Track Review: SZA & Doja Cat, ‘Kill Bill’

As SZA continues to effortlessly dominate Billboard’s marquee albums and singles charts with SOS and “Kill Bill,” respectively, the Number One spot on the Hot 100 continues to elude her. Since the song first entered the chart, the triple-platinum fifth radio single from SOS has spent eight weeks as the No. 2 song in America behind tracks from Taylor Swift (“Anti-Hero”), Miley Cyrus (“Flowers”), and Morgan Wallen (“Last Night”). In an effort to finally reach the summit of the chart, SZA has unveiled a new remix of “Kill Bill” featuring a rap verse from Doja Cat.

Serving as her first guest appearance on a song since last year’s turn on Post Malone’s Grammy-nominated “I Like You (A Happier Song),” this updated version of “Kill Bill” also serves as a sequel to SZA and Doja’s last collaboration: 2021’s “Kiss Me More,” the most-streamed all-female collaboration in Spotify history. Notably, the “Kill Bill (Remix)” presents Doja The Rapper™ as opposed to Doja The Singer™. Departing from the saccharine pop-rap that comprises a large part of her catalog, Doja opts for a narrative-driven structure that casts her in the same scene SZA finds herself in on the original track. “'Cause she was seein' red, and all I saw was you / It happened in a flash when she charged at me / Y'all criss-crossed, saw her fall to the floor / Then you paused there in horror, that shot wasn't for her,” she concludes her verse. Just as SZA croons of fantasies of murdering her ex and his new girl, Doja actually kills the new girlfriend and sets her reunion with her ex over her dead body. It’s dark stuff — steeped in the legacy of horrorcore and peppered with flourishes of an eerie Eminem-esque nonchalance and a vocal fry that recalls the idiosyncracies of Tyler, the Creator’s delivery.

It’s a very strong verse and an excellent swing at what narrative-driven rap from Doja can sound like. For what it’s worth, this is the verse that will convince (or at least start those conversations in earnest) many naysayers of Doja’s rap credibility. Hearing her indulge in proper storytelling over production that favors the boom-bap of hip-hop’s Golden Age is valid proof of Doja’s rap skill for those who don’t respect pop-rap as a legitimate extension of the rap musical ecosystem. Just like another remix that dropped last weekend, it isn’t easy to divorce this new version of “Kill Bill” from the petty politics of the race to the top of the charts. Whether or not the remix helps “Kill Bill” cross that finish line, it’s a solid remix, although a change in production to fully breathe new life into the song would have taken it to the next level.

Vote for SZA and Doja Cat at the 2023 Bulletin Awards.

Score: 75