album Doja Cat - 'Scarlet'

[ImpressMeMuch]

Ouchies is that b goddam

Edited September 25, 2023 by ImpressMeMuch

[My20sBlues]

Agora Hills is really fighting for that spot on this year's hits

[ImpressMeMuch]

And now the second half is hitting for me and serving longevity

 

something about the smooth doja you see on the second half makes me not realize how smart her verses are until I stop and read the lyrics and whew she delivered

[Kae]

The critical response reminds me a lot of how Rihanna was treated in comparison with her peers (2007-2012). There are always artists who for one reason or another seem to have to prove more. From my point of view it's a good album, I appreciate the attempt to bring something more different than what the public expected. Regardless of the commercial or critical response.

Edited September 25, 2023 by Kae

[Cotton]

Scarlet is her best album so I’m really not sure where all this is coming from. Like I don’t know why people are taking that pitchfork score seriously when this album easily clears Planet Her (my former favourite) and the latter got a higher score.

 

It’s just a combination of her questionable behaviour & the fact she made it seem as if Scarlet would be a complete 180 from her previous albums which it isn’t.

[Frozen99]

agora hills on repeat

 

  

5 hours ago, Alex said:

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  

@pitchfork_where_they_run_their_offices_from

 

what overall score would you have given it?

[Alex]

27 minutes ago, Frozen99 said:

agora hills on repeat

 

  

@pitchfork_where_they_run_their_offices_from

 

what overall score would you have given it?

It's a solid 8.0 for me 

 

 

[305]

Go Off and Agora Hills are STELLAR

[popularmoonlight]

The more I listen, the more I enjoy it. I even played lots of songs for my friends at a house party I threw and they were all enjoying it. Everyone agrees that this album is different from her previous efforts. Yes there are similar points but that's simply because it's the same person making all the music. The way she's rapping has some difference to it and obviously the beats are all great, and non generic to be honest. 

[BGood2Me]

HDD updated and now it's for 60-70k range 

[QueenofCopyPaste]

Yay 

 

60-70k now

 

https://hitsdailydouble.com/news&id=337686&title=DOJA-ZACH-TECCA-LEAD-NEW-RELEASES-(UPDATE)

[Flocon]

I want the 100k as a symbol.

[DR0GO]

22 minutes ago, 305 said:

Go Off and Agora Hills are STELLAR

Stellar.

[Dialamba]

Only a few tracks left, but it’s not that bad, it has only few skips. It’s kinda giving positions you have to listen to it 2 or 3 more times to fully have an opinion. 
i don’t get the PH lashings yeah it was a cash grab album but it has so many good songs. 

[Mornings]

Go Off is gonna be the one they didnt expect to be a hit, but TikTok makes them record a video and give single treatment.

[Ivan_brit]

 

SPOTIFY SCARLET STREAMS:

 

Friday = 26,004,110
Saturday = 23,623,295
Sunday = 17,512,273

Total this week = 67,139,678 (So far)

[bumpah]

 I think its a great album if you like hiphop, agora hills ouchies wet V and ouchies are kinda the best songs on the first few listens

[bumpah]

i wont be playing this album the same as PH but its a great album for artistry and versatility 

[Lightbringer007]

let's keep increasing the HDD predictions!

Edited September 25, 2023 by Lightbringer007

[Cheers]

The HDD #s increasing after I started stanning my impact WHEW

[Relampago.]

4 hours ago, Mornings said:

Go Off is gonna be the one they didnt expect to be a hit, but TikTok makes them record a video and give single treatment.

Either this one, Gun or Can’t Wait are gonna pull a “Streets” for sure 

[Jay L]

James Dean, let me in them jeans

Put me on your hip and let me ride it till I cream

 

[Kaizen]

I still can’t process this album because I love every song for different reasons.
 

I understand why pop fans won’t love it though.

I actually didn’t really care for the second half of the album but it grew on my like a fungus. Especially Often. 

But WV, FTG, 97 & Can’t Wait have been on repeat.

Attention is still that girl, and probably one of the best songs on the albums. 
 

[makeme]

I may or may not be an Ouchies stan 

[dabunique]