Doja Cat is back with Vie, and it feels like she’s come full circle while still finding new ground. Most people first fell for her playful, genre-bending pop on Hot Pink and Planet Her, where bright hooks and effortless charisma made her an instant star. Then came Scarlet in 2023, which stripped away a lot of that shimmer in favour of harder edged rap and a more confrontational energy. It was bold, it was uncompromising, and it showed just how wide her range could really stretch.
Vie shifts the mood again, this time towards a more open, melodic space that brings her back into pop territory. But it’s not simply a return to old formulas. The record leans into romance, vulnerability and reflection, offering something warmer and more intimate than we’ve heard from her in a while. It’s the sound of an artist reconnecting with what made people love her in the first place, while still refusing to play it safe.
What makes Vie so striking is how fully Doja commits to its 80s inspired world. From start to finish, she leans into the glossy synths, punchy rhythms and the saxophone flourishes that glide in and out across the record. It never feels like a gimmick. Instead, it is as if she has stepped into that era completely, embodying its energy with a wink that still feels very her. Imagine Doja Cat dropping this in 1986 — people would have lost their minds. The French flourishes sprinkled across the songs and visuals deepen that retro fantasy, whether she is singing in the language itself or pairing it with the sultry, camp, Parisian artwork across the vinyl variants of the album.
The first half of the album is packed with moments that showcase her range and sharpened focus. Jealous Type surprises with layered background vocals that sound more refined than we have heard before, a reflection of the way she has spoken about taking her singing more seriously this time around. AAAHH MEN! turns up the fun with a sharp edged delivery that channels Nicki at her most playful. Gorgeous is a true highlight, pairing breezy verses and sensual sax with rap that calls back to the heights of Planet Her. It feels like a cousin to Agora Hills and captures Doja’s strengths in full. Stranger slows things down with hazy sunset energy, while All Mine slips in moments of Prince-like delivery that remind you how carefully she studies her influences without losing her own identity. Take Me Dancing, a collaboration with SZA, has the sparkle of two stars bouncing off each other and recalls the ease of their smash hit Kiss Me More. It may not have the same instant hit magic, and SZA feels a little more subdued here, but the charm of hearing them together still holds. Silly! Fun! is like it’s namesake and brings back the bubbly, earworm worthy Doja that caught our attention in the first place.
The latter half of the record struggles to maintain that same magic. The songs are still polished but get a bit lost, with One More Time making a last ditch attempt to lift things back up through its rush of energy. It works in parts, but trimming the tracklist could have left the album tighter and more impactful. At twelve songs, Vie would have been a lot more solid.
Even so, Vie is a strong reminder of where Doja Cat shines brightest. It does not quite reach the highs of Planet Her, which still stands as her most influential and impactful body of work, but it points her back in that direction. The balance of pop and rap is more natural here than on Scarlet, and the effort she has put into her vocals makes a real difference. Her singing has always been solid, but now it feels intentional, elevated, and woven into the production in ways that bring new colours to her sound. Paired with rich production that never lets up, Vie makes the case that Doja’s pop instincts are still as sharp as ever, and that she is at her best when she lets them lead.
4/5
Doja Cat’s ‘Vie’ is released on Friday 26th September 2025 on Kemosabe/RCA Records.
