Streets (Doja Cat song)

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"Streets"
Doja Cat - Streets (Silhouette Remix).png
Silhouette remix artwork
Single by Doja Cat
from the album Hot Pink
ReleasedFebruary 16, 2021 (2021-02-16)
StudioWestlake (Los Angeles, California)
GenreR&B
Length3:47
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Blaq Tuxedo
Doja Cat singles chronology
"34+35 (Remix)"
(2021)
"Streets"
(2021)
"Kiss Me More"
(2021)
Music video
"Streets" on YouTube

"Streets" is a song by American rapper and singer Doja Cat from her second studio album Hot Pink (2019). It was released to US pop radio in February 2021 as the seventh single from the album, after it became a sleeper hit the previous month as a result of a TikTok challenge. The TikTok #SilhouetteChallenge rendered popular what is now called the "Streets (Silhouette Remix)" version, which includes a snippet of Paul Anka's 1959 hit song "Put Your Head on My Shoulder".[1][2]

The song was written by Doja Cat, David Sprecher, Lydia Asrat, Theron Otis Feemster, Christopher Jefferies, and Demarie Sheki, produced by brother production duo Blaq Tuxedo, who are also credited as co-writers. The music video directed by Christian Breslauer was released on March 9, 2021, and contains references to the #SilhouetteChallenge and Spider-Man.

Background and composition[]

"Streets" was written by Doja Cat, David Sprecher, Lydia Asrat, Theron Otis Feemster, Christopher Jefferies, Demarie Sheki, and song's producers of duo Blaq Tuxedo.[3] It is a melancholy R&B ballad that lasts for a duration of three minutes and forty-seven seconds.[4][5][3] The song gained its namesake from the song which is sampled throughout the track, "Streets Is Callin", by B2K from their soundtrack album You Got Served (2003).[6]

Release and remixes[]

According to Billboard, Doja Cat's record label, RCA Records, saw "Streets" as a "highlight" of Hot Pink (2019), however "they just never saw it becoming a hit."[6] However, after gaining popularity on the video-sharing platform TikTok, "Streets" was released to US contemporary hit radio stations on February 16 as album's seventh single.[7] Commenting on the single's release for Billboard, RCA Records COO John Fleckenstein said "as we're seeing, clearly we have not. The fans are not done with it yet", referring to that Doja Cat announced in September 2020 that she completed recording her third studio album.[6]

A remixed version of "Streets", containing the first 12 seconds of the 1959 Paul Anka hit "Put Your Head on My Shoulder" (previously sampled by Doja Cat herself on the song "Freak"), that gained attraction on TikTok, was released on March 12, dubbed as "Silhouette Remix".[8][9] It was released alongside a remix by Disclosure,[9] which was later released to Russian radios.[10] A week later, a remix EP was released, containing the Disclosure remix, and four other remixes by DJ Sliink, Lazerbeak, Party Favor, and Ape Drums.[11]

Critical reception[]

Lakin Starling from Consequence of Sound said that in the song, Doja Cat is presenting most "serious" version of herself.[4] According to Lucy Shanker of Pitchfork, "Streets" is one of tracks that showcases rapper's softness, adding "It's not hard to picture her recording a ballad like "Streets" from within an all-pink lair."[5]

Commercial performance[]

In early 2021, "Streets" began to gain traction on streaming services following the Hot Pink Sessions performances, which further sparked traction on the video-sharing platform TikTok, where it has been used in over 180,000 videos as of January 2021.[12] The "Silhouette Challenge" that soon originated on the same platform would also later boost the song's popularity even more.[13][14] It subsequently debuted at number 18 on the US Billboard Hot R&B Songs chart, moving up to a peak of number four.[15] The next week, "Streets" debuted at number 91 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart issue dated January 23, 2021, becoming Doja Cat's eighth appearance on the chart. It propelled to number 39 in its second week, marking the second top-forty single from Hot Pink.[16] The song reached a new peak of number 18 in its fourth week on the chart. After charting for 10 weeks, the song reached a new peak of number 16.[17] Similarly, in Canada, "Streets" has peaked at number 19 on the Canadian Hot 100, earning Doja Cat her second top-twenty entry in the country.

