In 2025, you’d think Doja Cat would be left out of pop conversations along with industry peers, Sabrina Carpenter and Ariana Grande– after 2023’s “Scarlet,” a striking body of work that wanted to prove something as a bona fide rapper–cutting her time as pop’s hit-maker short entirely. 

Previously, Doja has had a complex relationship with the way she approaches music and how she wants to create, leaving her in an awkward position the moment she wrote off her previous releases, “Hot Pink” and “Planet Her,” as what she has called  “cash grabs” in a series of tweets. However, the new year comes with resolutions and so has Doja as she’s made her return to pop, a natural evolution of her artistry. 

On “Vie” —French for life—Doja seems to have found this newfound intuitive freedom on this record, finding the middle ground between her pop and rap finesse. It’s clear she’s never fell out of love with pop, but instead wanted something different for a change. Though it’s a stretch to say “Scarlet” didn’t have its pop-adjacent cuts as well– now, uses what she’s learned to tap into her cadence from her previous record and applies it here. 

In an interview with Michelle Miller, national correspondent for CBS News and co-host on CBS Saturday Morning, Doja described her current state of mind and what space she fills within music. 

“I think I’m a rapper who makes pop music,” Doja said. 

By making her grand resurgence to pop, there’s also a return to the surgery-sweet sounds of her previous records that conventionally favored rhythms and high bpms. That’s the case here, except Doja sticks to one specific sound and aesthetic, which makes up for a, in theory– cohesive record and possibly her strongest to date. 

However, despite her wittiness and effortlessness to sit comfortably on pop-rap, the record begins to feel tedious on the back half. When striving for cohesiveness can also lead to less variety–something Doja is a master in– though that doesn’t take away from her sheer artistry and commitment to an ‘era.’ 

Working with world-renowned producers, Jack Antonoff and Y2K, the duo together created a sort of cliche approach to 80s pop music, successfully doing so in a way that Doja doesn’t lose her personality in. Vie includes the standard bass kicks, synths galore and quite literal samples from the films of the ’80s such as the opening theme of “Knight Rider” on ‘AAAHH MEN!’ –a hectic but a sort of unconventional niche sound that was present in the early 80s– and a spew of saxophone cameos that interestingly doesn’t bore the listener. The record is an overall detachment to the Y2K aesthetics currently having a continued chokehold on the culture–a sort of response to the trend– yet using dance-music to her advantage to escape the current environment.

Across the record, the influences Doja cites are as clear as day, taking visual and sonic cues from the greats of the era such as Prince, Madonna and Janet Jackson. Referentially, when getting technical within the production even, Sade and Kenny G influences can be heard the moment the saxophone makes its first appearance on ‘Cards.’ The main focus here is that this is a ‘girly’ record by heart the further you listen, a true defining aspect to the decade which calls back to Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun,” harmoniously fitting the message Doja goes for. The tracks are just as loose and liberating, a direct reflection of the majority of the music during the decade. 

Listeners can hear the sheer passion in Doja’s voice when she’s singing in her higher register, throwing high notes and falsettos in between her charismatic driven raps, an aspect she’s never fallen short on. It’s evident she has an adoration for the era, sticking to the formulaic playbook dedicated to creating perfectly-crafted pop, though rewrites the rules and makes it her own. 

Cuts like the captivating “Take Me Dancing” featuring frequent, but always welcome collaborators, SZA and Gorgeous, showcase her musical prowess and vast imagery that transports you to whatever world she’s in. 

On Doja’s third record, “Planet Her,” this was her first album to have a concept behind it, which transcended otherworldly melodies and ethereal aesthetics that fell perfectly in line with the music. 

Here, when “Couples Therapy” makes its presence known, you suddenly imagine yourself in a roller-rink under the disco ball, swaying side to side. As she sings seductively, “Are you alone with me?/ No one meets all your needs/ Let the truth set you free/ Maybe we needed couples’ therapy,” the track really erupts with Doja’s talent for having melodic sounds that encapsulate the era. 

It’s the case for the entire record, every song for a different mood. 

Still, when Doja is not busy effortlessly streamlining through spits on glamorous production and characteristic singing, the record begins to feel somewhat repetitive. Again, recalling back to the previous point of striving for cohesiveness, there’s less of an assortment, an aspect she’s always delivered on, yet it’s more tightly considered this time around. Although it’s easily forgivable with the highest of highs on this record which in turn make up for the lack of variety. 

In short, “Vie” proves Doja still maintains her pure-pop abilities but she’s never lost it to begin with. It’s not a pop-bible by any means, but it’s a cheeky breezy listen front to back, making for a solid pop record. The record demonstrates she’s embraced the best of both worlds therefore has fabricated a genuine body of work that’s sure to leave a lasting impression like her previous works.