Doja Cat’s Oscars’ performance has the internet talking...and not in a good way. The rapper and singer is known for her over-the-top, high-energy live performances, but something about her rendition of a classic James Bond song during the 97th Annual Academy Awards left viewers at home confused and disappointed.
The Oscars celebrated the legacy of James Bond, one of Hollywood’s oldest and longest-running franchises. In a medley moment, Lisa from Blackpink, Doja and RAYE each performed a “Bond” song. Doja specifically sang “Diamonds Are Forever,” sung originally by Shirley Bassey. While fittingly dripping in diamonds, Doja certainly showed up ready to shut it down on the stage, but if the social media reactions are any indication, the singer did not live up to the song’s expectations.
Many viewers were quick to critique her vocals on the track. One user wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, “Doja Cat does not have the vocal range to do that song justice tbh.” Another shared similar sentiments, writing, “Doja Cat is a great idea for a Bond tribute but having her sing Shirley Bassey is a losing game.”
Some users got even more specific in their critiques of the performance, specficially calling the vocals “flat.” One user wrote that she was “flatter than a pancake.” Yikes. Another user simply said that the song was “too big” for the singer.
Still, it wasn’t only critiques for the Grammy Award-winner online, as she got some support from her fans. One user wrote, “NOT THE VOCALS JUMPING OUT,” while complimenting her vocal versatility.
Doja addressed some of the online chatter surrounding her performance in a post to her Instagram, writing in the caption that she “never gets to sing” like that. “What I did was brave and scary as f**k for me,” she continued. “I know a lot of people didn’t like it but a lot of people did and I feel good that I pushed myself. The song is a classic and I put a lot of work into it but the nerves got to me and a bitch hit some flats.”
Still, she ends the caption saying that she “can’t wait to do something like that again,” calling it “a blessing.” she concluded, “I feel amazing about the whole thing.”
This was the first Doja performance in quite some time, as she has been laying low since her 2023 album “Scarlet,” and the subsequent tour. Hopefully, when she returns with new music, it’s less Shirley Bassey and more the Doja Cat we all fell in love with years ago.