Every song on Doja Cat's new album 'Planet Her,' ranked from worst to best
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Doja Cat released her third studio album, "Planet Her," on Friday.
Insider ranked all 14 songs on the tracklist, with "Kiss Me More" (feat. SZA) taking the top spot.
"Ain't S---" and "I Don't Do Drugs" (feat. Ariana Grande) rounded out the top three.
14. "Love to Dream" is sweet, smooth, yet somewhat forgettable.
"Love to Dream" is aptly titled. It's warm and weightless, like you're dozing off during a road trip, the late-day sun glinting through your window.
If this were a first-listen review, I would dub this song "background music." It's not bad by any means. It just breezes by with too much ease to leave much of an impression — especially since it's smack dab in the center of an energetic tracklist, sandwiched between two heavyweight collaborations.
13. "Imagine" is slightly more intriguing, but still doesn't say much.
"Imagine," another of the album's more languid songs, would also be labeled "background music" in my book.
Lyrically, Doja doesn't offer anything here that she doesn't provide elsewhere. "Imagine" suffers from an overly repetitive chorus — but benefits from a funkier, twinklier bassline than "Love to Dream."
12. "Options" (feat. JID) is a solid rap song.
"Options" immediately brought me back to 2017 rap and its fascinating obsession with the flute (Future's "Mask Off," Drake's "Portland," Migos' "Get Right Witcha").
This is the album's most straightforward dalliance with modern, popular hip-hop, and it works fairly well. Doja's flow is simple yet effective, and JID makes sense in this landscape, even if he doesn't add much texture.
11. "Naked" draws from reggaetón and dancehall.
The frisky jam "Naked" earns its early placement, offering some of Doja's funniest pick-up lines ("Let me cordially invite you to the party in my pants") and a trendy reggaetón bounce.
"Naked" manages to maintain the high energy level set by "Woman" — though it doesn't quite measure up to its predecessor, and gets quickly outshone by its successor "Payday."
10. "Alone" recalls an oughties blend of pop and R&B.
"Alone" is refreshingly tender without losing Doja's flair for the dramatic. It pairs introspective lyrics with deliciously moody production, like an early Justin Timberlake joint. Timbaland's influence can be felt in the baritone echoes and classic guitar riff.
9. The Weeknd's influence is clearly felt on "You Right."
Fittingly, "You Right" is a sexy, atmospheric slow-burn — exactly what you'd expect from The Weeknd. He has a way of bending songs to his will, and Doja deftly tones down her sparkle and flair to match the mood.
Lasting just over three minutes, the song doesn't overstay its welcome. While that will make fans eager to replay, probably by design, this strategy sacrifices a more satisfying marriage for brevity. I could've done with more harmonies to drive home their chemistry.
8. "Get Into It (Yuh)" pays homage to Nicki Minaj.
Like much of Nicki Minaj's best work, "Get Into It (Yuh)" is delirious, drunk on its own absurdity. Doja squeaks her way through the chorus, name-drops Ed Sheeran, and slides into an effortless verse that's more sound effect than spoken word.
"Get Into It (Yuh)" is an obvious offspring of "Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded," Minaj's groundbreaking sophomore album. Indeed, Doja gives Minaj a shout-out at the end of the two-minute jaunt, staking her claim as rap's next great hitmaker.
7. Young Thug was the perfect guest star for "Payday."
"Payday" sees Doja take on hyperpop with thrilling results. As noted by Vulture's Craig Jenkins, Young Thug was an inspired choice here — perhaps the only rapper who could rival Doja's artsy-cool-kid energy.
"Doja nearly outweirds Young Thug, the king of delightfully odd vocal deliveries," Jenkins wrote. "She plays well with others as long as they are capable of keeping up."
6. "Been Like This" illustrates Doja's skill as a shape-shifter.
"Been Like This" is the most successful slow song on "Planet Her" because it feels thick and intentional, not simply slowed down for balladry's sake. The gloomy production is several layers deep, and Doja refuses to stay in one gear.
Doja's biggest strength is agility; her breadth of tone and flow is seemingly endless, able to shift at a moment's notice. She uses that ability with relish here, so it never feels like she's losing momentum, despite the toned-down tempo.
5. "Need To Know" is a swaggering seduction bop.
Doja takes a futuristic synth, adds a solid beat, and sprinkles her devilish wit on top ("Itchin' for me like an ugly sweater / Need it in me like a Chuck E. need cheddar"). It's a slinky, surefire formula that sounds even more sublime within the context of the album.
4. "Woman" is the fun and flirty portal to Doja's world.
The Afrobeat-inspired "Woman" was the perfect choice to welcome fans to "Planet Her" — where following your sexual urges is uncomplicated and morally good, where the feminine is divine and it's summer year-round.
Doja doesn't take herself too seriously, and she doesn't ask us to, either. She flits over the high-energy beat with grace and confidence, easily mixing romantic themes with saucy winks and a reference to Regina George, for good measure.
3. "I Don't Do Drugs" (feat. Ariana Grande) is a bubbly summer banger.
Doja, an unexpectedly nimble vocalist, proved she could hold her own in an Ariana Grande duet with the underrated "Positions" banger "Motive."
Their combined energies are even more potent on "Planet Her," where midday skies are streaked with pink and orange. "I Don't Do Drugs" sounds almost tropical, like Doja and Grande are lounging on an extraterrestrial beach.
2. "Ain't S---" is pure Doja Cat.
"Ain't S---" is bold and weird and totally irresistible, boasting all the humor and personality that made fans fall in love with Doja years ago.
It's hard to imagine another artist being able to pull off this song. There may be other pop stars calling out unemployed men, but only Doja could jerk the beat to halt and pout-shout, "That's not cheating if I wasn't with your ass!" Written down, that lyric looks silly. With Doja's delivery, it shines.
1. "Kiss Me More" (featuring SZA) remains unmatched.
"Kiss Me More" is easily one of the best songs released this year, so naturally, it reigns supreme on this tracklist.
Say what you want about the TikTok generation, but they know a hit when they hear one. Every moment of this song is disarming and brilliant, from Doja's now-iconic demand ("All on my tongue I want it!") to the Ding! in the middle of SZA's verse.
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