More about: Doja Cat

Since the release of Planet Her, Doja Cat became even bigger than Hot Pink promised she’d be. Successful tours, millions of fans, and a Grammy win later, Planet Her ushered in the Doja Cat Dynasty. Her least-played song on Planet Her has over 40 million hits, which is a career highlight for most mid-level indie bands. That being said, relistening to Planet Her doesn’t convince me that it’s a memorable album. Its singles are smash hits, but its deep cuts are insipid and snooze-worthy.

Before people excoriate me, just know – I am a Doja Cat fan. That’s partially the reason why I’m so disappointed in how Planet Her panned out. Where’s the quirk of ‘Moo’? Where’s the confidence of ‘Rules?’, or the cheek of ‘Juicy’? ‘Get Into It’ is probably Doja at her most fun on this album, and whilst it’s a highlight, it pales in comparison to the songs I know she’s capable of.

One of the major problems on this album is that it tries to lean into Doja’s singing, and it pairs her soft, muted vocals with uninspiring, bland lyricism. Sure, it works for the longing and devastation on ‘You Right’, but does it genuinely support the entirety of ‘Imagine’? Or ‘Alone’? They feel like they’re trying to recreate the former glories of ‘Streets’, but to no avail. Surprisingly for Doja Cat, there’s very little personality in these sorts of songs. It’s hard to be too impressed with the album as a whole with so many filler tracks like these.

Upon reflection, it’s really the concept which failed to land. Doja Cat could have made an album with fifteen billion different genres, and that would still have been more interesting than the concept she abandoned. What exactly is in the Doja Cat universe? Could you name five elements that would belong in there? Or even a coherent aesthetic? None of that surfaces in the album, and it could have been an incredibly exciting chapter in Doja Cat’s career.

All of this is to essentially say that whilst Planet Her was underwhelming, I’m happy considering Doja Cat as a singles queen. And look, being a singles queen in the pop industry isn’t the worst thing in the world. You get to make hits, become a commercial success, and stay relevant with ease. But as a product, Planet Her failed to deliver – and it leaves me wary of the next album release. 

6/10

Issue Four of the Gigwise Print magazine is on pre-order now! Order here.

More about: Doja Cat