"Bottom Bitch" is a song by American rapper and singer Doja Cat. It was released through Kemosabe and RCA Records on October 3, 2019, as the second single from her second studio album Hot Pink (2019). The song was written and produced by Doja Cat and Yeti Beats with additional writing credits going to the members of Blink-182 for the sampling of their 1999 single "What's My Age Again?".

"Bottom Bitch"
A photo of Doja Cat lying on a bathtub in a pink room, behind two statues of cats. Various money bills, also in pink, are shown either resting on the floor or flying mid-air. The name "Doja Cat" and the song title "Bottom Bitch" are printed in all caps at the bottom of the image.
Single by Doja Cat
from the album Hot Pink
ReleasedOctober 3, 2019
Recorded2019
Genre
Length3:18
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Yeti Beats
  • Doja Cat
Doja Cat singles chronology
"Make That Cake"
(2019)
"Bottom Bitch"
(2019)
"Rules"
(2019)
Music video
"Bottom Bitch on YouTube

Musically, the song incorporates alternative hip hop and pop-punk with elements of grunge. A music video was released on the same day, directed by Jack Begert. It shows Doja skateboarding around the San Fernando Valley while vandalizing and causing trouble, ending with a performance of the song at a skate park, with a cameo appearance by American rapper Rico Nasty.

Background and release

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Doja Cat first alluded to the song in an interview with Total Request Live through MTV by stating that she sampled Blink-182 on one of the songs on her then-upcoming second studio album Hot Pink (2019).[1] The song was officially announced on her Instagram on October 2, 2019, posting the single cover and the release date of 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time (UTC−05:00) on October 3, 2019.[2]

Composition and lyrics

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"Bottom Bitch" has been described as an alternative hip-hop[3] and pop-punk track.[4] The song also has elements of grunge,[5] and features a trap beat.[6] A vocoder is used on Doja Cat's vocals.[6] It samples American rock band Blink-182's 1999 single "What's My Age Again" from the album Enema of the State (1999),[7] with the original guitar riff slowed and transposed down.[8] The term bottom bitch usually refers to a prostitute who has status or power over other prostitutes working for a pimp.[9] Doja Cat refers to her best friend as her bottom bitch, calling her a ride or die and not causing any problems.[5] "Bottom Bitch" name-checks American rapper Lil Xan and American singer Noah Cyrus, referencing their past relationship.[10] The song is inspired by the punk rock and skating scene of Southern California, which is reflected in the accompanying music video.[11]

Critical reception

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"Bottom Bitch" was met with positive reviews. The Musical Hype rated the song four out of five stars and described it as "a blast to listen to", noting that "it’s raunchy mind you but endearing at the same time".[12] Maxamillion Polo from Ones to Watch praised its "late '90s and early 2000s grunge-evoking production, immediately hurdling us back to a time where all we wanted to be was a little more like Avril Lavigne or Kurt Cobain".[5] Jarred Howard of Lyrical Lemonade said "Bottom Bitch" was "athematic" and "the kind of song I was looking for whenever I first heard Doja Cat's single 'So High' back in 2014".[13]

Music video

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A music video was released the same day as the single on October 3, 2019. It was directed by Jack Begert and produced by the production company Psycho Films. It shows Doja Cat skateboarding around the San Fernando Valley, with shots of her and her friends throwing milkshakes at a police officer and eggs a vehicle of passengers. The video ends with Doja Cat performing the song at a skate park with an audience watching.[14][15] American rapper Rico Nasty makes a cameo appearance during this scene.[16]

Doja's stylist Brett Alan Nelson recalled in a Billboard interview about being inspired by female angst punk-pop music for the outfits Doja would wear in the video. In the same interview, Nelson also recalls getting logo clearance from the clothing company Dickies to have Doja wear them in the video. Dickies then redacted the logo clearance from Nelson, claiming Doja was "too sexy for their brand". Nelson the night before the video shoot colored out the "ies" of Dickies and the horseshoe to just reveal "Dick", hoping to get back at the brand.[17]

Credits and personnel

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Credits adapted from the liner notes of Hot Pink.[18]

Charts

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Chart performance for "Bottom Bitch"
Chart (2019) Peak
position
New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)[19] 32
US Rolling Stone Trending 25[20] 16

