On Monday night, I found myself utterly entranced by the enigma that is Doja Cat. For an artist I first discovered through sticky-sweet TikTok pop during the monotony of COVID lockdowns, seeing her command a stage in 2025 felt like stepping into a time-warp. Only this time, she arrived as something stranger, sharper, and spectacularly evolved.

For her first Sydney stop on the Ma Vie World Tour, Doja unleashed the full spectrum of her manic pop-rock-princess persona at Qudos Bank Arena – a hybrid of performance art, cartoon villainy, and an ‘80s fever dream.

Her look alone set the tone. A cherry-red mullet. A bedazzled, low-cut zebra-print bodysuit. Leopard-print gloves clashing intentionally – gloriously – with lavender stockings that shimmered as she prowled across the stage. It was a wink to the glam eras of David Bowie and Tina Turner, filtered through her own brand of unapologetic chaos. Her makeup only amplified the theatrics: every smirk, grimace, and wide-eyed stare channelled the unhinged charisma familiar from her many chaotic livestreams.

The staging matched the madness. A blocky neon construct, flanked by a live jazz band, created an atmosphere that felt like Studio 54 colliding with a cyberpunk theatre set.

Even from the seated sections, no one stayed seated for long. The arena pulsed with bodies – swaying, jumping, sweating, shrieking – all hungry for Doja. Her vocal range shape shifted effortlessly: velvety jazz (bolstered by an insanely talented ensemble), guttural rock belts (with Demons as a standout), and the rapid-fire pop-rap that first launched her into stardom. Classics like Streets, Tia Tamera, and Agora Hills arrived in freshly twisted arrangements – funk breakdowns, punk-edged riffs – surprises lurking at every turn.

At one point, a lone cow costume bobbed above the crowd, sending OG fans of MOOO! into near-feral applause. Opening act Sailorr had set the mood earlier in the evening with a hazy, bass-heavy set that slotted perfectly into Doja’s universe.

What makes Doja so magnetic is ultimately her playfulness – that deviant, chameleonic charm that turns chaos into performance art. She’s a manic diva, a multi-hyphenate force, a pop icon who refuses to stay in one lane.

Raving reviews from me? Absolutely. She’s one of the best in the business.