B—h, she said what she said. After unveiling a new cover for her upcoming album Vie, Doja Cat is standing by the artwork — despite receiving some “harsh criticism” about it.
The rapper first unveiled the new art on Instagram on Monday (Sept. 22), showing off a photo of herself in a tattered wedding dress, hanging from a yellow parachute caught in a tree. “Falling in love is putting trust in the hands of yourself and others,” she wrote of the portrait. “The yellow parachute represents curiosity, happiness and adventure.”
“Flying you towards new experiences and scenes, taking a leap of faith, and holding no bounds,” she continued. “The tree represents life and wisdom. Giving you a sense of safety within its branches, but the pain from the fall teaches you that those scratches can be healed. You don’t have to hit the ground. Love grows upward but more importantly down.”
“It’s the roots that keep you steady,” she added. “This is the cover of my album.”
The new cover arrives about a month after Doja premiered what fans originally thought was the official Vie artwork: a close-up photo of the California native surrounded by red roses. Apparently, some listeners aren’t too keen on the new artwork, as Doja took to X on Tuesday (Sept. 23) to defend her creative choices.
“You can’t make me feel bad for a cover that has visceral meaning,” she wrote. “The greatest armor is love and integrity. I forgive your harsh criticism but for me I won yet again for following my heart. If I was you I wouldn’t.”
Doja has never been shy about shutting down criticism, especially when it comes to her art. Just weeks ago, she asserted her dominance as one of the leading female rappers in the game, telling someone online who doubted her skills, “Please stop trying to downplay my ability.”
That said, Doja has also been open about the fact that Vie is much more pop-focused, with similarities to her earlier hits such as “Say So.” “It’s taken until the beginning of this next album, Vie, to appreciate my older stuff,” she told CBS Sunday Morning recently. “I think [this album] was a return to that.”
See Doja’s Vie cover and post on X below.