Doja Cat: The Scarlet Tour at TD Garden

Ethan Sutton ‘27 / Emertainment Monthly Staff Writer

Doja Cat’s powerhouse performance came to Boston’s TD Garden on Saturday, December 2nd.  Even with the backup dancers, trapdoors, built-in stage turntable, and giant mechanical spider and eyeball, Doja Cat proved that all she needs to put on a show is herself. In the tight-knit 95-minute, five-act set, Doja guides audiences through a musical odyssey of her sophomore, junior, and senior albums Hot Pink, Planet Her, and Scarlet. Picture this: Doja Cat, the star of the show on center stage, is engaged in a captivating dance with a mysterious girl named Scarlet, covered in blood. Throughout the concert, Scarlet emerges and brings electrifying energy to the stage. A silent dance ensues between Doja and Scarlet, charged with tension and provocative body language. It’s a musical language that captivates the audience. By the end of the show, audiences can dissect the underlying understanding of the performance. 

The show opened with “WYM Freestyle,” and “Demons” which transitioned into “Tia Tamera.” Pyrotechnics sparkled across the stage as fans bounced to other familiar beats such as “Woman” and “Say So.” The ability to convey moments of apparent tenderness was evident, even when the lyrics themselves didn’t explicitly reflect such sentiments. Remaining sufficiently engaged with the audience, she delivered “Paint the Town Red” and observed the crowd’s reaction after “Can’t Wait.” Impressively, Doja Cat knew how to connect with her audience, adjusting her performance to fit the vibe. This became clear during “F**k the Girls (FTG),” which was heavy and bass-ey, with high-energy choreography and production. Doja Cat commanded the stage with confidence. 

As the final notes of “Wet Vagina” reverberated through the venue, a collective understanding dawned upon the audience, allowing them to unravel the intricacies of The Scarlet Tour. The concert, much like a carefully crafted tapestry, wove together a series of musical and visual elements that, when observed in their entirety, revealed a cohesive and compelling storyline. 

Recurring motifs of sex, death, and womanhood gradually collided throughout the performance, creating a narrative thread that subtly connected each song and stage moment. Doja Cat’s interactions with the mysterious character Scarlet, the ebb and flow of emotions conveyed through music, and the visual aesthetics all played a role in constructing a thematic framework. By the show’s finale, attendees discovered the necessary clues to piece together the story that unfolded before them. This collective dissection of The Scarlet Tour added a layer of engagement for the audience, transforming the concert into more than just a series of individual performances. It became a journey of discovery, where crowds were not merely passive spectators but active participants in understanding the artistic storyline carefully embedded within the show’s fabric.