"Yes, the synthetic beats and sax on opening track "Cards" confirm that Vie is her '80s pop album, but that's just the starting point. She covers the true breadth of '80s pop. Early single "Jealous Type" brings Control-era Janet Jackson vibes, while "Couples Therapy" is more of a sultry Prince groove, and "All Mine" calls to mind Anita Baker R&B. Well, after you get past an '80s reference I never expected in 2025: the Grace Jones dialog sample from Conan the Destroyer that opens "All Mine.""
"That touch of shock is what separates Vie from other '80s-loving homages. Doja always adds something unexpected to the proceedings, whether it's a tight rap bridge ("Jealous Type"), backing falsettos ("Couples Therapy"), or a Go Team!-ish schoolyard chant outro ("All Mine"). This playful experimentation continues across the album. "AAAHH Men!" is a pulsing, future club shout-along built atop the Knight Rider theme song and Busta Rhymes' 1998 rave up "Turn It Up/Fire It Up (Remix).""
Doja Cat's Vie embraces the full breadth of 1980s pop while integrating hip-hop, R&B, Afrobeat, and indie influences into a cohesive personal Pop sound. Opening track "Cards" uses synthetic beats and sax to signal the retro focus, while "Jealous Type" channels Control-era Janet Jackson and "Couples Therapy" evokes Prince. "All Mine" references Anita Baker R&B and samples Grace Jones from Conan the Destroyer for a shock element. Doja layers unexpected touches—tight rap bridges, backing falsettos, and playful outros—and pursues adventurous production choices like a Knight Rider–infused club stomper on "AAAHH Men!" and indie-pop melodies on "Stranger."
Read at SPIN
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]