Doja Cat is no stranger to controversy. Last month, her social media posts regarding her fans proved polarizing. But perhaps the ruffled feathers are something she lives for. On her new single, “Paint The Town Red,” Doja seemingly alludes to the emotional consequences of the superstardom she’s achieved in recent years.
Over a jazz-influenced, Dionne Warwick beat, Doja addresses everything — fame, opulence, and pop-star status.
“Yeah, b*tch, I said what I said / I’d rather be famous instead / I let all that get to my head / I don’t care, I paint the town red,” she raps on the song’s chorus.
Elsewhere on the song, she seemingly alludes to the incident in which she said she didn’t love her fans, rapping, “Fans ain’t dumb but extremists are / I’m a demon, Lord / Fall off what? I ain’t seen a horse.” However, the title “Paint The Town Red” first appeared on an alleged tracklist Doja shared back in April, so it’s likely the song was written and recorded a long time ago.
Perhaps her anti-fan tirade was part of the song’s promotional campaign?
Who knows? But this new era of Doja sounds promising. Whether she wants it to or not.
In the song’s accompanying video, she channels the devil she’s constantly made out to be, conquers demons — both internally and within the video’s universe — and lays down the law of the land.
You can see the video for “Paint The Town Red” above.