For the first time in 2023, a rap song is at number one on Billboard's Hot 100: Doja Cat's “Paint the Town Red.” It’s her second number one single after the disco inspired “Say So.” But the ubiquitous and lighthearted bop didn’t accurately reflect Doja’s divisive persona, an extremely online meme lord, and sometimes troll, with a history of riling up internet controversy.
Doja Cat recently called out her fans for their parasocial obsessiveness, losing 250k instagram followers in the process. Simultaneously, religious conservatives have accused her of Satanism for her playful use of illuminati imagery at her 27th birthday bash. But rather than recoil, Doja Cat is clapping back at criticism by embracing the devil.
On “Paint the Town Red” she’s following the playbook of Lil Nas X’s “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” and Sam Smith and Kim Petras’ “Unholy,” all of which use demonic imagery to spark religious controversy while also commenting on artists’ indiscretions and the hellish nature of the attention economy. In her satanic suite — “Paint The Town Red,” “Demon,” and “Attention” — Doja Cat’s turns online flame wars into musical gold.
Songs Discussed:
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
How Coachella took the Woodstock look
Modern Classics: Mark Ronson on Ginuwine's "Pony"
Summer Hits: Jack Antonoff on Bleachers “Stop Making This Hurt”
Modern Classics: Yola on Childish Gambino’s “Redbone” and the Longevity of Soul
The Appealing Uneasiness of Listening to L’Rain (Live at JBL)
Summer Hits: City Girls - Twerkulator (with Kyra Gaunt)
Summer Hits: Lorde - Solar Power (w Hanif Abdurraqib)
Summer Hits: Olivia Rodrigo - good 4 u (with Jessica Hopper)
Modern Classics: Labrinth's "Sexy MF" (with Sam Sanders)
Growing Pains with Lucy Dacus
Summer Hits: BTS - Butter (with Jenna Andrews)
Pop’s Worst Kept Secret ft. Emily Warren
40 Years Later, Japanese City Pop is Still Crashing the Charts (with Cat Zhang)
J Cole’s The Off Season and the Power of the 12/8 Shuffle
ICYMI Rina Sawayama Reimagines the 00s
Vijay Iyer on why jazz has always been political
Introducing Galaxy Brains
Turns out Willow Smith rocks
Julia Michaels’ Songwriting Superpowers
How Take A Daytrip took off (full interview)
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
Good One: A Podcast About Jokes
The Vulture TV Podcast
Vulture Festival Podcast