In the time since her “Mooo!” went first viral in 2018, Doja Cat has emerged as a bonafide pop juggernaut. Fresh off of 3 Grammy nominations, one more sleeper hit single (“Streets”) from her star-making Hot Pink set, and a pair of new Billboard Hot 100 smashes alongside Saweetie (“Best Friend”) and SZA (“Kiss Me More”), Doja cat has finally unleashed the latter song’s parent album — her highly anticipated Planet Her.
Doja’s third studio LP, Planet Her is a kaleidoscopic collection of songs that explore the intricacies of lust, loyalty and loneliness. Also featuring appearances by The Weeknd, Ariana Grande, Young Thug and J.I.D., Planet Her journeys through pop, R&B, hip-hop, Afrobeats, and more. After dominating 2020 with the inescapable Hot 100-topper “Say So” and scoring a handful of follow-up hits in 2021, the stakes were high for Planet Her. Ultimately, Doja strikes the perfect balance between the quirky left-field vigor of her pre-mainstream days and the sugary sweet pop melodies that have enraptured millions of fans around the world.
From dreamy acoustic guitar to booming basslines, Doja handles the set’s expansive soundscape with ease. Without missing a single beat, Planet Her is sexy, introspective, reflective, and celebratory. Below, Billboard ranks every track from Doja Cat’s new album.
14. “Imagine”
There are few sounds Doja pulls off better than the sparkly trap-influenced midtempo. “Imagine” finds Doja utilizing her best Young Thug impression as she croons about luxury and high life. It’s one of the more lightweight moments on Planet Her, but it does serve as a reminder of just how far Doja has come.
13. “Payday” (feat. Young Thug)
Speaking of Young Thug, the prolific Atlanta rapper assists Doja on this cash-centric banger. The pair’s first collaboration, “Payday” is an unruly victory lap that celebrates how much money Doja and Thugger have made. Their styles mesh particularly well, and the lighthearted vibe of the song makes the melody even more addictive.
12. “Naked”
Sex and lust are major themes on Planet Her, and no track tackles those concepts as explicitly as “Naked.” Doja cuts right to the chase as she poses the song’s central question: “Can we take this off and get naked?” Between the enticing rhythm and Doja’s sultry vocal performance, “Naked” certainly ups the temperature in the room by the end of its run.
11. “Kiss Me More” (feat. SZA)
Planet Her’s lead single, “Kiss Me More” remains one of the strongest pop songs of 2021 so far. The disco-influenced ode to tongue action is still as breezy and as flirtatious as it was when it dropped back in April. SZA’s verse is still golden and Doja’s “all on my tongue I want it,” still inspires you to chant along, what’s not to love? In the context of Planet Her, it makes sense that “Kiss Me More” was chosen as the song to introduce the album since it’s the most easily digestible track upon first listen. Nevertheless, it still holds his own against the more challenging songs on the album.
10. “Ain’t S–t”
Easily the most hotly anticipated song on the tracklist, “Ain’t S–t” was already something of a smash hit. Prior to the release of Planet Her, Doja teased “Ain’t S–t” multiple times on Instagram Live, and the anticipation was instantly at a fever pitch. Of course, when hype builds for so long, it’s nearly impossible to live up to it, but that doesn’t mean “Ain’t S–t” isn’t great in its own right. A direct descendent of Destiny’s Child “Bills, Bills, Bills” and TLC’s “No Scrubs,” “Ain’t S–t” is a new anthem that doubles as a takedown of lazy men that always want more than they can give. Doja rips through biting rap verses with a venomous flow that is counterbalanced by more restrained sung verses. It’s a winner.
9. “Need to Know”
Released as the first promotional single for Planet Her, the unabashedly sexual “Need to Know” has only gotten better over the past week. “Need to Know” is a prime example of how Doja doesn’t solely rely on the shock value of her lyrics to make her songs click; the theatricality of her delivery and vocal performances are what truly carry this song and the rest of Planet Her.
