Born and raised in Los Angeles in a family of artists (her mother was a painter and her father an actor and a musician), Amala Ratna Zandile Dlamini became Doja Cat in 2013, when she released her first single «So High» on Soundcloud. The track, a mix of R&B, soft pop and rap, quickly became a great success on the platform. Vibe Magazine described the musician as“ an 18 years-old psychedelicprodigy ”and she quickly drew the attention of record companies. She signed a contract with RCA Records and released her first EP «Purrr !» in 2014.
The story of Doja Cat had just begun. While she was only 18
years old, the musician became a popstar and started to
collaborate with artists such as OG Maco and Dream Koala.
The video clip of «So High» was released in 2014 and it
revealed the universe of Doja Cat: mystical, colourful and
psychedelic, mixing hovering ambiences and raw lyrics. In the
video, the singer appeared as a Hindu goddess and declared
to the French website Konbini: “ I have lived in an ashram and
practiced this religion for three years. Hinduism has inspired
me a lot (...) The universe of the clip comes from my personal
life, from my past ”. Beside her interest in religion, Doja Cat has
also never hidden her taste for marijuana. We could say that
marijuana might have been the main influence of Doja’ cloudy
beats and dreamy synths, at the beginning of her career.
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1. First of all, congratulations on your award “Best New Artist of the Year”, at the MTV VMA. When you began to play music, did you imagine getting an award like this? What does this achievement feel like?
I would never have imagined it. I feel extremely loved, very grateful and flattered by all the people that are supporting and loving my music.
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2. The creativity, the vibe, and the visual direction of « Say So » is mind blowing. We have heard this song all over Europe this summer. How did you create the story of this video, and did you imagine that the song would have such an impact?
For the video of «Say So», I worked alongside Hanna Lux Davis. Hannah and I decided that the track would perfectly fit a 70’s theme video. When I began making the song, I definitely wanted to pull elements of the 70’s and incorporate them to the song itself; and I think Hanna absolutely nailed it. I didn’t know people would love 70’s pop as much as they did, so I’m glad my fans enjoyed it! [...]
Directed & Photographed by GREG SWALES // Creative Direction by AZADEH ZORAGHI // Produced by AGPNYC // Styling by OLGA IANUL // Makeup Artist SIR JOHN // Hair Stylist MISS JAZMEEN // Manicurist SACCIA // Set Design LUCY HOLT
Find the rest of the interview by buying the magazine in physical or digital version.
Narcisse Magazine - Issue 10
DOJA CAT
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