Doja Cat Claps Back At Fans Who Dragged Her “Flat” Oscars Performance

All eyes were on Doja Cat during the Oscars. The pop superstar was tapped to sing “Diamonds Are Forever” during a segment honoring James Bond theme songs. Doja has proven her vocal prowess countless times over the years, but the Oscars performance did not go over as she’d hoped. Viewers took to social media to criticize the artist for her “flat” singing and underwhelming take on the classic original. Doja Cat doesn’t hide the way she feels about anything, so she quickly responded.

Surprisingly, Doja Cat acknowledged her vocal shortcomings. She didn’t try to spin the criticisms against her as blind “hate,” and admitted to being nervous. “The nerves got to me,” she explained. “And a b*tch hit some flats.” Doja also provided some context behind the performance, noting that she rarely gets the chance to belt out a song as boisterous and vocally demanding as “Diamonds Are Forever.” It’s no walk in the park. “I never get to sing like that and what I did was brave and scary as f*ck for me,” she added. “I know a lot of people didn’t like it, but a lot of people did, and I feel good that I pushed myself.”

Doja Cat has been known to be antagonistic with fans in the past. In this instance, though, it felt like the artist struck a good balance between a defense and an acknowledgment. She gave herself flowers for an attempt, even if she admits it could have gone better. Doja wasn’t the only person criticized in relation to the James Bond tribute, however. Raye, who was brought in to cover “Skyfall” by Adele, was also subject to backlash for what described as a less-than performance. The whole segment, in fact, rubbed longtime 007 fans the wrong way.

Despite the mixed reception to the performance, Doja Cat’s various Oscars looks were praised. Fans were knocked out by the leopard print dress she wore on the red carpet. The artist then switched things up for the James Bond performance, wearing a custom Swarovski dress designed in collaboration with Brett Alan Nelson. The dress perfectly blended with the topic of the song. Doja Cat then went to the Oscars afterparty wearing a custom Balmain dress with nine different shades of gold beads.