Doja Cat’s New Single ‘Demons’ Won’t Let You Sleep At Night
Beware, as the rapper is embracing a darker side with the alter ego she's conjured up for this new era: Scarlet
Doja Cat has been causing quite a stir lately. Her most talked-about scandal was when she found herself in a dispute with her fans. One of her followers wrote that they wanted to hear Doja saying that she loved them –as singers usually do to their fans. However, she responded negatively, stating she wouldn’t do it because she doesn’t know them, which resulted in a loss of 250k followers.
She has been more than ready to evoke genuine fear, not only through her new music but also through the aesthetics of her fourth studio album.
Scarlet
Scarlet is the alter ego she has created for this new era, and thanks to this character, we’re getting to know the rapper’s darker side with nods to popular horror movie titles.
This new album is more introspective, but I don’t lean so much into that it becomes boring. So I want to give stories and bops. It’s a good mix of both… I’m not going to abandon who I was and what I know about pop and singing and that aspect of music» –she revealed in an interview with Harper’s Bazaar.
It all began with her single «Attention,» where she started to adopt a somewhat terrifying persona, with her body covered in blood. In her second single, «Paint the Town Red,» she introduced dark elements, including Death, a pair of Demons, and a cartoon monster. In her third single, she dropped hints about what was to come in «Demons».
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Demons
On August 22, the singer shared the silhouette of a paranormal spirit (which, by the way, is reminiscent of the demon from «Insidious: The Red Door») in black and white.
Later, this same week, she unveiled an image for «Demons,» in which she undergoes a transformation into a devil; upside down from the roof of a house, with glowing eyes and a sinister smile, ready to haunt our dreams and turn them into nightmares. And that’s exactly what she achieves with her music video.
In the comments, some have mentioned, ‘What have you done to Harry’s House?’ or ‘What my sleep paralysis sees.’ Another user replied, «She turned it into Mojo Dojo Casa House.»
After sharing these pictures, the singer posted a message on her stories specifically for those who are more sensitive or easily frightened: «You’re so scared you probably couldn’t even endure a whole episode of ‘Goosebumps,’ cowards.»
Little did we know that she had indeed incorporated a chapter from the adaptation of those books into her new music video, as was leaked on social media.
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Then, to announce that her single was finally out to give us goosebumps, she shared another picture with her demon representation and revealed that the actress Christina Ricci is part of this project.
«Demons» Music Video
Of course, and similar to her recent projects, the music video for «Demons» showcases a captivating blend of the macabre, paying homage to the 1982 film «Poltergeist» and the iconic, chilling bathtub scene from ‘The Shining.’
Christina Ricci, known for her roles as Wednesday Addams in ‘The Addams Family,’ Katrina van Tassel in ‘Sleepy Hollow,’ and more recently as Samantha Hanratty in ‘Yellowjackets’ and Marilyn Thornhill in ‘Wednesday,’ once again takes on the role of the unfortunate new homeowner who discovers that her new residence is haunted by a demonic and bedazzled Doja.
Sleep Paralysis
Doja links her video to this phenomenon, which has often been linked to cultural and historical beliefs about demons, ghosts, and other supernatural entities.
Sleep paralysis occurs when a person is temporarily unable to move or speak while falling asleep or waking up. During sleep, our bodies typically experience muscle atonia, a natural state of muscle relaxation that prevents us from physically acting out our dreams.
Sleep paralysis occurs when this muscle atonia continues after waking up or before falling asleep, leaving the person aware of their surroundings but unable to move or speak.
During an episode of sleep paralysis, individuals may experience a feeling of pressure on their chest, a sense of being choked, hallucinations (often visual or auditory), and a strong feeling of fear or panic. These hallucinations can sometimes be vivid and surreal, and they might contribute to a sense of terror during the experience.
The experiences people have during sleep paralysis, such as hallucinations and a feeling of being immobilized, can lead to interpretations that involve paranormal explanations.
It’s important to note that while sleep paralysis can lead to vivid and sometimes terrifying experiences, these experiences have a physiological basis and can be understood through medical and scientific perspectives. While some cultures may attribute sleep paralysis to demonic or paranormal causes, modern science provides a more rational understanding of the phenomenon.