In the United Kingdom, "Streets" entered the UK Singles Chart at number 59 on the week ending January 21, 2021.[18] It ascended up to number 20 the following week, earning Doja Cat her third top-twenty entry in the country following "Say So", and "Motive" with Ariana Grande, both in 2020. The song has reached number 12 there, while reaching a peak of number four on the UK R&B Chart. In Ireland, "Streets" debuted at number 61 on the Irish Singles Chart, where it moved up to number 22 in its second week. The song has moved up to a peak of number nine, becoming her third top-ten single there.[19]

The track also entered charts in Oceania; it charted on the Australian ARIA Singles Chart, debuting at number 46. It reached number 14, surpassing the number 17 peak of "Boss Bitch", becoming Doja Cat's second highest-charting entry in the country at that point in time.[20] In New Zealand, "Streets" debuted at number 24 on the New Zealand Singles Chart for the issue dated February 1, 2021.[21] It climbed to number 16 in its second week, before moving into the top-10 in its third week placing at number ten.

Worldwide, "Streets" debuted on the Billboard Global 200 chart for the first time at number 126 on the issue dated January 23, 2021, before moving up to number 32 in its second week. It rose to number 16 in its third week, becoming her highest charting solo song on this chart and surpassing "Say So" which peaked at number 50 in September 2020.[22] It has reached number eight there. The song also charted on the Global Excl. U.S. chart, where it has reached a peak of number 28.[23]

Music video[]

A music video for "Streets", directed by Christian Breslauer with cinematography by Jon Chema, was filmed from February 19–21, 2021 in Los Angeles, and premiered on March 9, 2021, at 12:00 AM Eastern.[24] The version of the song used in the music video is the "Streets (Silhouette Remix)" which was released on March 12, 2021.[9]

Synopsis[]

The video begins with a male New York City yellow cab driver (Kofi Siriboe), pulled over to the side of a bustling street. Across the sidewalk he notices Doja Cat posing as a mannequin in a shop window, with the song title written on the window glass. Similarly to the remix of the song used on TikTok, the first twelve seconds of "Put Your Head on My Shoulder" begins to play. At the beat drop, Doja Cat, still in the shop window, performs the Silhouette Challenge, and the music slowly morphs from the TikTok remix back to the original version. The cab driver then appears in Doja Cat's lap, and they dance sensuously together. Suddenly, Doja Cat appears lying down on the hood of a burning car (with bullet holes). It is raining, and a group of men begin to crowd around her. The cab driver then appears, his teeth gleaming in an animalistic, malicious smile. He walks up close to her, but is then suddenly pulled up by what appears to be a spider web.[25][26]

Now, Doja Cat is seen scaling a brick wall as she performs the rap verse, climbing slowly and powerfully like Spider-Man. The cab driver appears again, this time ensnared in a large, brightly-lit spider web. Doja Cat continues rapping, now with one foot on the man's body. As the final chorus begins, Doja Cat is again seen performing the Silhouette Challenge, this time in front of a red screen on the roof of an apartment block. A brightly-lit Manhattan Bridge is seen in the backdrop against the night sky. In the last few seconds, the scene then cuts to the living room of a house, where Doja Cat is seen lying on a couch, her head in the cab driver's lap. Suddenly, a nuclear test occurs outside the window, setting fire to everything in the room, including the cab driver, but not Doja Cat. This is a reference to a viral meme where Doja sings "Tia Tamera" while the world is exploding.[27]

Immediately after the song ends, the scene cuts back to the cab, where a female voice calls out. The cab driver is startled out of his fantasy, and turns around to find Doja Cat has sat in as a passenger, and has somewhere to be. He quickly apologizes and pulls out into traffic. Across the sidewalk the same window can be seen as at the beginning of the song, except now an actual mannequin stands still where Doja Cat was posing previously.[25]

Live performances[]

On March 5, 2020, as part of Doja becoming the first artist for Vevo's 2020 Lift campaign, she premiered a live performance for the song. Directed by Priya Minhas, the live performance opens with an overhead shot of Doja in a pool built by Vevo's campaign team while wearing a pearl swimsuit.[28][29] In the music video's description, it states that the set for the video was "a decision that resulted in what's probably our most ambitious studio build to date for a LIFT performance". HotNewHipHop writer Lynn S. called the video release Doja's "latest step toward world domination".[30]

On December 24, 2020, six performances of three different songs from Hot Pink were uploaded to YouTube. Two of those performances were live renditions of "Streets". In the one video, Doja Cat performs the song in a fur outfit with a backdrop of the northern lights, while in the other she performs the same song while walking in urbanwear in front of a backdrop with an advancing alleyway.[31]

Track listing[]

Credits and personnel[]

Credits adapted from Hot Pink liner notes.[34]

Recording and management

  • Engineered at Westlake Recording Studios (Los Angeles, California)
  • Mastered at Bernie Grundman Mastering (Hollywood, California)
  • Contains a sample from "Streets Is Callin'", written by Theron Otis Feemster, Christopher Jeffries and Demarie Sheki, as performed by B2K, published by Feemstro/Universal Music-Z Tunes LLC (ASCAP), Ole New Colorful Picture Music/Anthem Entertainment (ASCAP).

