chasing their dreams and their bag and don’t have time for anything or anyone who can’t fall in line with that. “Lil’ mama, go off,” Doja sings on the track while sliding on the thumping beat. PLAY

9. Shutcho
Such a waste of 10cc’s “I’m Not In Love” sample. When I heard that at the top of “Shutcho,” I got so excited, and if that melody wasn’t drowned by this heavy ass bass this song could have easily been a favorite of mine. Doja is basically talking about getting money while the haters continue to talk and remain broke. PASS

10. Agora Hills
I’ve said plenty of times in this article that I’m a sample sucker. Troop’s “All I Do Is Think of You” is sampled on “Agora Hills” and it’s an automatic play for me. Doja is in love on the track rapping about all the things she wants to do to this alleged man. It’s a song for the sweethearts and it’s impressive how Doja can manipulate her voice to sound like it’s different people on the song. It’s Amala featuring Doja featuring Scarlet. PLAY

11. Can’t Wait
Back to the rap vibe, Doja can’t wait to get next to her man and the flow is nice but I couldn’t wait for this song to come off. I’m going to leave it short and sweet like that. PASS

12. Often
“Often” is very reminiscent of old-school Erykah Badu. It’s almost as if Badu is transported into Doja on the track to deliver a mellow song about being mesmerized by her lover. It’s a vibe. PLAY

13. Love Life
Back on her Rap shit, Doja is doing a compelling job providing a well-mixed album of tracks that are just her flowing, tracks where she’s experimenting with her range, and tracks R&B influenced. “Love Life” has all those. Doja is grateful for all the ups and downs in life and spits about it.  It’s a track worth a listen. PLAY

14. Skull and Bones
Doja didn’t sell out, or sell her soul to the devil, contrary to what many believe and she talks about it in “Skull and Bones.” Doja clearly takes influence from whatever is said about her and puts it in her art. Love the message of the song but not a fan. PASS

15. Attention
Doja dropped this first single from Scarlet back in June. She’s back on the scene and demands attention. The hypnotizing, zen chorus draws you in and the hard flow of the verses was a great introduction to Doja’s new era and it’s placed perfectly on the album. “Attention” remains a top track. PLAY

16. Balut
Listening to “Balut” after “Attention” is transcendent. It would have been better if that voiceover wasn’t used at the beginning of “Balut” though. By definition, balut is a fertilized developing egg embryo that is boiled or steamed and eaten from the shell. Interesting to title a song that and I’m not sure I see the correlation, but it’s a good track to almost close out the album. PLAY

17. WYM Freestyle
The first thing that came to mind is how misplaced this track feels in regard to album placement. “WYM Freestyle” would have flowed better after or before “Demons.” It almost sounds similar to “Demons” with the heavy beat and would play well in a concert setting, but on an everyday listen, no. PASS

Overall, Scarlet is a solid body of work from Doja Cat. She’s remaining true to what made her a star while playing with new sounds. My top 5 tracks for Scarlet would be “Gun,” “Agora Hills,” “Attention,” “Paint The Town Red” and F*ck The Girls (FTG).

Scarlet is available now for digital download and where you stream your favorite artists. Have you listened to Doja Cat’s new album Scarlet yet? What are your favorite tracks? Share your thoughts in the comments.

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