Doja Cat‘s given some memorable performances of her No. 1 hit “Say So” over the past year, but when it came to “Music’s Biggest Night,” she pulled out all the stops. Doja, who’s earned a reputation for innovative and elaborate award show performances, made sure her Grammys performance would top them all as she enters the album cycle for her third full-length LP, Planet Her. Elaborate choreography, dazzling lasers, and a Janet Jackson-esque vinyl outfit defined Doja’s performance.
Doja Cats performance at the #GRAMMYs pic.twitter.com/6x12yTYcaJ
— ?ᴺᴹ (@jedits__) March 15, 2021
While “Say So” is nominated for two awards — including Best Pop Solo Performance and Record Of The Year — Doja herself is also nominated for a Best New Artist Grammy after winning the same award at the 2020 Billboard Music Awards. Ironically, she was nominated for both after dropping her second major-label album Hot Pink, which was a commercial and critical success after her debut, Amala, was mostly overlooked the year before.
Everything changed when Doja released the meme-rap, troll-baiting single “Mooo!” for fun, garnering a massive wave of attention for that first project. As more fans realized that she was a serious artist with a lot more to offer than quirky bovine puns, they tapped into her smart, genre-blending proclivities and streamed Hot Pink to the top 10 of the Billboard 200. A TikTok trend using “Say So,” a timely remix of the song featuring Nicki Minaj, and a risque promise from Doja Cat herself helped turn “Say So” into a No. 1 hit — and earn it a place on the 2021 Grammy nominations shortlist.
Watch Doja Cat’s performance above.
