Doja Cat stayed true to her word. Last month, the multi-talented artist—who’s earned seven Top 10 hits over the last three years with pop-leaning songs like ”Say So” and ”Kiss Me More”—vowed to leave the ”mid and corny raps” behind on all future releases, calling her previous two albums ”cash grabs” in a controversial series of tweets. Now, the singer, rapper, songwriter, and producer is back with ”Attention,” her first solo single since 2022’s ”Vegas,” off the Elvis soundtrack, and as promised, it finds Doja trading catchy pop melodies for hard-hitting rap verses.
Produced by Rogét Chahayed and Y2K, ”Attention” features an instrument-laden beat and finds Doja clapping back at reactions to her new look and shutting down comparisons to Nicki Minaj. The song opens with the pre-chorus, where Doja admits that she wants the focus on her, but she doesn’t necessarily need to be the most beloved.
Show you how to touch it, hold it like it’s precious
It don’t need your lovin’, it just needs attention
She reiterates her unabashed desire for attention on the hook.
(Love me) It needs, it seeks affection
(So sweet) Hungry, it fiends attention
On the first verse, Doja backs up this idea that, to her, all attention is the same. That’s what has her scouring the internet for trolling comments.
I coulda been an opener, I redirect the bookin’
I readed all the comments sayin’, ”D, I’m really shooketh”
”D, you need to see a therapist, is you lookin’?”
Yes, the one I got, they really are the best
She then addresses all the negative attention that she’s received for her new image. She recently shaved her head, and some men apparently have deemed the new haircut ”ugly.” But that’s not what bothers her—it bothers her that they thought they might have a chance with her in the first place.
Lookin’ good, but now my bald head match my
Lookin’ good, but now they all sayin’ that I’m ugly
Boo-hoo, my nigga, I ain’t sad you won’t fuck me
I’m sad that you really thought your ass was above me
On the second verse, Doja reflects on her success and pays her respect to the female artists who came before her and showed her ”how to make it.” She then shuts down any notion that there’s beef between her and Nicki Minaj over comparisons that may have been made between the two. In fact, she’s mostly just flattered to be considered on the same level as such a legend.
”Why she think she Nicki M? She think she hot shit”
Huh, I never gave a F, go stir the pot, bitch
I got y’all head all in the dirt just like an ostrich
Of course you bitches comparin’ Doja to who the hottest
”Attention” arrived alongside an official music video, where Doja wanders the streets of Los Angeles, dodging fans and weird masked passersby.
You can read all the lyrics to ”Attention” on Genius now.
