Hot Pink is the second studio album by American rapper and singer Doja Cat. It was released on November 7, 2019, by Kemosabe Records and RCA Records. A departure from the sound of her debut album Amala (2018), Hot Pink is a pop, R&B, and hip hop record containing elements of funk and soul. The albums features production from Doja herself, Yeti Beats, Tyson Trax, and others, with guest appearances from Smino, Gucci Mane, and Tyga.
The album received generally favorable reviews from music critics, who praised Hot Pink for its versatility and incorporation of various music genres. Hot Pink was famed for its longevity and ability to produce singles long after its release, spawning seven singles between 2019 and 2021. In 2020, "Say So" became Doja Cat's first number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100 after being remixed by rapper Nicki Minaj. In early 2021, "Streets" became a sleeper hit and entered the top 20 of the Hot 100 and the UK Singles Chart, as well as the top ten on the Billboard Global 200.
Doja Cat first achieved mainstream success as an internet "meme star" in August 2018 with the single "Mooo!".[1] The consequent revival of material from her existing catalog earned Doja Cat her first two entries on the Billboard Hot 100, namely a 2019 remixed version of "Juicy" featuring Tyga, and "Candy".[2] Doja Cat told the Los Angeles Times that she wanted Hot Pink to earn her more respect as a rapper.[1][3] In March 2019, her debut album Amala (2018) was repackaged into a deluxe version featuring the solo version of "Juicy", as well as "Mooo!" and "Tia Tamera".[4] Within the next two months, Doja Cat revealed that she was finishing up her next album, stating that she'd "never been this excited about an album in [her] life".[5] Doja Cat revealed the album's title in July 2019, and began sharing minor details in subsequent interviews.[6][7][8] One week before the official release of the album, Doja Cat hinted at the release of new music via Instagram.[9] On November 2, 2019, she officially announced Hot Pink via her social networks. With this, Doja Cat also revealed its track listing and cover.[7]
Doja Cat has frequently expressed disdain for her debut studio album Amala, stating that she believes it is not a "finished album" and that it does not entirely represent her as an artist.[10][11][12] She has also stated that constantly partying and being under the influence of marijuana during its recording did not aid her in "perceiv[ing] what was going on musically".[12] While recording Hot Pink, Doja Cat ceased to smoke marijuana and subsequently discovered that her songwriting improved significantly.[1][12] She found that she had felt "more concise and clear and levelheaded."[1] In an interview with Paper, she referred to Hot Pink as a firm restart for her career, and the most "refined, chiseled" representation of herself. Doja Cat's escapist fantasy worldview is reflected in the music by its upbeat production style. The record was inspired by some drastic lifestyle changes, and sees Doja Cat finally "coming into [her] own" and embracing her strengths as an artist.[13] On the concept of the record, she said:
I named the album Hot Pink because I wanted people to feel that before they got into the music that it felt passionate, warm and welcoming. The color hot pink describes those things the most. It's my favorite color and has been for my whole life, so for my second project where I've found myself and I'm more refined, I felt that this title was the best choice.[14]
However, in 2023 Doja Cat ended up describing the album, along with the following outing Planet Her, as "mediocre pop" and "a cash grab".[15][16]
NME described the eighth track, "Addiction", as a record containing "voguish '90s inspired R&B", one of the main musical styles explored throughout Hot Pink. Making use of synthesisers, the song borrows elements from disco and funk.
