Doja Cat is shifting back into pop territory with her upcoming album, Vie, despite previously swearing off the genre. In a new interview, she revealed that the project will be “a pop-driven project” shaped by retro synths and vocal growth.
The Grammy-winning artist told V Magazine that while she once distanced herself from pop, her fifth studio album fully embraces it.
“I do want to be self-aware enough to admit the fact that this is a pop-driven project,” she said. “I know that I can make pop music and pop is just that it’s popular. It starts to become a bit of a thing that’s viewed as a sport by people who are just bystanders to it, who enjoy it, but maybe also don’t respect it or what it is, which is just music. There are some people who don’t see it as music. They see it as if this is some kind of football for girls and gays.”
The Scarlet rapper previously tweeted in April 2023 that pop no longer felt “exciting” to her. That sentiment has shifted as she now leans into a sound rooted in nostalgia and synth-heavy textures.
“I wanted to play with that nostalgia by using these Lo-Fi sounds and samples and things that reminded you of something from your childhood, but it wasn’t on the nose ’80s,” she said, describing the sonic palette of Vie.
The 29-year-old also noted that she’s been sharpening her vocal skills during the recording process.
“Sometimes I’m surprised by what I can do now because I could not f**king sing… I have a lot more knowledge of how to use my voice as an instrument, more than I ever have in my life.”
While Doja didn’t confirm a release date for Vie, her last album, Scarlet, dropped in September 2023 and marked a darker, more experimental turn away from the mainstream pop that initially catapulted her to fame.