Fresh off her recent GRAMMY nominations, Doja Cat has released the music video for her latest single “Woman.” Dedicated to women and girls everywhere, Doja pontificates on the divine feminine with messages for both genders. Over a killer Afrobeats groove that leads you straight to the dance floor, she advises men, “You need a woman's touch in your place / Just protect her and keep her safe,” while letting women know, “And I'ma be there for you 'cause you on my team, girl / They wanna pit us against each other / When we succeeding for no reasons.” The song not only sets the tone for her whole Planet Her album, but "Woman" shows off her range making it easy to see why she's GRAMMY-nominated across multiple genres. Not only does “Woman” have one of the few rap verses on the album, but it’s also one of Doja’s best. Period.
For the "Woman" visual, Doja continues her Afrofuturistic and intergalactic themes. Teyana Taylor, who is this year's favorite celebrity feature, plays an African queen whose kingdom is in jeopardy. She barges into a meeting of men who are trying to steal her throne and conjures up a magical spirit that forms itself from a ball of fire and smoke into Doja Cat. Doja crawls on the tabletop from one end to the other, stopping to give a few seductive body rolls along the way. She has the ringleader of the coup under her spell before the scene cuts to her leading a troupe of dancers in some slick choreography. Unfortunately, the plot is lost from there, but we are treated to Doja serving multiple looks in a variety of creative outfits in subsequent scenes.
The video for “Woman” borrows a bit here and a concept there from other popular media. There’s a little from Michael Jackson’s “Remember The Time,” a bit of Nicki Minaj’s “Ganja Burns,” dance moves from Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s, “Apesh*t” and Rihanna’s “Umbrella,” a splash of Coming To America (both of them), some Mad Max, some Ferngully and, well, there’s a lot. But Doja pays homage to her many inspirations in a way that feels flawless and seamless. It’s a patchwork of many incredible things, much like a woman.
You can actually explore some of the references in the video by visiting DojaCode.com. The website was made in collaboration with Girls Who Code, giving fans access to exclusive content in the “Woman” video via code.