DOJA CAT HITS REWIND 📼 ON ‘VIE,’ Serving Up a Totally Radical 80s Sound 🪩

ALBUM REVIEW

LONDON, UK – You already know and love the supernova that is Doja Cat. She’s been consistently delivering diva-sized vocals and colossal, genre-bending productions, steadily pushing the boundaries into ever more chaotic and compelling territory. What’s undeniable: she’s consistently delivered, even when she’s aiming straight for an artistic disaster.

Following 2023's utterly aggressive Scarlet (and its confrontational street-smart energy was staggeringly good – a testament to its raw power), the pop powerhouse is now gearing up for a monumental new era, and it kicks off with the sprawling, neon-drenched synth-pop excursion that is Vie.

We got invited to the exclusive London launch party at Club Vie on the eve of the release, and honestly, we felt transported straight back into the Eighties. Tinsel, a glittering disco ball adorned in the middle, tinsel strings hanging from ceiling to floor—the aesthetic was full-on, and the album was on repeat. Now, as we spin the wax at ODDWAX HQ, the record is pure time travel.

SYNTH-POP, SAX SOLOS AND HIGH-GLOSS R&B

To sculpt the sound of this ambitious new chapter, Doja assembled an absolute dream team, tapping Jack Antonoff as executive producer. Antonoff’s status as a certified Eighties geek means this concept is right in his sweet spot. This isn’t a subtle homage; this is an entire album devoted to the pop and R&B sounds of The Decade of Synth-Pop and Glossy R&B—an album full of pastels, neon, and mega-cheese sax solos.

Doja shared her vision, and she didn’t mess around. The album closes in “Come Back” with a sample from the soundtrack of the erotic thriller Body Double, and brings the theme home on “Aaahh Men!” with a nod to the iconic Knight Rider theme. You absolutely cannot accuse her of not doing her Eighties homework. She channels a lot of Prince, a lot of Janet Jackson, and basically every killer hook that Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis ever produced.

The upcoming album is a fearless exploration of contradictions, showcasing both formidable strength and exquisite vulnerability. Right from the very first beat, we are plunged into the tension—the dazzling external glamour clashing with an inner fragility, all propelled by a sneaking, irresistible synth wave that demands to be heard on a massive sound system.

FRENCH KISSES AND FAUX-PRINCE FUNK!

The inspiration for this new chapter draws from a refreshingly unexpected palette: the sophisticated sleaze of Grace Jones meets the pop perfection of Naked Eyes. Doja brings back SZA for the frothy pleasure of "Take Me Dancing," a track that goes right for the faux-Prince funk throb of Ready 4 The World. It’s no "Kiss Me More," but it’s a brilliant, frothy pleasure that reminds you just how well these two work together.

The deep cuts here are the real victory. "Come Back" and "Stranger" are standout Prince-style jams, complete with funk bass and sax solos that wander gloriously off the deep end. The subtle French hints and frequent singing in French throughout the album feel like a knowing nod to Prince’s European-gigolo performance in Under the Cherry Moon.

She’s also a master of the lyrical reference, casually throwing out a strictly-for-the-hardcore Eighties reference in the falsetto ballad “All Mine,” quoting Grace Jones from A View to a Kill when she says, "Grab him and take him."

THE UNPREDICTABLE SUPERSTAR ⭐

What keeps Vie distinctly Doja is its beautiful, erratic chaos. She makes routine disasters part of her charm—she’s a fun pop star in a very old-school way, willing to fall on her face for the sake of the performance. While the songwriting sometimes prioritizes formula over dynamic hooks, the impeccable production ensures every track sounds fresh, detailed, and exacting down to the last slap-bass throb.

This compelling release offers a powerful, almost voyeuristic glimpse into the playful, unpredictable side of the artist who once repudiated her own breakthrough albums as a "cash grab." Vie couldn't sound further from the rap bluster of Scarlet, veering closer to the high-gloss pop that made her a superstar.

This album is a profound artistic statement, cementing Doja Cat's legacy as an innovator who continuously pushes the boundaries of pop. We have been spinning this magnificent slab of wax all afternoon, and it sounds phenomenal. Vie has already earned its permanent place in the ODDWAX vinyl collection.