By Ben Jolley
Doja Cat might be an artist of few words when it comes to addressing her audience, but there’s no doubt that she knows how to put on a proper show.
With a seemingly-endless production budget, the American’s ‘Scarlet’ tour - whose 24-song setlist mostly consists of tracks from her recent album of the same name - elevates the whole idea of live performance to an entirely new level.
The staging is well thought-out and full of jaw-dropping moments: from Doja ascending on a floating platform and looming over the crowd from high up in the air, to the ceaseless flames and fireworks that regularly shoot skywards from the front of the stage.
Hair is a prevalent theme of the show; too: whether it’s the giant hairstacks from which the live band play - likely a nod to Doja’s recent shaved hair look - or the hanging braid mic-rope that descends from the ceiling for an incendiary ‘Demons’, whose trashing riffs and trap beat carry the intensity of a metal show.
Photo by Sam Hussein
Vocally - both when singing and rapping - she proves how talented she is: while the rapid-fire bars of ‘Get Into It (Yuh)’ leave jaws on the floor, she can do SZA-like R&B just as convincingly (as evidenced during the seductive chorus of ‘Can’t Wait’).
Though her live band and four backing vocalists do a phenomenal job (especially as the latter also double up as dancers), it’s impossible to take your eyes off Doja.
One moment she’s writhing around on the floor, the next she’s twerking while flames fan around her. Although many artists feel the need to bring out special guest after special guest to bulk out their show, that’s not the case here: tonight is all about Doja Cat.
Just when you think she might close with her huge hit ‘Paint The Town Red’ - for which she makes lyric-appropriate devil horns with her hands, leading to a mass singalong and synchronising with her dancers during the sample of Dionne Warwick’s 1964 hit ‘Walk On By’ - the final word is left to a pyro-heavy rendition of the unashamedly uncensored ‘Wet Vagina’.
Photo by Sam Hussein
While her more casual, younger fans might have left wanting to hear more of her pop hits (‘Say So’ is the only one to make the cut, leaving our pop smashed ‘Woman’ and ‘Kiss Me More’), it’s abundantly clear that she did not care to follow expectations. This refusal to compromise any aspect of her artistry is what makes Doja Cat such a uniques talent: an untameable presence in an industry full of crowdpleasers…
While Doja undoubtedly justified her superstar status, rising star hemlocke springs - who recently reinterpreted ‘agora hills’ for a Spotify Singles cover - also made it clear why she was chosen to join her on this tour.
Like Doja, springs is an incredibly compelling performer and knows how to really deliver when on stage – whether she’s stalking the stage, dropping to her knees and crawling on the floor during anthemic singalong enknee1’ or screaming at full pelt during ‘stranger danger!’.
Photo by Sam Hussein
With a sonic that hinges on 80s-indebted synth pop, springs’ look is impressively striking too: a black tutu, knee length tights and a shiny black jacket, as well as pink hair, white face paint with black streaks down her eyes, it all serves to bring a touch of the gothic to proceedings.
Like Doja, springs is an incredibly compelling performer and knows how to really deliver when on stage – whether she’s stalking the stage, dropping to her knees and crawling on the floor during anthemic singalong enknee1’ or screaming at full pelt during ‘stranger danger!’.
After just 30 minutes in her presence, it was clear that a live setting is where hemlocke springs really comes to life. One to watch, for sure.