Hot Pink is a pop, hip-hop[17][18][19][20] and R&B[17][21][22] record, with songs varying widely in genre. The songs contain elements of rap-disco,[23]electro-pop,[17]pop punk[24] and emo rap.[18] The album was praised for its versatility, genre fluidity, and quirky lyricism.[11][19][21] Doja Cat's usage of double-entendres and declaratives in addition to frequent pop-culture references caused the record to be described as a witty, irreverent, transgressive encapsulation of her abilities.[13] Joshua Espinoza of Complex noted that it "delivers everything fans love about Doja Cat: catchy beats, sex-positive messages, and a hefty dose of humor".[25] On its influences and variety of genres, Doja Cat said: "Yeah, this album is a lot more African influenced. I can sampleBlink-182 but put an African vocal sample in there. The whole song feels like you're in a tropical forest."[1]
Doja Cat described the seventh track, "Talk Dirty", as "angelic" and "heavenly".[29] It is followed by the disco-influenced song "Addiction", which features "heavyweight synths",[30] and "voguish'90s-inspired R&B".[18] "Streets", the ninth track on the album, was described as a melancholy R&B[22]ballad[21] that sees Doja Cat "in her most serious form".[22] This track is followed by "Shine", which was praised for its unique use of Auto-Tune and its "enchanting blend of rap and breathy lullaby".[21] "Better Than Me", the eleventh track, was noted for "mix[ing] emo-rap with a sultry pop diva croon".[18] The album closes with the remix of "Juicy", which contains guest vocals from rapper Tyga. It boasts a "fun, playful and devilishly flirtatious melody".[28]
Promotion
Singles
Over time, Hot Pink became known for its longevity and ability to produce singles long after its release, ultimately spawning seven singles and accompanying music videos from a total of the twelve tracks included on the album.[31] A remixed version of the single "Juicy" featuring Tyga served as Hot Pink's lead single after being released on August 15, 2019, alongside an accompanying music video.[32][33][34] Directed by Jack Begert, the remix's music video sees Doja Cat dressed in a number of food-inspired costumes such as a sliced watermelon, a cherry sundae, and a pitcher of lemonade.[35] The remix debuted at number 83 on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming Doja Cat's first career entry on the chart.[36] Following the album's release in November 2019, it later re-entered the same chart at number 67.[2] The song later reached a new peak of number 41 in February 2020,[2] also peaking at number two on the Rhythmic chart.[37]
The second single from Hot Pink, titled "Bottom Bitch", was released on October 3, 2019.[38] Its release coincided with that of its accompanying music video, which sported a "girl-power, [...] early-aughts pop-punk" aesthetic and featured a variety of "teenage hijinks" including skateboarding, egging, vandalism and pranking police officers.[14][39] Coinciding with the official announcement of the album on social media, the album's third single, "Rules", was released on October 24, 2019, along with a music video in which Doja Cat portrays a reptilianmafia boss.[40][41] The single reached number 19 on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart.[42] The fourth single and music video, "Cyber Sex", were released on November 7, 2019, the same day as Hot Pink.[43] "Cyber Sex" was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America in 2020.[44]
Originally appearing as an album track on Hot Pink, "Say So" became a sleeper hit after gaining popularity on the social media platform TikTok, where a dance created by user Haley Sharpe went viral.[45][46] Initially entering the Billboard Hot 100 at number 96 with no label promotion or radio airplay,[47] it began to climb the charts after being sent to US contemporary hit radio and serviced as the fifth single from the album.[48] This was followed by an accompanying music video on February 27, 2020,[49] which features cameo appearances from Sharpe alongside fellow TikTok user Donté Colley.[50] The song marked Doja Cat's first song to reach the top 20,[51] and later the top 10 on the US Billboard Hot 100, with the solo original version reaching number five.[52] Following the release of the remix featuring rapper Nicki Minaj, released on May 1, 2020,[53] "Say So" reached number one on the Hot 100, becoming both Doja Cat's and Minaj's first number one single.[54] The song was a top 10 hit in 28 other countries, including the United Kingdom,[55] Canada,[56] Australia,[57] and New Zealand.[58]
"Like That" featuring Gucci Mane was serviced as the sixth single from the album in early May 2020. The song was issued to rhythmic, contemporary hit, and urban contemporary radio formats throughout May 2020.[59][60][61] A corresponding music video was released on June 25, 2020, and was described as "dreamy" and "intergalactic" while also being noted to channel Sailor Moon.[62][63] In early 2021, an album track "Streets" became a sleeper hit after gaining popularity on TikTok where the corresponding #SilhouetteChallenge went viral.[64][65] The song was pushed as the seventh single from Hot Pink after impacting contemporary hit radio in the United States in February.[66] A corresponding music video directed by Christian Breslauer was released in early March 2021, starring American actor Kofi Siriboe as a taxi cab driver and Doja Cat as a display window mannequin as well as a reckless and seductive Spider-Man-like woman.[67]
Tour and live performances
"Say So" was performed in various different styles throughout 2020.[68] Her hard rock rendition of the song at the 2020 MTV EMAs was noted to channel The Ring(pictured left),[69] while her broadway-style rendition at the 2020 BBMAs was likened to that of Roxie Hart(pictured right).[70]
