This song is part of our “THE SUMMER 97 (1998 x 2023)” playlist. Check out the full list.
Seeing red? Mission accomplished. Doja Cat has been inciting flames of fury amongst her fans, some former, with recent comments and criticisms she’s made about stan culture. Truth be told, this instance is hardly the first or worst controversy to surround the hitmaker; being problematic is essentially part of her brand at this point. Nonsense aside, the first two singles from Doja Cat’s fourth studio album “Scarlet” see her leaning hard into Hip-Hop, shedding the glossy pop sound behind her biggest hits. While “Attention” didn’t create too much buzz, “Paint the Town Red” has ignited quite the stir.
Debuting at #15 on the Billboard Hot 100, the Dionne Warwick-sampling track is only gaining in popularity. Today, it broke records on Spotify, garnering the largest single-day streams total of any solo female rap song. It’s predicted that the song will enter the top ten of the Hot 100, potentially reaching #5. The success is well-deserved. Doja Cat’s choice to quit straddling the line of Pop and Hip-Hop and embrace her status as one of Hip-Hop’s leading lady rappers is proving to be a success. As its insanely catchy chorus goes, “Bitch, I said what I said; I’d rather be famous instead.” Her no-fucks-given attitude has translated into the music, and it’s clear that while it may make her unlikeable, it’s made her music undeniable.
Watch the “Paint the Town Red” video, stream it, or get some Doja Cat vinyl.
In celebration of summer, the staff at THE 97 has compiled a playlist containing some of our favorite summer songs, from then and now. Each day we will reveal one song, rotating daily between past and present with pairings from 1998 and 2023, for a total of 97 days/songs. Since we love nostalgia, we’re celebrating summer songs from 1998 as they turn 25, alongside new songs that we feel deserve some shine. Pairings could be thematic, sonic, or based connections between the artists.