Music Review: Doja Cat returns to pop with an ’80s twist in ‘Vie’
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Doja Cat had been dropping hints that her newest album would be filled with ’80s flavor — from the big hair and exaggerated structure of her VMAs outfit to the retro dance moves in the music video for her single “Jealous Type.” Out Friday, “Vie” speaks for itself.
The rapper-singer known for hits like “Say So” and “Kiss Me More” leans back into the pop genre on her fifth studio album, incorporating some of the most iconic music styles from the past to create something innovative and fun. And don’t worry, she still includes her signature rap verses in every song.
“Cards” and “Jealous Type” start the album off distinctly ’80s-esque with synths and punchy snares. Lyrically, Doja Cat toys with the idea of letting herself love someone, singing in the former, “Maybe I’ll fall in love baby / Maybe we’ll win some hearts / Gotta just play your cards.”
The two are album highlights, as well as “AAAHH MEN!,” a spirited track with intense instrumentals and varied vocals from whispers to shouts as Doja Cat expresses the sometimes-disappointing emotions that come with dating.
Moreso than the frustration, she expresses the fun of falling in love throughout her album. She dives headfirst in “Silly! Fun!,” gushing, “You’re my person / This my first time I’m in love.”
Callbacks to the sounds of the ’80s permeate “Vie,” like in “All Mine” with falsettos and a laid-back R&B style reminiscent of Prince, as well as album closer “Come Back,” which sounds like it could be in the final scene of a John Hughes movie.
Doja Cat’s experimentation with the nostalgic sound creates some of the most enjoyable songs on the album, as well as some of the most boring — one of the identifiers of ’80s music is its repetitiveness.
With an ambitious 15 songs on the album, not every track is interesting. “Couples Therapy” and “Acts of Service,” with strikingly simpler backing tracks, are the blandest offerings from “Vie.”
Overall, “Vie” succeeds more than it fails in its ’80s-inspired experimentation, offering catchy choruses with rap verses that add some totally tubular spice.
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“Vie” by Doja Cat
Three and a half stars out of five.
On repeat: “AAAHH MEN!”
Skip it: “Couples Therapy”
For fans of: First kisses, “The Karate Kid”