2021 belonged to Doja Cat.
Say So & Streets were still all over the radio from her 2019 record, Hot Pink. Now her third studio album, Planet Her also dominated the radio waves.
Released on my Dad's 86th birthday, June 25, 2021. The album features guest appearances from Young Thug, Ariana Grande, the Weeknd, JID and SZA, as well as Eve and Gunna on the standard deluxe edition.
Titled after the fictional planet conceived by Doja Cat, Planet Her is an amalgamation of pop, hip hop, and R&B styles.
Planet Her reached number one in New Zealand and landed inside the top 10 in a dozen other countries. In the United States, it spent four weeks at number two on the Billboard 200 chart. It also broke the record for the biggest opening day for an album by a female rapper on Spotify.
Upon release, Planet Her was met with generally positive reviews from music critics, most of whom praised Doja Cat's musical versatility and her vocal deliveries.
The album is nominated for Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards, where Kiss Me More is also nominated for Record of the Year and Song of the Year, and Need to Know is nominated for Best Melodic Rap Performance.
All that said, nomination number six (announced in August 2021) was the album that continued to spark joy all the way through Delta into Omicron.
It's a joy for Doja Cat's record, Planet Her to take to out the Album of the Year for 2021. A year we will never forget. Also an album we can't forget.
