Doja Cat Returns to Spotlight with New Single “Attention”

Doja Cat, the Grammy-winning artist, has made a triumphant return to the music scene with her first new song of 2023, “Attention”. The single was officially released on Friday, June 16, accompanied by a music video that presents an eerie take on fame. The video, directed by Tanu Muino, showcases Doja navigating the streets of Los Angeles, evading fans and people wearing strange flesh-colored masks.

The song begins with Doja commanding, “Look at me, look at me, you lookin'”. The lyrics reveal her decision to redirect her musical focus, as she raps, “My taste good but I just had to redirect my cookin'”. The track is a departure from her pop roots, leaning more towards rap, a shift that Doja had previously hinted at.

In the run-up to the song’s release, Doja had been sharing cryptic tweets, hinting at a theme related to Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The Scarlet Letter”. She had tweeted phrases like “Scarlet was here” and “Scarlet’s watching”, paired with a blood drop emoji. The cover art for the single features a bloody upside-down letter ‘A’, which Doja referred to as a placeholder.

The music video for “Attention” is a surreal journey through fame, featuring Doja in a white tee, jeans, and leather jacket. There are moments where she appears nude and drenched in what seems to be blood, adding to the eerie atmosphere of the video.

“Attention” marks Doja Cat’s first proper solo release of the year, following her appearance on SZA’s “Kill Bill” remix. This new single is a clear indication of Doja’s shift towards a more rap-focused sound, a change she had previously discussed. She has been reconnecting with the music that influenced her as a child, such as Erykah Badu, John Coltrane, and nineties hip-hop, and it seems that her new music will bring some of that inspiration forward.

While the title or release date of her upcoming full-length album is yet to be revealed, fans are eagerly awaiting more music from the artist who brought them the breakthrough LP “Planet Her”. With “Attention”, Doja Cat has certainly commanded the spotlight once again, leaving fans and critics alike eager for what’s to come.