Certifications

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Certifications for "Bottom Bitch"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[21] Gold 20,000
United States (RIAA)[22] Gold 500,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

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  1. ^ "Doja Cat's Fun Music Video for "Juicy" Delivers an Important Message". MTV. TRL Top 10. September 17, 2019. Archived from the original on July 9, 2021. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
  2. ^ Morgan, Glennisha (October 2, 2019). "Doja Cat Teases New Single 'Bottom B-'". My Kiss Radio 93.5. Archived from the original on July 9, 2021. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
  3. ^ Dominic, Quincy (October 4, 2019). "Doja Cat Shouts Out Her "Bottom Bitch" in New Single". Ratings Game Music. Archived from the original on July 9, 2021. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
  4. ^ Aniftos, Rania (October 4, 2019). "Doja Cat Samples Blink-182's 'What's My Age Again?' for Bouncy New Single 'Bottom Bitch': Listen". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 11, 2021. Retrieved May 1, 2021.
  5. ^ a b c Polo, Maxamillion (October 23, 2019). "Doja Cat Goes Full Grunge With the Best Friend Anthem, "Bottom Bitch"". Ones to Watch. Archived from the original on July 9, 2021. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
  6. ^ a b Bashford, Erin (November 8, 2019). "REVIEW: Doja Cat - Hot Pink". Clash. Retrieved June 6, 2022.
  7. ^ Kelley, Caitlin (November 7, 2019). "Doja Cat's "Bottom Bitch" Samples An Old Blink-182 Hit". Genius. Archived from the original on April 17, 2020. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
  8. ^ Threadcraft, Torry (October 3, 2019). "Doja Cat Samples Blink-182 on New Single "Bottom Bitch"". Okayplayer. Archived from the original on May 4, 2021. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
  9. ^ Horning, A.; et al. (2019). "Harlem Pimps' Accounts of their Economic Pathways and Feelings of Insiderness and Outsiderness". Journal of Qualitative Criminal Justice and Criminology. 7 (3): 69–94. Archived from the original on March 4, 2021. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
  10. ^ Song, Sandra (December 11, 2019). "Doja Cat: Reloaded". Paper. Archived from the original on May 9, 2021. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
  11. ^ Kenneally, Cerys (October 3, 2019). "Doja Cat's new cut "Bottom B*tch" is inspired by pop-punk and skating". The Line of Best Fit. Archived from the original on March 15, 2021. Retrieved March 12, 2021.
  12. ^ "Track Review: Doja Cat - Bottom Bitch". The Musical Hype. October 7, 2019. Archived from the original on July 11, 2021. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
  13. ^ Howard, Jarred (October 4, 2019). "Bottom Bitch – [Doja Cat]". Lyrical Lemonade. Archived from the original on July 9, 2021. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
  14. ^ Alston, Trey (October 3, 2019). "Doja Cat Pelts People With Eggs And Milkshakes In 'Bottom Bitch' Video". MTV News. Archived from the original on November 4, 2020. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
  15. ^ D'Souza, Shaad (October 3, 2019). "Watch Doja Cat skate in her "Bottom Bitch" video". The Fader. Archived from the original on August 9, 2020. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
  16. ^ Gregory, Allie (October 3, 2019). "Doja Cat Goes Full FTP in New "Bottom Bitch" Video". Exclaim!. Archived from the original on October 4, 2019. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
  17. ^ Gracie, Bianca (March 3, 2020). "Doja Cat & Stylist Brett Alan Nelson Reveal the Stories Behind 7 of Their Fiercest Outfit Collaborations". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 13, 2021. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
  18. ^ Cat, Doja (2019). Hot Pink. Kemosabe Records, RCA Records.
  19. ^ "Hot 40 Singles". Recorded Music NZ. October 14, 2019. Archived from the original on October 12, 2019. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
  20. ^ "Trending 25: Nov 15, 2019 - Nov 21, 2019". Rolling Stone. November 21, 2019. Archived from the original on July 12, 2021. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
  21. ^ "Brazilian single certifications – Doja Cat – Bottom Bitch" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil. Retrieved November 30, 2023.
  22. ^ "American single certifications – Doja Cat – Bottom Bitch". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved July 1, 2022.