Personnel

  • Doja Cat – vocals, songwriting
  • Dominique Logan – songwriting; production for Blaq Tuxedo
  • Darius Logan – songwriting; production for Blaq Tuxedo
  • Lydia Asrat – songwriting
  • David Sprecher – songwriting
  • Theron Otis Feemster – songwriting
  • Christopher Jefferies – songwriting
  • Demarie Sheki – songwriting
  • Rian Lewis – engineering
  • Neal H Pogue – mixing for Roselle New Jersey
  • Mike Bozzi – mastering

Charts[]

Chart performance for "Streets"
Chart (2021) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[35] 12
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[36] 54
Belgium (Ultratip Flanders)[37] 24
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[38] 19
Czech Republic (Singles Digitál Top 100)[39] 50
France (SNEP)[40] 105
Germany (Official German Charts)[41] 99
Global 200 (Billboard)[42] 8
Greece (IFPI)[43] 2
Hungary (Single Top 40)[44] 37
Hungary (Stream Top 40)[45] 26
Iceland (Plötutíðindi)[46] 23
Ireland (IRMA)[47] 9
Lithuania (AGATA)[48] 4
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[49] 81
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[50] 10
Slovakia (Singles Digitál Top 100)[51] 13
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[52] 71
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[53] 27
UK Singles (OCC)[18] 12
UK R&B (OCC)[54] 4
US Billboard Hot 100[55] 16
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[56] 7
US Rhythmic (Billboard)[57] 31
US Rolling Stone Top 100[58] 3

Certifications[]

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[59] Platinum 70,000double-dagger
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[60] Platinum 40,000double-dagger
New Zealand (RMNZ)[61] Platinum 30,000double-dagger
Poland (ZPAV)[62] Platinum 20,000double-dagger
Portugal (AFP)[63] Gold 5,000double-dagger
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[64] Gold 10,000double-dagger
United Kingdom (BPI)[65] Gold 400,000double-dagger
Streaming
Greece (IFPI Greece)[66] Gold 1,000,000dagger

double-dagger Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.
dagger Streaming-only figures based on certification alone.

Release history[]

Release dates and formats for "Streets"
Region Date Format Version Label Ref.
United States February 16, 2021 Contemporary hit radio Original
Various March 12, 2021 (2021-03-12)
  • Digital download
  • streaming
Silhouette remix
Disclosure remix
March 19, 2021 (2021-03-19) Remix EP
Russia March 27, 2021 (2021-03-27) Contemporary hit radio Disclosure remix Sony

References[]

  1. ^ "Doja Cat shares a pair of remixes for new single 'Streets'". NME. March 13, 2021. Retrieved March 31, 2021.
  2. ^ "#silhouettechallenge Hashtag Videos on TikTok". TikTok. Retrieved March 31, 2021.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b "Try the Tidal Web Player". Retrieved March 7, 2020 – via Tidal.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b Shanker, Lucy (November 16, 2019). "Album Review: Doja Cat Scratches at Her Potential on the Mixed Hot Pink". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved March 7, 2020.
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b Starling, Lakin (November 14, 2019). "Doja Cat: Hot Pink". Pitchfork. Retrieved March 7, 2020.
  6. ^ Jump up to: a b c Lipshutz, Jason (February 10, 2021). "'The Fans Are Not Done With It Yet': How Doja Cat's 'Hot Pink' Album Is Still Producing Hits After 15 Months". Billboard. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
  7. ^ Jump up to: a b "Top 40/M Future Releases". allaccess.com. Archived from the original on February 11, 2021. Retrieved February 11, 2021.
  8. ^ "Best of the #SilhouetteChallenge on TikTok: WATCH - Vulture". Vulture. Retrieved February 21, 2021.
  9. ^ Jump up to: a b c "Doja Cat shares a pair of remixes for new single 'Streets'". NME. March 13, 2021. Retrieved March 13, 2021.
  10. ^ Jump up to: a b "Doja Cat - Streets (Disclosure Remix)". Tophit. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
  11. ^ Jump up to: a b c "Streets (Remixes) - EP by Doja Cat". Archived from the original on March 19, 2021. Retrieved March 19, 2021 – via Apple Music.
  12. ^ "Streets" on TikTok: