Whether she’s doling out her best Ariana Grande impression or reciting Roddy Ricch lyrics while dressed in a medieval knight costume, Doja Cat is always good for a laugh. But at the same time, the singer takes her career very seriously. With her third album Planet Her well underway, Doja reflects on her career trajectory while explaining what makes her stand out from other pop stars.
Speaking in a cover interview with Billboard, Doja charted her rise from “internet teen goofball” to hit-making musician, explaining why she’ll never be as “mysterious” as other top-charting pop stars:
“I feel like people separate the pop star from the very humane, normal internet teen goofball kind of girl. And I feel like they complement each other. There is no separation, in my opinion. I always looked at myself like, ‘I can do it.’ But I feel like people thought I was this goofy girl, and that’s all I could ever really be. […] I live for it when a pop star comes off as, like, a deity. They carry themselves as very mysterious, and you’ll never know anything about them, only that they’re incredibly talented and always have profound sh*t to say. I love that, and I always wanted to be like that, but I just don’t really give a f*ck. And I think it’s important for me to not put that pressure on myself or that will eat me alive. If I can just be myself, that’s probably the best thing for me.”
Elsewhere in the conversation, Doja discussed why she’s a good role model for other goofy kids who also want to make it big. “All the goofy kids, or the kids who don’t put themselves on a pedestal, or are just not normally accepted — I feel like making that example is good for those kids,” she said. “Because maybe they felt like they could never make it in an industry where everybody is so serious. It’s important that they know they have a lane.”
Doja Cat is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.