You never know what Doja Cat is going to do next. Amala's vocals, visuals, and honeyed lyrics are all volatile. She can seamlessly transition from an altissimo angelic aria to a raspy rhythmic rap.
Her music videos feature fire-spewing dragons, balletic movements, flying Uber cars, and dazzling diamond-speckled dresses. And her songs always top the charts. When “Paint The Town Red” dropped in August of 2023, it broke the Internet. On April 5th, Amala released the Deluxe version of Scarlet, naming it after The Hunchback of Notre Dame character, Claude Frollo.
Acknowledge Me
The intro blasts an electronic aerial beat, reminiscent of 90's R&B. Then, Amala layers a chorus, floatily chanting, “I hide my face and run far away. I get crazy, angsty when you get under my skin.” The lyrics are overwhelming.
But I realized that Doja Cat speaks her mind, and clearly, her thoughts are unfiltered in “Acknowledge Me.” However, that's not a bad thing. In fact, that's the beauty of “Acknowledge Me;” Doja Cat is unequivocally herself, unlike other artists and celebrities.
After the incantatory intro, “Acknowledge Me” shifts into a head-bopping rap verse. The rhymes showcase a brawl setting as Amala raps, “broke the other glass” and “in a mood when it's overcast.” She also sheds her Doja Cat identity and moves into a lustier style. All in all, "Acknowledge Me" is stylish and unique. Some bars came off as misplaced, but the techno beat made up for it.
DISRESPECTFUL
In a marimba-style chord, Doja Cat opens with “The way you know what I want. The way they wish I wouldn't fall.” It made my head turn, but that's Amala's volatility (and versatility) in a nutshell. Her “Baby, it's disrespectful” lines soothed the off-beat intro.
And hummingly, she starts her bars relaxed, as if she's vibing and freestyling. My favorite bars were “Jealousy don't ever get the best of him” and “Even in economy, I'm giving him the biscuit.” She's stating her self-worth in these lines, displaying the new Doja Cat. To conclude, the song trails off with a reggaeton mantra. “Get rowdy” follows as Doja Cat describes a list of masculine traits - “ugly, pretty, skinny, big, and rich.” PS: The Cardi B sneak diss was clever.
URRRGE!!!!!!!!!!
Doja's tone thunders in threatening raps. She juxtaposes her haters with frumpy kids and calls them out as “snakes.” The rhythm undulates with the background vibraharp pulse. Later on, I found myself unshocked when I heard A$AP Rocky's nonchalant feature; it was bound to happen, and both of the artists harmonized well.
It gave off a feature vibe, which is hard to do. Most features tend to take over the entire song, but A$AP Rocky gave Amala her space to dazzle. As the last verse draws to an end, Doja Cat unravels a self-conflicting chorus. All in all, this song is the haymaker to her doubters. She's basically saying, “You guys can keep hating. I'm still making money.” It's a testament to her previous song, “Shutcho.”
OK LOSER
In a buoyant opening, Doja's ebullience sparkles with “Okay, okay loser. We go way, way back, I won't say, ”Okay boomer." Rapidly pacing through well-written lyrics, the clever artist reveals some inside gossip, like a coping mechanism. Rhapsodically, ad-libs sieve through her bouncy beat. “OK LOSER” is Doja Cat saying, “Ok…I don't really care anymore.
Say what you want. Do what you want.” I still can't get over the flow, especially in the “I brush my teeth” and “you cannot come to the cookout” lines. With the final notes, Doja Cat yet again pulses “Okay, okay, (loser)” in a harpy sync.
MASC
“Boy, we way too grown, for this (censored).”
In an airy alto voice, Doja Cat spangles her anthem with this iconic line. In the background, you can hear a bass clambering and an incoherent yet satisfying voice. “I ain't havin' it… don't you make me kick you out the house again," sings Doja Cat as she silhouettes an arachnid's shadow in the shifting background lights. The music video is cinematic and animated.
Amala's balanced make-up, her agile movements, her jingling costumes, and her lighting made this iconic. What's even more iconic is her “ick” lyric. I wouldn't be surprised if that ends up as a TikTok trend. “MASC” is Doja Cat sharing her trauma with haters, in a pleasant way. Honestly, if she just spat the lyrics, it'd be a pity grab; but, this is symphonious.
Moreover, Teezo Touchdown's feature is like a comic relief. His “feet” retort was shocking, but the “aftersound” was satisfying. However, his lyrics are too extreme and misplaced.
And his costume is a blunt and discordant copy of Lil Nas X's 2023 Met Gala look. I'll admit though - it was catchy, but still, unnecessary. Fortunately, Doja Cat's artistry cleaned up the leftovers.
P*SS
In a heavily autotuned voice, Doja Cat questions, “Oh, you found a pocket? Oh, I've got a locket." Sometimes, she just sings things for the sake of enjoyment. And you know what?
It's funny and sounds great. She literally made a song about cows and hamburgers because she saw a cow-print costume set. I'm tired of artists attempting to flaunt verbose rigmarole because of “meaning.” P*SS is Doja Cat's modern “Mooo.” The lyrics rush through euphoniously, and the rhymes flow like water. Her flow switch towards the end with “Front row next to Janet, sittin' cute” is effortless. Overall, “P*SS” is a mix-matched harmonizing song.
Scarlet Wrapped
In conclusion, “Scarlet 2 Claude” gift wraps the Deluxe Scarlet Album with its stunning visuals, dulcet melodies, and creativity. Some features were a bit misplaced, but the star covered it up just fine. Since…. forever, Doja Cat has received brutal vitriol from the Internet's trolls and keyboard warriors, despite being such a talented artist. The reviewed songs showcase Amala's tenacity and resilience. If I were to pick a line from the album to underscore Doja Cat's new stalwart identity, it'd be, “I made a fortune, they can't let that go none.”
