Doja Cat “Scarlet” Album Review

Scarlet

Doja Cat

• Genre: Rap
• Date: 22 Sep, 2023
• Content: explicit
• Track(s): 15
• ℗ 2023 Kemosabe Records/RCA Records

Doja Cat’s fourth album is suitably titled “Scarlet” because it is a more concentrated, saturated form of Doja than earlier records. Throughout the recording of the album, Doja frequently altered the name, going from Hellmouth to Moist Holes to the most recent, First of All. In an interview with Harper’s Bazaar, the title was confirmed to be “Scarlet.”

The seventeen tracks on “Scarlet” don’t all share the same sound or feature any guests. Spitting over a variety of tracks—such as boom-bap beats, old-school beats, humorous beats, dreamy beats, and more—Doja Cat demonstrates her versatility. She alternates between a wide range of rap genres as well, demonstrating what it really sounds like to consistently think beyond the box.

Album Cover Art

After removing the Instagram post with the original artwork, Doja Cat published a revised album cover made by the same artist. This cover is noticeably different from the first one since it features two pearlescent spiders rather than the single red arachnid. Doja claims that the two spiders stand for overcoming your fear and that prior to this album, none of her album covers had any significance.

Tracks and Features

“Paint the Town Red” opens the album by emulating snap and chipmunk soul while “Demons” is an unimpressive no melody trap metal/horrorcore mashup that wonders whether bitches are shaken now that her pockets are on swole. Then, “F.T.G. (Fuck the Girls)” comes through with a trunk-knocking instrumental from Beat Butcha charismatically flashing the middle finger to the hating hoes. “Wet Vagina” takes a roudier approach, comically proclaiming herself to be the queen of drip.

While “Ouchies” is a two-minute riot starter by London on da Track & Sean Momberger, she pops it all off right before “’97” takes a luxurious turn thanks to Jay Versace talking about how it appears as though she honestly doesn’t give a crap about anything. The atmospheric “Go Off” shows off the new materialism such as ice that she had lately purchased before “Gun,” a cloud trap joint that advances the album’s plot. “Gun” also clarifies that she does, in fact, know how to handle a pistol.

While “Agora Hills” merges these hi-hats & chilly synthesizers hitting on the more romantic side of things thematically, “Shutcho” finishes the first half of the LP with a dreamier instrumental calling out individuals who be running their mouths endlessly. While “Often” exudes a funky neo-soul vibe discussing how this guy must do the bullshit he pulls on her fairly frequently, “Can’t Wait” enters a lush boom bap terrain yearning to be near to that important man in his life.

From there, “Love Life” proceeds to make it quite apparent that she enjoys when her life the way it is at the moment. The song “Skull & Bones” attempts to sound spectral while discussing how pressure is the one thing that causes her to buckle. Doja Cat’s commentary on Cardi B and Nicki Minaj’s rivalry on the diss track “Skull & Bones” will probably make the top-of-the-fold news. The song has a relaxed R&B style and a good flow. It does not instantly strike you as a diss track.

“Attention” blends jazzy boom bap with trip hop and neo-soul thanks to Rogét Chahayed, who embraces herself while criticizing those who have despised and rejected her for her change in look in public. “Balut” also draws a little from g-funk and compares it to taking candy from a baby. In the “WYM Freestyle,” which closes the album, she kicks it off the top for a few minutes to the accompaniment of an orchestral loop and hi-hats.

Tracklist

NO	TITLE	TIME
1	Paint The Town Red	3:50
2	Demons	3:15
3	Wet Vagina	3:12
4	F**k The Girls (FTG)	2:32
5	Ouchies	2:02
6	97	2:57
7	Gun	2:56
8	Go Off	3:17
9	Shutcho	3:07
10	Agora Hills	4:25
11	Can’t Wait	3:55
12	Often	3:18
13	Love Life	3:56
14	Skull And Bones	4:08
15	Attention	4:35
16	Balut	3:25
17	WYM Freestyle	2:04

Album Theme

In “Scarlet,” Doja Cat is embracing her inner identity while battling fires and demons of her own making.

Production Credits

Aaron Shadrow, Ayo The Producer, Bangs, Bangs (Producer), Beat Butcha, Ben Nartey, Boobie, Brad, Cadenza, d.a. got that dope, DJ Replay, Earl on the Beat, f a l l e n, Flip_00, GENT, Jasper Harris, Jay Versace, Jean Baptiste, Kaeyos, Karl Rubin, Kurtis McKenzie, London on da Track, Phillip Cornish and many more produced the album.

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