8. “Woman”
As Planet Her’s opening track, “Woman” sets a high bar. In fact, think of this song as the national anthem of Planet Her. Sensual and hypnotizing, “Woman,” which features writing credits from Jidenna, infuses its sexy soundscape with Afrobeats. From a Rihanna name drop (“I could be the CEO, just a like a Robyn Fenty”) to film references, Doja covers a lot of ground on this track. Nonetheless, the song never loses sight as an ode to the divine feminine and all of the majesty of womanhood.
7. “Get Into It (Yuh)”
This song is the closest we get to the off-kilter quirkiness of Doja’s earlier music. It’s also one of the best Playboi Carti songs of recent years not made by Playboi Carti. “Get Into It (Yuh)” is a masterclass in controlled mania, the perfect encapsulation of a mind like Doja’s. Her delivery in the verses and hook may be frantic, but the careful vocal layering in the background adds an element of stability that provides a new texture to the song.
6. “I Don’t Do Drugs” (feat. Ariana Grande)
Ariana Grande and Doja Cat have quickly become one of pop music’s most undeniable pairings. The two stars first joined forces on “Motive” from Grande’s Positions album in 2020, then reunited (along with Megan Thee Stallion) this year on the remix for “34+35,” from that album’s deluxe reissue. With “I Don’t Do Drugs,” Doja takes a turn in the driver’s seat for a surprisingly somber rumination on how intoxicating attraction can be. “I just want you, but I don’t do drugs,” they croon on what is one of the most sneakily melancholy songs in recent memory.
5. “Options” (feat. J.I.D.)
Doja Cat has repeatedly proven that she’s a skilled rapper as well as a skilled singer. It’s a delight here to hear her go toe to toe with one of the most underrated rappers right now. Alongside heavyweight features like The Weeknd and Ariana Grande, J.I.D. more than holds his own on this atmospheric track. The two MCs trade verses about having multiple options for no-strings-attached relationships over Y2K’s booming production. Doja and J.I.D. have impeccable chemistry; hopefully, “Options” is the first of many collaborations between the two.
4. “You Right” (with The Weeknd)
After linking up for the remix of “In Your Eyes” from his seismic After Hours, The Weeknd and Doja Cat have reunited for “You Right,” the new single from Planet Her. This track finds The Weeknd bringing back echoes of his mixtape days to assist Doja in a seductive midtempo jam about knowingly giving into temptation. The whole affair gets quite hot and heavy as The Weeknd closes his verse with “a couple strokes, I’ll put it in, then you’ll belong to me,” but “You Right” excels because of how it explores every shade of the narrative and decision to give into lust.
3. “Alone”
Planet Her’s penultimate song, “Alone” is easily one of the most tender moments on the album. Anchored by laidback guitar, Doja tells a soul-baring story of the demise of a relationship and the journey towards truly accepting and being okay with aloneness. The second verse, in particular, is arguably the emotional apex of the album — a stern confessional that flexes both Doja’s rap prowess and her innate gift of songwriting.
2. “Love to Dream”
One of the most immediately arresting songs on the album, “Love to Dream” is also one of the most heartbreaking songs Doja has ever released. Over a downcast guitar-laden beat, Doja sings of how her inability to get out of her own ahead eventually led to the slow dissolution of her romance. “It’s not you, baby, it’s just me/ I don’t believe what I just lost,” she sings. There’s a feeling of nostalgia that wraps itself around each note Doja hits. As she reminisces on this lost love, she’s speaking to herself, her old flame, and to us.
1. “Been Like This”
“Been Like This” is essentially the slickest combination of all of Doja’s musical identities. The saccharine hook melody gives us a bit of pop, the stuttering production recalls Doja’s more alternative moments, the background harmonies provide an R&B foundation, and that impassioned second verse reminds us to emphasize the word “rapper” in Doja’s title. Between the track’s pacing and the “been” / “be in” wordplay, this track impresses at every turn. The crowning, moment, however, is when the strings swell right as Doja’s voice breaks in the last line of the bridge. Just beautiful.
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