A blood-curdling scream ripped through the United Center. Flashes of white light illuminated a giant screen mounted behind the stage as a dancer draped in red veils sauntered toward center stage. All the lights turned off as she dropped through the floor, and in her place emerged Doja Cat clad in red lingerie and a black fur coat (which she hurriedly shed) to begin the final show of the Scarlet Tour, Doja’s first arena tour. She screeched out “Fuck this beat,” the first line of her rap “WYM Freestyle,” which showcased the metal and horrorcore influences that shape her new album Scarlet.
Scarlet is a jarring departure from Doja’s previous studio album, Planet Her, a pop/hip-hop record that found massive success with a mainstream audience. Following the success of her newest single, “Paint the Town Red,” it was clear that most fans approved of Doja Cat’s ghoulish twisting of her music. This shift in her style came across not just through her music, but also in haunting stage imagery and unnerving violin music. Scarlet is a means for Doja Cat to shed her quirky, preppy personality to explore a darker side of herself and her artistry.
Continuing with the ghoulish imagery, a giant black widow spider descended from the ceiling and hovered over Doja Cat as she performed “Demons.” Following this song, the lights quickly changed to blood red and a cavalcade of dancers draped in red robes marched across the stage toward Doja. The screen behind depicted a church, the tour of many instances of religious imagery in the show. The R&B artist paid no mind to the believers in the audience and continued with the lyrics “cussin’ on a Sunday.”
While I support Doja Cat’s exploration of darker themes in her music, the incorporation of religious themes into her show felt unnecessary and confusing. Throughout the show, Doja participated in cult-like rituals, was crucified, and later conducted an exorcism of a bloody demon woman. These elements seemed less like additive storytelling and more like an attempt to generate buzz for the tour.
Despite these somewhat controversial elements, the show was very visually impressive. Each act had a distinct atmosphere and uniquely entertaining stage designs, my favorite being a dancer in a massive eyeball costume with an attached optic nerve that hung from the ceiling during “Paint the Town Red.” Alongside the eye-catching optics, Doja Cat silenced all critics with her rap abilities.
During one of the few times that the singer interacted with her audience, Doja Cat didn’t hesitate to show her silly side. She decided that since it was the final show of the tour, she would share a “special freestyle rap.” After concluding her goofy rap about how the tour was almost over, she yelled with glee, “That’s why I’m famous: because I can rap really, really well!”
