Doja Cat's 'Vie' starts well but soon tails off

Doja Cat is a fascinating one-off. She’s a rap-centric Californian artist whose background dips into everything from new age philosophy to skate culture. She’s the epitome of a 2020s singer who’s as much a social media phenomenon as a pop star (and has also been featured artist on tunes by almost everyone).

Unafraid of quirk and wacky throwaway humour, it’s taken her a while to convince the dubious that she’s more than an amusing flash-in-the-pan. Unfortunately, while her latest album initially contains interest, it settles to a set of samey slow-jams.

The recent single “Jealous Type” is efficient Ariana Grande-adjacent yacht disco, interspersed with Doja Cat's Nicki Minaj-esque rapping. Indeed, loose comparison to Grande’s Eternal Sunshine album of last year applies, here and there, throughout. Other cuts that stand out include the squidgy electro-funk of opener “Cards”, which has hip-wigglin' flex, and the lyrically sharp Los Angeles slickness of “Gorgeous”, a jam redolent of Daft Punk’s Random Access Memories.

But the song that most immediately stands out is the preposterous stomp of “AAAHH MEN!”, based around the theme to Knight Rider. This is a belter, throbbing and dynamic and great fun, a nifty club track boosted by her wordage, which is snarky and in the listener’s face. If only more of the songs were like it.

Instead, from the sixth song onwards (of 15), things gear-change down to endless jazz-funk-lite jams that are fluffy and anonymous. Sometimes, as on "Acts of Service”, with its reflections on relationship issues, Doja Cat’s lyricism calls the ear to attention but, more often, these numbers just drift by.

Mostly produced or co-produced by regular Taylor Swift collaborator Jack Antonoff and Brit pop pro’ Kurtis McKenzie, Vie’s featherweight sound requires a counterbalance of songs that are more memorable. Alternatively, the musical architecture around Doja Cat’s sweet-voiced singing and characterful rapping would simply benefit from more sonic heft.

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Below: Listen to Doja Cat's "AAAHH MEN! from her album Vie