Doja Cat announced a concert tour of North American and Europe in support of the album, entitled the Hot Pink Tour, featuring support from rappers Ashnikko and BigKlit.[71][72] Tickets for this tour sold out within ten minutes,[73] yet it was postponed and later cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[74]
Making her late night television debut, Doja Cat performed "Juicy" on Late Night with Seth Meyers with Tyga on November 12, 2019.[75][76] At the 37th AVN Awards in late January 2020, she performed the songs "Cyber Sex" and "Juicy".[77] In early December 2020, she performed "Rules" for Boiler Room's Energy segment in London, England.[78] Doja Cat performed "Say So" for the first time on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in February 2020.[79] In early March 2020, she performed "Streets" for Vevo's 2020 Lift campaign, with one writer calling it Doja Cat's "latest step toward world domination".[80][81][82] In a new artist campaign organized by MTV titled Push, Doja Cat performed "Say So" and "Juicy" in April 2020.[83] For a continuation of the Vevo Lift campaign, a live performance of "Say So" was uploaded to YouTube in May 2020.[84][85] Doja Cat performed "Say So" on The Voice, wearing a pink '70s inspired costume and performed on top of a giant disco ball.[86] She performed the song at the 2020 BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend 2020 a few days later.[87] She performed it once again on The Late Late Show with James Corden in June 2020.[88]
In December 2020, Doja Cat performed "Say So" at the 10th Streamy Awards.[96] Doja Cat uploaded six videos on YouTube as a series dubbed the Hot Pink Sessions, which includes performances of "Talk Dirty", "Streets", and "Juicy".[97] At iHeartRadio's 2020 Jingle Ball, Doja Cat performed "Say So" and "Juicy" as well as a cover of the song "Santa Baby" in late December 2020.[98] She performed "Say So", "Like That" and "Juicy" at the annual Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve show.[99] At the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards in March 2021, Doja Cat performed "Say So" for the last time.[100][101]
Hot Pink received generally positive reviews from music critics, with many praising its musical versatility, sex positivity, quirky lyricism, and genre variety.[11][21][19] At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from professional publications, the album has an average score of 73 based on six reviews.[102] Sandra Song of Paper summarized the record as "a witty, irreverent, transgressive encapsulation of [Doja Cat's] abilities",[13] while Meaghan Garvey of Billboard called it "a playful, polished collection of freaky rap and R&B" and "a sultry, eccentric collection of genre-spanning bangers".[73]
August Brown of the Los Angeles Times wrote that "The album sounds like how kids live now — endlessly referential, supremely confident in their sexual mores and yet laced with something like longing and a forced-on maturity."[1] Reflecting on 2020 in music, Ben-Beaumont Thomas of The Guardian described the record as "superb" and wrote that Doja Cat's "facility with earworms has made her the darling of TikTok ".[105] Jordan Bassett of NME wrote that Doja Cat is "taking no chances here and, now that the smoke's lifted, it's clear she's a pop contender with the nous and drive to go as far as she wants".[18]
In a review for Consequence of Sound, Lucy Shanker opined that "[Hot Pink] serves as a testament to Doja's skill set: Her singing, rapping, and producing shine effortlessly on the record on tracks that range in genre and topic [...] There's no question that she's in control throughout the record, even as the format reveals some weaknesses."[22] Lakin Starling of Pitchfork said that Doja's versatility is a "gift", and unlike Amala (2018), Hot Pink's sound does not feel "scattered" or "semi-rushed".[21] Erin Bashford of Clash called it "an album that knows exactly what it is, [...] the work of a well-crafted hip pop star with something to prove".[17]
Year-end lists
Hot Pink was included on multiple year-end lists. XXL included the album on its list of "50 of the Best Hip-Hop Projects in 2019".[106]Vibe included Hot Pink on its list of "the 30 Best Albums of 2019".[107]Complex listed the album at number 49 on its list of "the Best Albums of 2019".[108] Kyle Rice of the Rolling Stone listed Hot Pink at number 7 on his list of the "10 Best Albums of 2019".[109]NME listed Hot Pink at number 40 on its list of "the 50 best albums of 2019".[110]
Hot Pink was released on Thursday, November 7, 2019.[40] This decision was considered unconventional, as Friday is often Global Release Day for new music.[121][122] Consequently, Hot Pink debuted at number 93 on the US Billboard 200, selling 7,900 album-equivalent units.[121] The next week, Hot Pink rose to number 19, earning 20,000 album-equivalent units.[31] The album later reached a new peak of number nine on the US Billboard 200, as a result of "Say So" reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100,[123] selling 37,000 album-equivalent units.[124] It became her first album to reach the top 10 on the chart.[125]
In late 2020, Doja Cat was awarded with a number of certifications from the Recording Industry Association of America as part of their Class of 2020 program. Hot Pink was certified gold for having sold more than 500,000 album-equivalent units in the United States, while "Say So" was certified triple-platinum for selling three million units, "Juicy (Remix)" featuring Tyga was certified double-platinum for selling two million units, and "Like That" featuring Gucci Mane was certified platinum for selling one million units. "Rules" and "Cyber Sex" were also both certified gold for selling 500,000 units.[44][151][152]
Track listing
Credits adapted from album's liner notes and Tidal.[153][154]
"Streets" contains a sample from "Streets Is Callin'", written by Theron Otis Feemster, Christopher Jeffries and Demarie Sheki, as performed by B2K from their 2003 album You Got Served.
