[junkie-dropcap]T[/junkie-dropcap]he 2021 Grammys marked a huge milestone for Doja Cat. The California-born performer/producer finally received the recognition she deserved. Despite having a cult following for years, the music industry gave her her flowers, albeit late as hell. While her fame has reached new heights, so has her knack for making punchy pop-rap hits. Even though I’ve never been a big Doja fan, I do appreciate her hustle. Also, her vocal inflections and experimentations make me smile. It’s not often someone this talented makes sure to put on a show. Typically artists in the limelight are too cool for school. But not Doja Cat. She snatches the mic and makes her presence known. Going into Planet Her I had high hopes for her artistic trajectory. Mostly due to the wonderful lead single, “Kiss Me More,” featuring SZA.
I’ll get more into that later. Conversely, intro track “Woman” starts off Planet Her on the right foot. This little afrobeat bop puts me in a good mood, and remains in my head anytime this album crosses my mind. Additionally, it blends well into the next song, “Naked.” The hand-clap dancehall vibe garners more head-swaying. It’s a breezy type of track that feels more situational than anything. A bulk of these tracks emit a similar energy to me. Not that they all sound the same. Because they most certainly don’t. However, the majority of this album feels like a taco without sauce. Sure, you’ve got your meat, the cheese, romaine, maybe some onions — plenty of flavor. Yet it’s the sauce that brings all of those components together. On Planet Her, Doja Cat ultimately plays it safe, which disappointed me just a tad.
Pride Film Roundup: Part Two
Great moments like “Payday” with Young Thug are buried behind a so-so creative vision. Outside of “Ain’t Shit,” which harps on the triviality of the average man in a fun manner, Planet Her reduces femininity to rampant sex and contradictory romantic sentiments. We all know those people who go back and forth in their behavior. Yet an artist has time to marinade on their album’s theme. Although I do not expect a pop-rap album to be super deep, I do expect a seasoned artist such as Doja Cat to bring a more cohesive musical and lyrical approach. Tracks like “Get Into It (Yuh)” and “Need to Know” suffice in a party setting. But outside of that element they failed to make a lasting impression on me. Especially when she spits a line like: “I don’t play with my pen / I mean what I write”. Finishing the album with its best overall song (“Kiss Me More”) isn’t a bad strategy.
However, coming after a string of I-don’t-need-you songs, the taste the album left me with was less than wonderful. “Imagine” has a dope wavelength, though. Additionally, high-profile guests Ariana Grande and The Weeknd underwhelm heavily here. “I Don’t Do Drugs” with the former simply bores me. On the other hand, “Love to Dream” is a favorite of mine. Doja’s sweetly sung chorus places serenity in my heart. Perhaps it’s because I also love to dream. Either way, despite its unassuming aesthetic, it’s one of the tightest tracks on Planet Her. In the future, I’d love to hear Doja Cat team up with some super-producers who may help strengthen her next album’s core sound and direction. Nothing about this current album is particularly offensive. Yet unfortunately nothing about it is particularly memorable either.
