Attention

AttentionPromotional single by Doja Cat
General information
Artist	Doja Cat
Release date	June 16, 2023
Recorded	2022–2023
Genre	Hip Hop, Trip Hop
Length	4:37
Album	Scarlet
Label	Kemosabe, RCA
Songwriter(s)	Amala Dlamini, Rogét Chahayed, Y2K
Producer(s)	Y2K, Rogét Chahayed
Promotional singles chronology
Previous	"I Don't Do Drugs (Y2K Remix)"
Current	"Attention"
Next	"Demons"
Scarlet track list
"Skull and Bones"
"Attention"
"Balut"
Music video

"Attention" is the fifteenth track on Doja Cat's fourth studio album, Scarlet. The song was released as the album's first promotional single through RCA Records and Kemosabe Records on June 16, 2023. It also appears as the twenty second track on Scarlet 2: CLAUDE; the deluxe edition of Scarlet.

Background

Doja Cat's second and third studio albums, the pop-oriented Hot Pink and Planet HER, were released in 2019 and 2021, respectively. They both received critical and commercial success and peaked in the top-10 of the Billboard 200. Doja Cat later tweeted in April 2023 that most of her rap verses were "mid and corny" and that she would no longer be making pop music while, in May 2023, she tweeted that both of the aforementioned albums were "cash-grabs" and "mediocre pop".

In August 2022, she shaved both her head and her eyebrows during an Instagram Live, which received criticism from fans online, many of whom believed she was suffering from a mental health crisis and looked "unfuckable". She responded to the criticism in a tweet later that month, writing to fans that wanted her to "look fuckable", "Go fuck yourselves". In an interview with Variety, Doja Cat said that her fourth studio album would be more focused on hip hop and would have a "more masculine direction".

On April 17, 2023, Doja Cat shared snippets of various songs on Instagram Live and posted a list of 19 tracks considered for her upcoming album, including "Attention". On May 9, 2023, Doja took to Instagram live to preview almost the entirety of two songs off the album, Love Life and Attention. On May 24, 2023, she began teasing her album with Tweets pairing a drop of blood emoji with the missives "scarlet was here" and "scarlet’s watching," followed by "let myself heal, scar finally sealed", On June 12, 2023, the pre-save link for "Attention" leaked early; the following day, Doja Cat officially announced the song with its blood-splattered cover art, alongside the release date of June 16, 2023 and the drop of blood emoji. The song was also made available to pre-order for digital download and as a CD single, confirming the title "Attention".

Critical reception

For The A.V. Club, Hattie Lindert praised Doja Cat's delivery on the song as "calm, confident, and freshly invigorated" and called the first verse on "Attention" "one of [Doja Cat's] strongest verses in a minute". Lindert also stated that Doja Cat's "talents on the mic", writing that she was "rapping more skillfully than ever" on "Attention"—and her being comfortable "inching away from pop stardom" suggested that a change in her musical style "could be good for the music". Thomas Galindo of American Songwriter called the song's verses "powerful" and "impressive".

Theme

"Attention" by Doja Cat explores themes of self-confidence, empowerment, and recognition. The song's pre-chorus suggests the subject craves attention, expressing her desire for recognition rather than romantic relationships. The chorus emphasizes the need for recognition and appreciation. Doja Cat addresses criticism, expressing confidence in herself and her abilities. The second verse highlights vulnerability and the rewards it can bring, highlighting financial success and the fascination with witnessing others' downfall.

Music video

The music video for "Attention", directed by Tanu Muino, was released concurrently with the song. It begins with Doja Cat driving into a crowd of crazed fans and paparazzi, whose faces become distorted as flashbulbs appear. She then starts walking down a busy street in Los Angeles at night in a white t-shirt, a leather duster, low-rise flared jeans, and seven chain necklaces, as she avoids belligerent passersby and street vendors and later walks past pedestrians wearing mangled, flesh-colored masks. A new character named Scarlet also appears naked and covered in blood in several brief scenes in the video, while dancing naked in a kaleidoscopic lens in other scenes.

Track listings

• Digital download and streaming

1. "Attention" – 4:37

• CD Single

1. "Attention" – 4:37
2. "Attention" (Clean)
3. "Attention" (Instrumental)

Videos

Attention-2

Doja Cat - Attention - Paint The Town Red - Demons (Medley) (2023 MTV VMAs)

Lyrics

[Chorus]
Baby, if you like it, just reach out and pet it
This one doesn't bite, it doesn't get aggressive
Show you how to touch it, hold it like it's precious
It don't need your lovin', it just needs attention

[Post-Chorus]
(Love me) It needs, it seeks affection
(So sweet) Hungry, it fiends attention
(Hungry) It needs, it seeks affection
(Baby) Hungry, it fiends (Yeah, yeah)

[Verse 1]
Look at me, look at me, you lookin'?
My taste good, but I just had to redirect my cookin'
I coulda been an opener, I redirect the bookin'
I readed all the comments sayin', "D, I'm really shooketh"
"D, you need to see a therapist, is you lookin'?"
Yes, the one I got, they really are the best
Now I feel like I can see you bitches is depressed
I am not afraid to finally say shit with my chest
Lost a lil' weight, but I ain't never lost a tushy
Lookin' good, but now my bald head match my
Lookin' good, but now they all sayin' that I'm ugly
Boo-hoo, my n****, I ain't sad you won't fuck me
I'm sad that you really thought your ass was above me
You're lucky 'cause I just paid your bill with a reply
I just made your money pile knee-high
I just made your stats peak, now you got a blue check
Now you can afford to go and reinstall a new wig
Now you can afford to not be lousy, go and do shit
Talk your shit about me, I can easily disprove it, it's stupid
You follow me, but you don't really care about the music

[Chorus]
Baby, if you like it, just reach out and pet it
This one doesn't bite, it doesn't get aggressive
Show you how to touch it, hold it like it's precious
It don't need your lovin', it just needs attention

[Post-Chorus]
(Love me) It needs, it seeks affection
(So sweet) Hungry, it fiends attention
(Hungry) It needs, it seeks affection
(Baby) Hungry, it fiends (Yeah)

[Verse 2]
Look at me, look at me, I'm naked
Vulnerability earned me a lot of bacon
I put a thong all in my ass and taught you how to shake it
I paid all my respect to those who taught me how to make it
And now I reap the benefits with no confrontation
Y'all fall into beef, but that's another conversation
I'm sorry, but we all find it really entertainin'
'Cause we all wanna see them slip and fall right on their faces
And we all wanna be the one to see the devastation
Not be in it, but ain't the bad press good?
The disrespect's real, how this Patek look?
Pull out the checkbook, now why yo' neck crook?
I never learn to "superstar" from a textbook
Talkin' 'bout, "She fallin' off, why she get booked?"
Man, I been humble, I'm tired of all the deprecation
Just let me flex, bruh, just let me pop shit
"Why she think she Nicki M? She think she hot shit"
Huh, I never gave a F, go stir the pot, bitch
I got y'all head all in the dirt just like an ostrich
Of course you bitches comparin' Doja to who the hottest

[Chorus]
Baby, if you like it, just reach out and pet it
This one doesn't bite, it doesn't get aggressive
Show you how to touch it, hold it like it's precious
It don't need your lovin', it just needs attention

[Post-Chorus]
(Love me) It needs, it seeks affection
(So sweet) Hungry, it fiends attention
(Hungry) It needs, it seeks affection
(Baby) Hungry, it fiends

[Outro]
Okay, cute