Rose Hitchens
After finding success through viral Tik-Tok hits such as Say So and Streets, Doja Cat is back with her third album ‘Planet Her’. Enlisting a shrew of celebrity collaborations, including The Weeknd and Ariana Grande, the album demonstrates Doja Cat’s ability to continue to produce versatile and unmissable pop anthems.
If you’ve been on any form of social media in the past year, the chances are you already know who Doja Cat is. The singer and rapper rapidly rose to fame seemingly out of nowhere, after her sleeper-hit Say So gained success on Tik-Tok during late-2019. Over a year later, the song became the fifth-most used song on the app in 2020. This was no one-hit wonder for the star, multiple tracks such as Streets and Boss B*tch continued to gain viral popularity throughout 2020. At this point, scrolling through Tik-Tok without hearing a Doja Cat song is almost an impossible task.
Now, the self-proclaimed ”e-girl” has released her out of this world third album ‘Planet Her.’ Set in Doja Cat’s own fictional universe of the same name, the record combines sexy, Barbarella-esque sci-fi visuals with a kaleidoscope of genres, including Afrobeat, hyperpop, R&B, and house.
Naked and Payday featuring Young Thug show the singer’s continually unapologetic and open exploration of her own sexual pleasure
Opening with Woman, the album starts off with a song dedicated to female divinity and sexual empowerment. Set to a heavy Afro-beat, the track introduces us to the universe of ‘Planet Her’ where women are in charge of their own sexuality. “They want to pit us against each other when we succeed”, the opening track boasts in support of female empowerment. The following two tracks Naked and Payday featuring Young Thug show the singer’s continually unapologetic and open exploration of her own sexual pleasure.
Some of the strongest tracks on ‘Planet Her’ result from Doja Cat’s collaborations with artists such as SZA, Ariana Grande, and The Weeknd. Many people will already be familiar with Kiss Me More featuring SZA, which quickly became a viral hit upon its release in March 2020. Sampling Olivia Newton John’s 1981 hit Physical in its chorus, the song combines disco and bubblegum-pop with an R&B twist as Doja Cat and SZA effortlessly switch between light, seductive vocals and hard-hitting rap.
I Don’t Do Drugs featuring Ariana Grande was one of the most highly anticipated tracks of the album, and it does not disappoint. Both artists previously collaborated with one another on the remix of Grande’s track 34+35 earlier this year. Breathy, sugary-sweet vocals are front and centre from both singers on the track. You Right featuring The Weeknd is equally as memorable. Similarly, to I Don’t Do Drugs, The Weeknd’s velvety vocals in the hook find a way to compliment Doja Cat’s silky-smooth chorus.
Soft, yet potent vocals continue onto the next track Love to Dream, proving to fans and critics alike that not only can Doja Cat rap, but her vocals are surprisingly impressive as well. The album slows down slightly with Been Like This, which is reminiscent of the artist’s earlier tracks such as Streets and Candy with its sultry, sexy, soft vocals. The tempo picks back up with Options featuring JID, Ain’t Shit, and Imagine, which demonstrates the duality of the singer’s vocal and song writing ability.
The mid-tempo R&B beats, while catchy, are hard to distinguish from one another, leading to these tracks becoming forgettable
Admittedly, the album has some repetitive moments. While Alone sets the mood with a sultry 90s slow-jam type-beat, it is arguably reminiscent to previous tracks on the album, such as Love to Dream and Been Like This. The mid-tempo R&B beats, while catchy, are hard to distinguish from one another, leading to these tracks becoming forgettable. Still, these tracks are hardly boring, and are a welcomed tempo change against the hard-hitting rap lyrics and R&B instrumentals which permeate the rest of the album.
Despite slights lulls and repetitions, ‘Planet Her’ can be classed as an essential album for 2021. Sci-fi inspired visuals come together in harmony with a continually strong vocal performance, mid-tempo R&B beats, and flirtatiously raunchy lyrics to create the perfect planet for pop’s newest princess.
Rose Hitchens
Featured image courtesy of LavishRuby via Wikimedia. Image license found here. No changes made to this image.
In-article images courtesy of @dojacat via instagram.com. No changes made to these images.
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