^Hill-Jenkins, Matilda (March 20, 2019). "Doja Cat is ten steps ahead of your favourite rapper". Dummy. Archived from the original on March 24, 2020. Retrieved March 12, 2021. So what's next? "We're finishing the album, which I'm very excited about. I've never been this excited about an album in my life. We're finishing that and then we're gonna do a few tours, probably one or two more, then we'll finish the album, and then I go on tour again.
^ abcdPenrose, Nerisha (November 11, 2020). "Doja Cat Just Wants to Make Rap Colorful". Elle. Archived from the original on February 23, 2020. Retrieved November 6, 2020. she chalks it up to being high as a kite while recording her first album, Amala. "I had no idea what was going on 90 percent of the time," she admits. "I was young and partying every day and I was enjoying myself a little too much. I was also doing nothing a lot, so that whole era was really a blur for me."
^ abcCho, Regina (November 22, 2019). "Doja Cat Feels Liberated and More Focused Than Ever: 'I'm So Pumped For My Life Right Now'". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 7, 2020. Retrieved November 6, 2020. A lot of people liked Amala, and that's great. However, I don't think it was a finished album. I was smoking hella weed. I was high all the f--king time and it wasn't even helping me perceive what was going on musically. I was just really out there partying and it was a crazy time for me.
^ abcSong, Sandra (December 11, 2019). "Doja Cat: Reloaded". Paper. Archived from the original on May 27, 2020. Retrieved May 23, 2020. Doja dubs Hot Pink a hard restart for her career, the most "refined, chiseled" representation of herself yet. Spurred by some drastic lifestyle changes — including moving into her own place and quitting cigarettes and weed after an illuminating acid trip — Doja sees the record as her finally "coming into [her] own" and truly embracing her strengths as an artist. As showcased by her ample use of salacious double-entendres, love of a horny declarative and frequent reference to pop-cultural happenings, Hot Pink is a witty, irreverent, transgressive encapsulation of her abilities. She's the kind of "unapologetically and aggressively sexual" star who's able to cleverly combine dick jokes with niche celebrity gossip references (like her name-checking Lil Xan and Noah Cyrus' former relationship in "Bottom Bitch") in a rapid-fire, stream-of-consciousness way that feels almost like scrolling through TMZ-meets-TikTok.
^ abcdeBashford, Erin (November 8, 2019). "Doja Cat – Hot Pink – Clash Magazine". Clash. Archived from the original on December 17, 2019. Retrieved November 12, 2019. it's a record stuffed with tracks from every reach of pop, R&B, and funk history - there are remarkable nods to grooves of the '70s, electronic pop of the '90s, and Noughties hip-hop throughout the 12 songs.
^Riddell, Rose (March 27, 2020). "Interview: Doja Cat on her new album 'Hot Pink'". Coup De Main. OCLC1130897259. Archived from the original on February 14, 2021. Retrieved March 11, 2021. If I have a beat, it can start from the production. If the song sounds angelic, like "Talk Dirty" off my last album, I would think to do something angelic; maybe something heavenly
^Mamo, Heran (January 21, 2020). "Here Are the Lyrics to Doja Cat's 'Say So'". Billboard. Archived from the original on January 25, 2020. Retrieved March 10, 2020. The steamy, groovy track debuted at No. 95 on the Billboard Hot 100 last week (chart dated Jan. 18) thanks to a series of TikTok dance challenge videos.
^Halabian, Layla (January 29, 2020). "Doja Cat's Mesh Bodysuit Is Pube-Friendly". Nylon. Archived from the original on November 14, 2020. Retrieved March 13, 2021. On the AVN stage, Doja busted out tracks like "Cyber Sex" and "Juicy" off her 2019 release Hot Pink.
^Sharpe, Lynn (May 24, 2020). "Doja Cat Ignores Controversy, Performs "Say So" On BBC Radio 1". HotNewHipHop. Archived from the original on January 28, 2021. Retrieved March 13, 2021. In the midst of the #DojaCatIsOverParty, the artist in question performed her #1 hit "Say So" from her house for BBC Radio 1 Big Weekend on Saturday (May 23rd).
^Hull, Tom (December 9, 2019). "Music Week". Tom Hull – on the Web. Archived from the original on August 10, 2020. Retrieved July 23, 2020.
^Beaumont-Thomas, Ben (March 10, 2021). "Who will – and should – win the 2021 Grammy awards?". The Guardian. Retrieved April 26, 2021. ...but bigger still has been the tag team of Doja Cat and Megan Thee Stallion. The former's facility with earworms has made her the darling of TikTok and her superb [second] album is still popping out viral hits...
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