Pop star, provocateur, and sonic shapeshifter Doja Cat is entering a new chapter, and it’s drenched in dreamy nostalgia. In her cover story for V Magazine, the artist opens up about Vie, her upcoming album full of vintage synths, reflections on love, and a sharp critique of how people perceive pop music.
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A New Life, Rooted in the Old
The album title Vie—French for “life”—signals a kind of rebirth. But it’s not about reinvention as much as re-exploration. “Where I am creatively right now is based in where I was,” Doja says, describing this chapter as a return to source. She wants to “swim back upstream,” revisit the past, and evolve it.
Drawing from retro soundscapes and dreamlike textures, the album captures the feel of another time, not through obvious ’80s throwbacks, but through moody, lo-fi memories. Her inspiration? Not neon and leg warmers, but bland office buildings and flickering fluorescent lights. “When I was a kid, it was in these old buildings where our parents would be working,” she says. “It still felt quite sad. The fluorescent lights just hurt.”
Pop Isn’t Dead, It’s Dismissed
Although Doja famously declared “no more pop” in past tweets, she’s not shying away from the genre this time. She’s embracing it, just not blindly.
“I do want to be self-aware enough to admit the fact that this is a pop-driven project,” she says. But she quickly points out how pop is often dismissed as unserious or frivolous. “There are some people who don’t see it as music. They see it as if this is some kind of football for girls and gays.”
It’s a pointed observation, not about reclaiming pop, but about how others devalue it because of who loves it. While pop dominates charts and culture, it’s often treated as fluff simply because it resonates with women and queer audiences. Doja’s not here to pander, but she’s not turning her back on a genre that, for better or worse, defines her mainstream success.
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Learning to Love Her Voice
Doja also reveals she’s been pushing herself vocally. “Sometimes I’m surprised by what I can do now,” she admits. “Because I could not fucking sing.” Still, she’s rapping throughout the project, she hasn’t ditched bars for ballads, but she’s more confident in her voice as an instrument than ever before.
A Fresh Collab to Cap It Off
Despite the drama, Doja’s keeping the music coming. She recently joined Lizzo on “STILL CAN’T FUH,” a cheeky standout track from Lizzo’s new album MY FACE HURTS FROM SMILING. The collab is classic Doja: playful, irreverent, and catchy as hell.
As Vie approaches, one thing’s clear, Doja Cat isn’t chasing approval. She’s building a world on her terms, whether it’s through dreamy synths, biting honesty, or calling out the way pop culture treats the very fans who keep it alive.
