Track Review: Doja Cat, ‘Paint The Town Red’

After launching her new era with the boom-bap-inspired “Attention,” which is currently nominated for Music Video of the Year at the 2023 Bulletin Awards, Doja Cat has returned with the first proper radio single for her forthcoming fourth studio album.

Constructed around an uninspired flip of a Dionne Warwick “Walk On By” sample, “Paint The Town Red” attempts to turn Doja’s many self-inflected controversies into an “IDGAF” anthem that continues her rap-centric direction for the new record. It would’ve been cool if “Pain The Town Red” actually pulled that off, but that’s tough to do when the song is barely a degree separated from the sonic aesthetic of Hot Pink and Planet Her. And it wouldn’t even be a top-tier song on either project.

Over a beat subtly brassy beat accented by finger snaps, Doja delivers bars that almost feel like a parody of an “unbothered response to the haters” track. “Said pop make money, now you try, bitch / You could use a revamp with a new vibe, sis / I don't need a big feature or a new sidekick / I don't need a new fan 'cause my boo like it,” she raps, addressing her comments referring to her last two albums as cash grabs, her recent style aesthetic changes, her string of solo releases, her comments dissing fans, and her allegedly abusive new boyfriend. Not only is her flow uninteresting, but the bars are also flat and Doja doesn’t deliver them with enough bite or grit to offset the elementary nature of those lines. There aren’t any slick metaphors or puns to make these feel like more than empty lines. It’s almost as if Doja embroiled herself in controversies just so she would have something to rap about — but it’s far too obvious and the bars aren’t impressive enough to ignore how manufactured everything feels. She does get close to something real with the line “Fans ain't dumb, but extremists are.”

Yet, in typical Doja fashion, the hook is immaculate. Her ear for melody is strong enough that “Paint The Town Red” is genuinely catchy, and its nondescript lyrics make it easy to turn into a generalized F-the-haters anthem. Taken as a standalone piece of music, “Paint The Town Red” is fine. When contextualized in the grander scheme of Doja’s album campaign, it is as disappointing as it is confusing.

Score: 60