album Doja Cat - 'Scarlet'

[Eóghan]

yeah this is at least a 7. but even as massive doja fan, I can admit that this album is bloated and less focused than her previous work.

 

also with an album named 'Scarlet' and singles such as 'PTTR' and 'Demons', she set herself up, because everyone expected a twisted and merciless album but instead half of it is lovey-dovey.

[QueenofCopyPaste]

1	-	Paint The Town Red	1,758,726	-352,125
6	+4	Agora Hills	966,321	-39,036
60	-11	Demons	431,315	-79,935
118	-50	Gun	342,134	-110,497
140	-65	Wet ******	318,257	-127,765

 

 

OUT		Ouchies
OUT		Go Off
OUT		**** The Girls (FTG)
OUT		Can't Wait
OUT		97
OUT		Attention

[Alex]

Okay y'all I sang my praises a few pages back but now it's time for my critiques. 

 

Honestly the more I think about the album and its general complaints, I start to see what could've been changed to make it a tighter package.

 

Firstly, the first half is generally way worse than the second half. I just don't think she goes hard enough in the first half to justify this image change and demonic play from an artistic standpoint. If half of the album is going to be (amazing) R&B midtempos, the other half needs to be consistently high energy and rage but it already derails after PTTR and Demons. More energy like WYM, Demons and Ouchies was needed instead of 97, Wet V, *** The Girls etc. They're not all necessarily bad (except 97), but it's underwhelming. Instead we get a lackluster mix of boom-bap and genres that aren't going to do well commercially or critically because she lacks the fanbase to appreciate that style of hip hop (me included) and it comes off as confusing or insufficient. Also, there are literally no standout hooks on ANY of these songs which is a shame considering PTTR has one of the most earworm-y hooks of the year.

 

When she gives us songs like Tia Tamera, Rules, Harley, her appearances on Make That Cake and Perfect Remix, you hear attitude and punchlines but both are lacking in the first half of the album. It's almost like she's taken herself too seriously and is deadset on trying to "make a point" and prove herself instead of making the music her fans enjoyed from because she wants to and thinks it's fun. Everytime I take a listen to "Agora Hills", I get reminded on what album this should have been. Doja clearly knows her bag and chose to give us something that might seem like a compromise, but really it's just what everyone collectively agrees is what we want from Doja Cat in the first place.  It's clear she can evolve with what she does best and continue to make career highlights but chose not to for the sake of contrarianism. 

 

Also, the album is a bit too bloated for most listeners to be appreciated in one whole listen. For every amazing song, there come duds like 97 and Love Life taking yourself out of the experience and waiting for them to finish before the song is even over. Additionally, the album seems to have the same Hook-Verse-Hook-Verse-Hook song structure for every single song on the project, which can get tired when you're not switching it up or giving dramatic interludes (as in Agora Hills). Doja lacks the energy or care to add bridges or give us experimental song structures which goes against the thesis of this record of being something difficult to digest for the normal listener. It can get repetitive instead of interesting.

 

However, Doja does manage to remind me why I love her craft so much as she saves the album with the second half, housing highlights like Can't Wait, Skull and Bones, Attention, Balut which honestly should've been the direction for the entire album as a paradox for the brash and dark imagery. That would've been unexpected and polarizing, without trying so hard. Unfortunately, most listeners are fatigued by the time they get to Can't Wait and therefore this side can become underappreciated and reduced to being "samey" when in reality that's basically a first for a Doja Cat album lol. 

 

Scarlet is still a great project, but the critiques are just as valid as the praise it receives, because there's too many holes in the road for the smooth ride this album should've been.  

 

Had the tracklist been condensed and the sides flipped, I think the album would've been ultimately received better.

 

1. Attention

2. Skull and Bones

3. Balut

4. Often

5. Can't Wait

6. Agora Hills

7. Gun 

8. Go Off

9. Ouchies

10. WYM Freestyle

11. Demons

12. Paint The Town Red

 

anywho, wishing her the best, it's gonna be a tough 2 weeks for the Kittens  

[Flocon]

This is the most accurate and relatable critic I have read.

Thank you !

[Apolonio ₃₄]

@Alex great review! 
 

[Alex]

I keep it juicy real, but i'm still streaming

 

 

she gave us this so can I really be mad? 

