New Music
Five Reasons Why Doja Cat's "Vie" Underperformed
1.) “Jealous Type” is a lackluster lead single.
The deluge of 1980s-inspired pop music hit its peak in 2022-2023. As a result, Doja Cat’s 1980s-flavored “Jealous Type” sounds a bit dated and behind the current music trends, which have shifted to embracing the Y2K-era aesthetic. While “Jealous Type” is a catchy pop tune, it is not a strong enough lead single for an artist of Doja Cat’s caliber. At a peak of 28 on the Hot 100, the general public at large agrees.
2.) The 1980s aesthetic and sound has been done to death.
To piggyback on the first reason, the 1980s has been referenced for the last decade in pop music. It really peaked with Kate Bush’s “Running Up The Hill” making an appearance on an episode of “Stranger Things” and topping the pop charts shortly afterwards. With everyone moving over to the 1990s and now trying to recapture the Y2K-era sound and aesthetic, Doja Cat would have done well to make a dance-pop album in that vein. “Vie” is a fun album with very catchy tracks but its style is a bit behind the times which is surprising for someone who’s known to not follow the pop star rule book.
3.) Changing musical identity with each album confuses the general public.
Does Doja Cat have a signature sound? It seems that with every album, she’s done something different. From the quirky indie-pop of her 2018 debut “Amala” to the pop/r&b hybrid and hip-hop dalliances of her 2019 smash “Hot Pink” before pivoting to a more urban hip-hop aesthetic and sound for 2023’s “Scarlet”, Doja has covered a lot of ground in just her first three albums. While she’s done a variety of styles very well, it can often create a splintered fanbase that wants different things from you. As a result, if you make an album with a cohesive sound, many of your old fans may not like it. While it can be fun to be surprised whenever we have a new Doja project, many listeners may be repelled by major sonic shifts from project to project. A good comparison would be Christina Aguilera who pivoted across multiple genres successfully across three albums before flopping with her 2010 album “Bionic”. Sometimes too many pivots can be bad in the long run.
4.) Love-Hate relationship with fans and previous work.
Doja’s social media antics are well-known at this point. Her sarcastic demeanor has won her millions of fans but she has had a prickly relationship with said fans. Fame is difficult and the pressures of modern pop stardom are enormous. However, arguing with your own fans is a no-win situation, especially when its amplified by social media. These same fans are the ones who are buying tickets to your shows, streaming your music and buying/downloading your music.
Also, Doja has publicly denounced her previous projects in the past. If you’re a fan of any of her previous albums, this can be very discouraging if the artist seems to hate their own work. It makes you wonder what kind of music Doja really wants to make. Also, if she’s gushing about her latest project, her fans may feel that she will eventually denounce it once her next project is ready to be released. Would you be invested and supportive of a project that an artist will disparage in a couple years when its time to promote a new one?
5.) Ageism
This one may seem like a surprise but it actually makes the most sense as to why this project is under performing. To have a successful rollout and release, one needs a lot of major label backing. Doja turns 30 later this month (October 2025), and that’s often a transitional age for pop stars, especially women. Four albums in, Doja Cat is a veteran. Having broken out in 2018, she’s nearly a decade into her pop career and this is very often the point when most artists see a major commercial decline. While 30 is definitely not old in any stretch of the imagination, it is considered mature in the pop music world. Things you could get away with in your early 20s are seen as cringe worthy the closer one gets to 30.
Label support starts drying up as the label and industry starts to look for younger, fresher talent to invest in. Radio may stop playing your songs once you’re longer deemed a “hot” artist. The thing with ageism in pop music is that it’s slow and subtle in the beginning before snowballing to the point that an artist wakes up one day and most of their audience is gone. It’s unfair and sad but I can’t help but feel like this is the main reason why this project is getting such a muted response. Maybe her core fan base of young listeners view her as yesterday’s news?