Featured Image: (Pacer Graphic / JJ Somerville)
When thinking of notable artists of the past five years, there are a few names that will be thrown in the ring consistently. Artists like Kendrick Lamar, Sabrina Carpenter, Tyler, the Creator, Chappell Roan, Bad Bunny and of course, Doja Cat have all been in their bag as of late, with two of the aforementioned even receiving halftime shows in the 2025 and 2026 Super Bowls, respectively.
While she hasn’t received a halftime show yet, Doja Cat recently released her fantastic fifth studio album Vie on Sept. 26, 2025, to a great reception from critics and fans alike.
In French, the word ‘vie’ translates to ‘life’ in English, and that, in and of itself, could also be a reference to the phrase “c’est la vie” which means “such is life”. The saying is commonly used in acceptance of the positive and negative experiences that life is known for handing out. Doja actually addresses this across the album as a whole by projecting a devil-may-care attitude when talking about her successes and downfalls in the world of love.
The entire album, except for a few towards the end, sounds like a tribute to 80s pop. From the first song, Cards, Doja lets you know what kind of experience this is going to be. The jazzy horns in the beginning lead straight into a pop beat that wouldn’t be entirely out of place on something like a Kate Bush track.
As the album continues, that same sense of yearning displayed in the earlier songs remains. Although she’s switched up her style, there’s one song that has that classic Doja Cat feel to it. The liberty and fun of AAAHH MEN! reminds you that you’re listening to a Doja Cat album without taking you out of the immersion entirely. There’s a colorful internet term that she sneaks in towards the end of the song, showing the fun she had making this one. The sound it has is similar to a couple of her previous songs, like Paint the Town Red or MOOO!
Not every song is a hit, though. There are only two real misses that could warrant a skip on any given listen, and those are All Mine and Silly! Fun! They’re not bad songs by any means, but they’re sandwiched in between tracks that are much better than them, more so for All Mine because it comes right before the song with the only feature, which is none other than SZA, on the entire album.
Overall, Vie was a surprising hit from Doja Cat. The synthy, 80s vibe really brings a new light to her career as a musician and gives the idea of a promising future moving forward. When it comes to stars, her name usually gets lost in the shuffle. With this, however, it seems that she aims to get a more prominent spot than she had previously.
This is undoubtedly her best work thus far and a major improvement in her abilities. She’s definitely left us wanting to Come Back for her next work.
Grade: 9/10
