With how much of its slick, glistening sound has infected the pop 100 charts over the past six years, it’s easy to forget how much of an atom bomb “Say So” by Doja Cat was at its release.
The song launched the singer into popularity and set off a wave of saccharine pop R&B hits in its wake, many of which also appealed to the TikTok crowd which blew the original up.
Vie (translated to “life” in French) is back to the mellow, seductive sound of her first hit and dripping in that same ‘80’s aesthetic as well. It’s a theme visible in the music video for “Jealous Type” but also clearly audible in the funky synths and more than occasional jazz sax.
“Stranger” is my favorite song on the album to use that saxophone, a sappy sweet song about falling so in love you don’t care about fitting in anymore. “With each crowd, we proud we don’t fit, and ain’t nobody here gets our schtick.”
Other hits include “Take Me Dancing (feat. SZA)” a disco influenced pop hit which easily could have been a replacement for the billion-plus streamed “Dance the Night” from the “Barbie” movie, and “Jealous Type.”
As an admittedly casual Doja listener, listening to a full album of hers was a surprisingly pleasant experience. And as someone who was mostly a fan of her features and rap discography, I found her pop side both addictive and surprisingly complex.
Of course we aren’t totally bereft of verses. “AAAHH MEN!” stands out as the most stand-alone hip hop track, but Doja provides her own verses on “All Mine,” “Gorgeous” and “Jealous Type.”
“All Mine” is definitely the standout track for me, a sickeningly sweet song about “Wanting what we want, (and) Claiming what we claim.” “You’re all mine, boy,” sings Doja in the chorus. Throughout the album her voice is always on double and triple duty, but no more so than in “All Mine” where she plays the soft and possessive main vocals, the crooning chorus and background vocals on top of her characteristic bouncy and clever rap verses.
I would tell you about my favorite bars in the album, but unfortunately they aren’t fit to be published. That’s true for basically the whole thing, and also very typical for Doja Cat.
“Vie’s” themes of trust, growth and falling in love combined with its smokey retro aesthetic make it a perfect album for a cozy – but still exciting- autumn, a sort of upbeat, disco riposte to Laufey’s “Bewitched.” Both traffic in that nostalgic aesthetic, but whereas “Bewitched” is more about longing unfulfilled, “Vie” is firmly about love fulfilled and embraced.