Doja Cat Says Releasing ‘Scarlet’ Felt Like A “Massive Fart”

Key Takeaways:

• Doja Cat described her album Scarlet as a “massive fart” in a New York Times interview.
• Her comments reflect a shift in creative direction, as she plans to return to pop on her next album, Vie.
• She has a history of critiquing her own work, previously calling Planet Her and Hot Pink “cash-grabs.”

Doja Cat felt she just had to get Scarlet out of her system. In a New York Times interview published on Friday (Sept. 5), the “Agora Hills” artist looked back on her rap-heavy fourth studio album, comparing it — of all things — to a “massive fart.”

“Not to diminish it, but it was a bit of like, I just need to get this out — it was a massive fart for me,” she explained to the publication. “I thought fixing that would entail making music that was more visceral or more emotional or maybe more angry or more sad.”

For context, Scarlet was Doja’s bid to be “taken more seriously” as a lyricist, which she largely achieved through tracks like “Attention,” “WYM Freestyle,” and the commercially massive “Paint The Town Red.” Reflecting further on the project, Doja admitted, “And I enjoyed performing it onstage, but it didn’t get me all the way there. So, I want to return back to what I know.”

As the Times pointed out, the “return” refers to Doja’s pivot back to pop on Vie. She called the forthcoming project “a continuation of Planet Her and Hot Pink,” only updated with ’80s synths and an up-tempo R&B feel.

“It’s overtly sexy and it becomes kind of silly, which is likable and fun,” the “Ouchies” rapper shared. “I just always want to keep that sense of fun, but I never want to be too goofy.” For that, she enlisted Jack Antonoff, who handled production on nine of the LP’s 15 tracks. The two notably worked together on last month’s “Jealous Type.”

At least for the moment, Doja seems set on steering away from rap. Interestingly, Scarlet, which Rap-Up named among the Best Rap Albums of 2023, isn’t the first release she’s brushed off while moving toward a new full-length.

Fans may recall her labeling Planet Her and Hot Pink as “mediocre pop” and little more than “cash-grabs” in the months before dropping Scarlet.