[zasderfght]

I don't have an artist I stan-- I'm on ATRL, mostly, for music updates on artists I keep up with, so, take this a more objective take. 

 

Scarlet is easily Doja Cat's best album. Amala has Tia Tamera, but that's only on the deluxe. Hot Pink and Planet Her have some good singles, but as albums, they have lots of fillers. Scarlet has some duds, don't get me wrong, but there are a LOT of highlights. The first 6 tracks, Agora Hills, and Balut, alone, are great and better than anything on Doja's first three studio albums. 

Edited September 25, 2023 by zasderfght

[Space&Time]

I’m not fazed by a review, when I know I’m enjoying this album more than the others. The hits might be frontloaded upon release, but this is her most solid album. 

[V$.]

 

[My20sBlues]

**** the critics, this album is great

[dabunique]

like i think this is great work and so do my friends in real life

 

i could care less what musty crusty  white woman who can't tell da difference between boom bap and drill has to say

 

it won't take away from da enjoyment 

 

but these reviews have been so polarizing  LOL

 

 

[Alex]

did she really call anything on this album "drill" ?? oh dear...  

[professor2000]

4 minutes ago, dabunique said:

like i think this is great work and so do my friends in real life

 

i could care less what musty crusty  white woman who can't tell da difference between boom bap and drill has to say

 

it won't take away from da enjoyment 

 

but these reviews have been so polarizing  LOL

 

 

I’m mostly wondering what her peers + recording academy think about the album.  
 

I hate we’ll have to wait a whole year to find out, b/c album missed Grammy deadline.  
 

She might have a new project out atp, lol.  Unless she does a deluxe and milks the era.  

[dabunique]

in my delusional mind i see multiple nominations and Often gettin one for best R&B performance lol

[dabunique]

8 minutes ago, Alex said:

did she really call anything on this album "drill" ?? oh dear...  

and worst her first ever Rap album review

[Alex]

Can't Wait needs to be submitted to the Grammy's actually

[Power love]

I love this album! My only issue is it’s too long. Should have cut four unnecessary tracks then this would be flawless.

[Starchild]

9 hours ago, Relampago. said:

The Pitchfork score is insane  

 

I can see them rating Planet Her and Hot Pink higher, even though I think Scarlet is better, but you won’t convince me GUTS is an 8.0 if this isn’t even a 6 to them

yea I love guts but in no world is that juvenile album an 8, there is no real justification for that score  other than just following a hype train.

Doja herself may have been a mess and annoying at times but music wise she stomped and delivered a great album that sure as hell didn't deserve a damn 5

[Alex]

Idk y'all everyone who says its too long definitely hasn't been feening for new music like the long term kittens have, 2022 was a nightmare. I'm just glad we get to digest this beautiful album. 

[Kool_Aid_King]

11 hours ago, kyliefever2002 said:

5.9 from pitchfork 

https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/doja-cat-scarlet/ 

I agree.

 

Quote

"The rest of us get low-effort bars like “She like it from the back/’Cause she don’t ever front” in songs individually and cumulatively longer than they should be. The quest to settle the score starves Scarlet of opportunities for whatever Doja might have come up with independently" 

 

This is a word.

[Mornings]

Lol the way the pitchfork people only have one perspective to review an album from. 

Edited September 25, 2023 by Mornings

[DR0GO]

I disagree with PF's score. I think the album is great. Incredible? No. But it's great. My biggest issue with the album now that I've heard it multiple times, is that it doesn't live up to its full potential. And I find her lyrics cringe worthy in some parts.  But then I heard songs like God Hills, and I'm like whoa, this is fantastic. More of this, please?

 

I do agree with these parts of the review:

 

Quote

Moment to moment Doja’s performance is dynamic—sweet falsetto, thick nasal drawl—but her writing can make her sound like a sore winner bringing playground taunts to a flame war (“You look like a butter face”)..

 

 

Quote

That creepy demon-bat-visits-Bella-Goth single artwork for “Demons”? Should have been the album cover. I wish she’d called up some other chronically online rappers, like Rico or JPEGMAFIA for instance, and set everybody loose. Scarlet should be a madhouse...

 

[50thStateofMind]

Giving scarlet a lower score than PH is a whole joke

[Alex]

 

let's discuss a review worth mentioning

 

[Alex]

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/25/arts/music/doja-cat-scarlet-review.html

 

another positive review