Pop stars like Taylor Swift and country acts like Morgan Wallen have topped the 2023 music charts, a far cry from the past few years where hip-hop tracks have dominated.
The hip-hop community had not achieved a number one song all year until September, when artist Doja Cat dropped her single “Paint the Town Red.”
Following the release, the rapper immediately fell into a pit of criticism and controversy as the song’s accompanying music video had imagery that people called “satanic.” The backlash caused an uproar online from the singer’s fans, who have already feuded with her earlier this year.
Despite the controversy, Doja still sold out the Kaseya Center on the 12th stop of her 24-city Scarlet Tour on Tuesday, Nov 21.
The night was a special occasion as rapper Ice Spice — who hit peak popularity after her song “Munch (Feelin’ U)” went viral — opened up for the first time on Doja’s tour.
Spice’s fans, known as “munches,” were loud and proud as they sang along to her 26-minute long set, which featured hits like “Bikini Bottom,” “In Ha Mood” and “The Boy’s a Liar Pt. 2.”
Then came the main event, as Doja opened what would begin a five-act concert.
In the first act, a satanic-like figure came out behind the curtain and through itself into a hole in the stage. From the hole came out Doja, being lifted up on a chain, and wearing a fierce all leather outfit.
Her band came in swinging as they broke into “WYM Freestyle” to set the stage. The roaring, distorted guitar paired with electric drums felt like a rock concert, with some attendants even headbanging at times.
The track was followed by her single “Demons,” where she performed alongside a giant animatronic spider taken straight off her latest album cover.
Act two contained tracks such as “Attention,” “Often” and “Balut.” The most special part of this setlist was a cover of “Red Room,” originally by the band Hiatus Kaiyote, in which the entire arena lit up as Doja showed off her singing abilities.
Her song “Ain’t S—” filled the arena with a deafening noise as the thousands in attendance screamed the lyrics of the track.
Act three was made for those who came for Doja’s multi-platinum hits like “Woman,” “Need to Know” and “Get Into It (Yuh),” all of which featured incredible dance numbers.
Her performance of “Kiss Me More,” a duet with R&B artist SZA, was a highlight of the third act. As Doja sang the intro in an acapella fashion before the chorus hit, the lights got brighter and her band joined in for the most pop moment of the night.
Act four featured an intriguing performance of “Paint the Town Red” as Doja came out with a giant eyeball mascot and rapped around the stage.
She followed this with an incredible transition from “Put Your Head on My Shoulder” into “Streets,” where red lights covered the stage and a spotlight followed Doja. Her dance crew came out for a performance of “F— The Girls (FTG)” as flames spouted out from the stage and surrounded Doja as she went all in.
Before the fifth act started, a skit on the titantron showed Doja going on a drive as she skipped through old songs on the radio, including her first viral hit, “Moo.” This final arc was strictly filled with tracks like “97,” “Go Off,” “Ouches” and “Can’t Wait from her most recent studio album, “Scarlet.”
By the end, Doja had performed a whopping 24 songs — including the entirety of her new album — with visuals that projected the essence of her personality and music. The only thing that could’ve made the show remotely better is an even longer setlist.
With no backing tracks, a full band and gracefully-unique choreography, Doja Cat went all in and gave her fans exactly what they wanted and more.