“Vie,” Doja Cat’s return to pop music, has gems but is largely formulaic.
“Vie,” Doja Cat’s return to pop music, has gems but is largely formulaic.
Singer, rapper and internet mainstay Doja Cat released the 80s-soaked “Vie” Sept. 26. Groovy bass licks and blaring saxophones dominate the retro album, separating it from its strictly-rap predecessor, “Scarlet.”
After the album’s announcement, its lead single, “Jealous Type,” released Aug. 21. Dripping in disco influences, the song details unease within Doja’s current relationship. The track also employs heavy vocal layering, a technique evoking her sophomore project, “Hot Pink.”
“Vie,” or “life” in French, maintains a romantic theme throughout, bolstered by French lyricism on multiple songs — most prominently “Lipstain.” Explaining how leaving hickies on her lover’s neck outwardly advertises their love, she employs French loan words and plush-sounding vocals on the chorus to contrast her punchy cadence on rap verses.
“Happy” also contains French songwriting, employing the phrase “brise mon cœur, encore, ce soir,” or “break my heart again tonight,” on the track’s refrain. Unfortunately, the song’s uneventful instrumental and repetitive refrain render the recording tedious.
The cleverly titled “AAAHH MEN!” features high-energy chants on its chorus and showcases Doja’s extensive knowledge of all things pop culture, mentioning 2000s video game legend Leory Jenkins, the Smith family dynasty and Kiera Knightley’s cosmetic surgery in the same song. However, the track also contains some of the corniest lines on the entire album.
The sex bar “But my DNA wants your D in me” screams of the maturity of a middle school boy.
Unfortunately, wack bar after wack bar seems to be the norm on “Vie,” such as on the chorus of “Stranger.”
“So kiss me like your mirror, eye me like a queer,” Doja sings.
Even though the track is supported by a dance-inducing beat, its bizarre lyrics come off less campy and more like a shaky first attempt at slam poetry.
Despite its lyrical inconsistencies, the album’s instrumentation — for the most part — provides a consistent base, maintaining a modern edge while drawing from pop, funk and R&B genres of the 70s and 80s. The laidback style of oldschool R&B meets frantic rapping on “All Mine” while the opener “Stranger” comes blaring out of the gate with a cacophonous chorus of saxophones, contrasting with a boom bap beat throughout the rest of the track.
However, the spacey trap instrumental of “Acts of Service” feels out of place, with its inclusion seemingly secured just to fill up the project’s runtime.
In fact, much of the third act of “Vie” feels more like album fodder than anything, with tracks “One More Time” and “Make It Up” having the staying power of Frosted Flakes in a bowl of milk. The same can be said for the forgettable “Couples Therapy” and “Take Me Dancing,” with the latter failing to rival the previous Doja and SZA collab, “Kiss Me More.”
The majority of the record follows the same basic song structure — chorus, rap verse, chorus, outro. CTRL C, CTRL V that formula, and the majority of “Vie” has been produced.
It’s no surprise that predictability is the album’s biggest detriment. Jack Antonoff is one of the executive producers.
While Antonoff is responsible for many of the most notable albums of the 2010s and 20s — such as Taylor Swift’s “folklore” or Lana del Rey’s “Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd” — his style of production as of late has felt like it’s passed its prime, especially evident on “Vie.” Antonoff is overworked — we need a new nerdy pop producer with glasses.
Even though he has production credits on “Gorgeous,” it escapes the Antonoff curse, namely because of the other producers, George Daniel and Sounwave. The track’s infectious yet dreamy melody is complemented by punchy, “Brat”-esque drums — fitting, seeing as Daniel produced various songs on the Charli xcx project.
“Vie” is at its best when Doja’s able to be unapologetically herself — whether that be her over-the-top, almost theatric, vocals on “Silly! Fun!” or her boisterous rap verse on “Come Back,” with its sharp, forward pressing flow.
From repetitive and generic beats to cringeworthy lyrics, Doja Cat’s return to pop music, “Vie,” leaves a lot to be desired. While the majority of the project is formulaic, diamonds in the rough stand as proof that she can make interesting music — she just needs to be surrounded by the right people.
“Vie” is available on all major streaming platforms.
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