Everything You Need To Know About Doja Cat’s New Album, Planet Her
Doja Cat: household name
by JULIA SHORT ★ JULY 17, 2021
After her rise to the top of the charts with her second studio album, “Hot Pink,” Doja Cat is set to become one of the best female rappers of this generation. Her fame skyrocketed after her popular songs “Say So” and “Juicy,” went viral on TikTok… it’s safe to say that if you don’t live under a rock, you ~know~ Doja Cat.
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Following the release of her second album in 2020, Doja Cat has been on a roll. She was releasing hit singles one after another along with her feature on “34+35” alongside Ariana Grande and Megan Thee Stallion. Her song “Kiss Me More” ft. SZA held the #1 spot on the Billboard charts, and shortly after, she released “Need To Know,” which would later be known as the second single on her long-awaited studio album, Planet Her.
Planet Her explores the complexities of lust, attraction, and loneliness in this game-changing hip-hop/pop album. Without missing a single beat, this album is undeniably one of the best albums released this year (thus far). All in all, Doja Cat is preparing for a long career in the music industry -- and it’s welcoming her with open arms.
After listening to this album from start to finish maaaaybe 10 times since its release in late June, here are my undeniable top 5 tracks off of the incredibly written album, Planet Her.
5. Need To Know
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As the first promotional single released to gain attention to the release of Planet Her. This song, without a doubt, gets better with every listen. I’ve officially declared this song the “Hot Girl Anthem” of the summer. Her witty lyrics keep control of the song while still delivering a punch line at the end of each verse. Not only does Doja keep us intrigued with her lyrics, but the creativity of her vocals and the score itself for sure brings it home.
4. “I Don’t Do Drugs” (feat. Ariana Grande)
Ariana Grande and Doja Cat are probably one of the most infectious pairings to hit the pop world in a very long time. Their first collab on Ariana’s song, “Motive”, and the remix of “34+35” off her album ‘Positions’ deluxe reissue (with the one and only Megan Thee Stallion), the pair have made some iconic music together. In “I Don’t Do Drugs”, Doja Cat and Ariana detail to their listeners how intoxicating love and attraction can be. “I just want you, but I don’t do drugs” in the opening lines of the song assure us that sometimes even the best of us (Doja and Ariana? Definitely the best of us) have to resist an intoxicating relationship.
3. You Right (feat. The Weeknd)
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The Weeknd and Doja Cat have reunited after their insane remix collaboration of “In Your Eyes” off of his latest album, After Hours. As their second song together has for sure been one of the best of this album, and I'm hoping this won't be their last. “You Right” is a beautifully seductive piece about knowingly giving into temptation. Not only is the overall tone of the song extremely ~sexy,~ but it gets especially hot after The Weeknd’s verse about the affair itself. The excitement in the song comes with the feelings it explores: the narrative between two people who ultimately give into lust.
2. Love to Dream
This is arguably one of the most heartbreaking songs Doja Cat has ever released. She sings about the inability to get out of her own head and how this ultimately led to the demise of a relationship. She writes “It's not you, baby, it's just me / I don't believe what I just lost” across an underlying beat and a guitar track that leaves her listeners reaching for tissues. As she reminisces on the love that she lost due to her own self-sabotage, she speaks to those who have done or felt the same.
1. Alone
“Alone” isn’t the most upbeat or fun song on Planet Her, but a hot take: I feel so strongly that it’s the best song on the album. As the closing track to the album, “Alone” is by far the strongest song lyrically speaking. As a tender song backed by an acoustic guitar, Doja tells the story of the downfall of a relationship and the journey towards being okay with aloneness. Not only is the song lyrically powerful, but it’s a testament to her talent and the power of her songwriting.
Doja Cat is a fierce competitor in a genre of music dominated by males, but has shown us that she shouldn’t be slept on. Her songs are filled with strong rap lyrics, beautiful acoustic arrangements, and catchy basslines, all what makes her newest album an instant hit in the hip-hop and pop worlds.