Despite recent moments of controversy, Doja Cat knows how to craft an alter ego. The singer has adopted a recognizable aesthetic: pink accessories, e-girl makeup, and, of course, her signature cat ears. But there’s more that goes into Doja’s persona than her looks alone, and the singer thinks focusing too much on her style can lead to her talent being overlooked.
Doja recently teamed up with Vevo for the mini-documentary titled The Tale Of Becoming Doja Cat. Throughout the 5-minute profile, Doja explains all that goes into creating her character. Speaking about her artistic aesthetic, the singer said her racy outfits can lead to people discrediting her creativity and intellect:
“I think if you’re sexy or if you show a great amount of skin, people will use that against you. Sometimes the way I dress or the way I talk, people think that I’m not as smart as I am or as creative as I am. I’ve always used what I’ve had, as far as my Instagram or my livestream or my Macbook or my phone or my keyboard or my looks. I use what I have. And I feel like I get discredited because of that. As Doja Cat, I want to change people’s minds about what rap or pop music can be. I’m never going to do the same thing every day, so whatever box people want to put me in, I’m always going to break out of that.”
Elsewhere in the mini-doc, the singer said she finds herself most creative when she fosters a “stir-crazy” environment for herself. “I’ve had moments in my life where I really felt crazy: being alone, being reclusive, and locking myself away,” Doja said. “Those are my most creative times. I like to drive myself to be stir crazy and restless. I like the feeling of feeling like Beethoven a little bit, and being stuck in one isolated spot. That feeling of being up and that drunken feeling of being tired and not having anything to do, it makes me want to work and it makes me to make music for some reason.”
Watch The Tale Of Becoming Doja Cat above.