Doja Cat Stuns on Vogue Cover, 'Vie' and I Learn Where the Artist Is in Her Career

On my way out of Barnes & Noble today I noticed the latest edition of Vogue. On the cover is a figure I hadn’t thought about in a while and honestly neglected to check in on: Doja Cat. She stands powerful in her Saint Laurent suit and open shoulders, with the text below her reading ‘Power Trip—How Doja Cat Came Out on Top.’

[embed]Doja Cat Is Having the Last Laugh "We've got a lot of fun ideas that I can't spoil at the moment," she says of her coming tour dates.www.vogue.com

As I waited in line for a second time, I wondered many things. What has she been up to? Is she still producing music? Why haven't I heard anything out of her fans on X? Is X still a reliable way to communicate with fandoms? The sales clerk partially answered my question.

I held up the edition of Vogue and pointed to Doja’s face, beginning with ‘Where did Doja go?’

The clerk paused for a second before continuing to ring up my items. The beep of the scanner echoed throughout the grandness of the Barnes & Noble at Union Square.

“I’m not sure. I know she released an album recently,” said the worker as I began to pull out my card.

“Huh, weird. I know she had that incident with her fan, calling him ‘*musty,*’ but that’s the last I’ve heard of her.”

The clerk was clearly intrigued by my deviation from the usual sales script. I noted that they also had a strong fascination with pop culture like me, and I could ask them anything.

“I honestly forgot about all of that. I know she has a new album titled Vie.”

I nodded along.

“What did you think?” I asked.

“I wasn’t that impressed by the album. It didn’t move me as much as her other albums did.”

That’s where the conversation ended, but I went ahead and read the interview Vogue published on Doja while she was on tour in Australia. In the interview, Liam Hess, the journalist asking Doja questions about her life, music, and touring, learns that Doja has entered a new era in her music career.

The article acknowledges the success of Planet Her—an album that raked up eight Grammy nominations—and solves the case that I created in my head.

According to the Vogue interview, Doja is spending more time with her cats when she’s not on tour. In a way, she is reconnecting with her roots in the suburbs of Los Angeles. She’s still performing but has taken a step back from social media, which is likely why I haven’t heard or seen from her.

Are we seeing a rebranded Doja rise from the ashes?