Just over a month ago, Doja Cat premiered the music video for her song Demons, the artist’s second song on her fourth studio album, Scarlet. Co-directed by Christian Breslauer, who also directed “Streets” from her 2019 album Hot Pink and Doja Cat, the music video shocked fans. The paranormal activity vibes, namely, Doja dressed as a demon crawling on the ceiling like a deadite from Evil Dead Rise, spooked many a month before Halloween and prompted worries that Doja may be worshipping Satan.
A year before this music video, Doja raised eyebrows when she shaved hers and her hair on an Instagram live. Fans were up and down her comments, giving unsolicited thoughts on her new look. Posting anything on social media as a public figure or celebrity opens the door to scrutiny. Leaving comments available also invited discussion. However, the days spent clogging the internet airspace and my timeline with Doja’s hairless head and brow were too much. This was tea for, at best, 30 minutes. Many worried that Doja was exhibiting some mental break and talked about her like we spoke of Britney in 07.
But like the worries over her music video, which disregard the video’s fluid cinematography, cohesive storyline, and expressive acting from Doja and Christina Ricci (1991 film The Addams Family), our obsession with Doja’s looks shows both how little we value women’s autonomy and agency and also our limiting views of female rappers sexuality.
Doja is not the first and will not be the last Black and/or female pop artist to use spooky season to inspire songs, albums, or music videos. Here’s a brief and incomplete list:
Michael Jackson, “Thriller” (classic)
Kanye West featuring Jay-Z, Rick Ross, Nicki Minaj, & Bon Iver), “Monster”
Lady Gaga, The Fame Monster
Lil Nas X, “Montero” (remember he put actual blood in those sneakers)
Olivia Rodrigo, “Vampire”
Some of these artists even used demon iconography in their songs or outfits. Doja has said the new edgy sound marks her slight move away from dulcet R&B and Pop sounds towards percussive and expressive Rap. She’s not provoking for provocation’s sake. She feels frustrated, angry, and betrayed and wants to show this in her music.
At the time of Kanye’s video, I cannot recall this degree of worry over whether or not Kanye was worshipping Satan when he had dead-looking women hanging from ceilings in his music video. It is a double standard. Doja’s visually striking use of metaphor and analogy can be overly attributed to personal strife, while we call Kanye a creative genius.
Lest we forget the 00s discourse around Gaga (the meat dress era), where Gaga’s fashion got more absurd and often included Catholic iconography in controversial ways, I distinctly remember her getting kicked out of her sister’s graduation at Sacred Heart on 81st Street (my high school’s sister school) for wearing seethrough lace pants.
Doja is not the only start to shave her head and forgo worrying over industry standards of beauty. Another incomplete list:
Sinead O’Connor (may she rest in peace)
Willow Smith - called it the “most radical thing” she could do
Keke Palmer
Amber Rose
Lupita
Solange - freed her from the “bondage” black women face around their hair
Doja is not necessarily disturbed or depressed because she speaks up about people harassing her, decides to change her style, and adopts new interests. It’s also not necessarily our business. I love that she’s so unbothered with fans unfollowing her after this. While it’s tempting to see these simply as lashing out, Doja is reclaiming agency over her look, sound, interests, and body: a decisive move when the Supreme Court has overturned Roe v Wade. Still a young woman, Doja’s attempts to assert herself don’t have to meet our standards or be perfect.
These signs of her taking control and speaking up show her actively dealing with any mental health issues she may struggle with. Focusing on the actions I can control versus the perceptions I cannot help me manage my anxiety.
Especially within Hip Hop, women have been saying for years that society and men overemphasize women’s sexuality and often objectify female rappers. Women not considered beautiful or desirable by industry and societal beauty or desirability standards often face an uphill battle to success and acclaim.
This demon-era forces us to focus on her music and its themes and craft, not her looks or fame. Quite frankly, Doja is courageous for doing what could have damaged her public image in service of producing better and more honest art. It’s not a move we see female pop stars make at this stage in their careers. Maybe this should be my demon era, too.
Random Demon-era Thoughts
I am reading (listening to the audiobook) Swing Time by Zadie Smith, and the main character also makes a decision regarding her career that aligns more with her morals and values but has negative consequences.
I will be reading Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson with APS Together, and I ordered my book late, so I’ll be behind by at least a week!
My favorite cartoon demons might be Pain and Panic from Disney’s Hercules.
I can’t decide what horror movie to watch this spooky season. If you have suggestions, please leave a comment!