Doja Cat makes her triumphant return with the fresh single “Attention,” unveiled on Friday (June 16). Paired with an unsettling music video, the new release takes a deep dive into the paradoxical world of fame.
“Now I feel like I can see you b**ches is depressed. I am not afraid to finally say s**t with my chest. Lost a lil’ weight, but I ain’t never lost a tushy. Lookin’ good, but now my bald head match my [p**sy],” she raps in the song’s opening verse.
Later in the track, Doja name-drops Nicki Minaj and references Cardi B’s “Hot S**t,” stating,
“Just let me flex, bruh, just let me pop s**t. ‘Why she think she Nicki M? She think she hot s**t?’ Huh, I never gave a F, go stir the pot, b**ch. I got y’all head all in the dirt just like an ostrich. Of course, you b**ches comparin’ Doja to who the hottest.”
In the eerie visual, the rapper navigates through Los Angeles’ bustling streets. She eludes ardent admirers and bystanders who are all adorned in grotesque, fleshy masks. Tanu Muino, famed for steering visuals like Harry Styles’ “As It Was” and Cardi’s “Up,” is the creative force behind the distinctive video shot on location in the City of Angels.
Earlier in the week, the chart-topping artist announced the track’s release date on social media. She also revealed the associated cover art, which showcases an upside-down, bloodstained letter “A” — a symbol she later dubbed a “placeholder.”
Intriguingly, the star had been leaving breadcrumbs for fans in the form of “The Scarlet Letter”-inspired hints. On May 24, she posted to Twitter, “Scarlet was here” alongside a blood drop emoji. Later, on June 9, the same emoji resurfaced, accompanied by the message, “Scarlet’s watching.” The final clue arrived over the weekend when she shared, “Let myself heal, scar finally sealed.”
This new single hints at an upcoming full-length album from the artist. While no title or release date has been disclosed, this potential project would serve as a follow-up to Doja’s successful 2021 album, Planet Her. This critically acclaimed record reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200 albums chart on July 10, 2021 and yielded multiple enduring hits such as “Need to Know,” “Woman,” “Ain’t S**t” and “Get Into It (Yuh).”
Doja Cat’s last standalone single, “Vegas,” debuted in 2022 as part of the soundtrack for Baz Luhrmann’s film Elvis. In May, she stirred up controversy with a now-deleted tweet implying her previous two albums were commercial ploys. Nonetheless, the world waits with bated breath for the musician’s next artistic endeavor.