“Scarlet” is not only her best album by far, but it’s also considered her first full-fledged hip-hop project, with a unique sound that combines soft and hard: dreamy angelic vocals to hard-hitting rapping, skittering percussion, and thunderous bass. The pop element remains, but it is mostly channeled into sung choruses or bridges, as well as backup vocals.
Although loaded with singles, it remains a real album, with most songs branching out her sound and showing off the killer flow she naturally possesses. With 17 tracks spanning almost an hour, “Scarlet” sets a new bar on multiple levels, and not just for female rappers. As she sings on “Fuck the Girls”: “Who dare ride my new Versace coattails?”
Listen to Doja Cat’s new album below.