Doja Cat Reflects on Her Oscars Performance: “I Hit Some Flats”
Doja Cat is responding to critics who criticized her performance at the 2025 Oscars.
On Monday, March 3, the 29-year-old artist took to Instagram to defend herself, just a day after her performance of “Diamonds Are Forever” as part of a James Bond medley.
“Thank you to the Academy Awards and Vanity Fair for having me,” Doja Cat captioned a picture of herself in the fitted, gold sequined Balmain gown she wore to the Vanity Fair Oscar Party the previous night. “I rarely get to perform like that, and what I did was both brave and frightening for me. I know many people didn’t appreciate it, but many did, and I feel proud for pushing myself. The song is a classic, and I dedicated a lot of effort to it, but my nerves got to me, and I stumbled a bit.”
She continued, “I’m eager to do something like that again. It was a tremendous blessing. I feel wonderful about the entire experience. Goodbye. 🙏💓.”
The rapper, singer, and songwriter collaborated with Raye and Blackpink’s Lisa for the Bond tribute, which took place midway through Sunday’s Academy Awards ceremony. After Margaret Qualley performed a dance segment, Lisa, 27, delivered a rendition of “Live and Let Die” from the 1973 Bond film. Following that, Doja Cat sang “Diamonds Are Forever,” originally performed by Shirley Bassey in 1971, while dressed in a dazzling gown fitting for a Bond girl. Raye, 27, then sang “Skyfall,” the theme from the 2012 film.
As the tribute unfolded, numerous viewers voiced their critiques of Doja Cat on X.
“Shirley Bassey deserves an apology on so many levels. How was this approved?” one user complained, while another added, “That’s a really tough song to replicate, and I don’t think she was the right artist for this one.”
Despite the backlash, Doja Cat’s supporters rallied to her defense.
“She was absolutely fantastic!” a fan exclaimed on X. “The entire Bond medley was powerful and impressive.”
Doja Cat, Lisa, and Raye recently released their collaboration “Born Again,” but the official Oscars X account indicated before the event that the trio wouldn’t perform that song.
“Not ‘Born Again!’ But still legendary. Stay tuned. 😉,” the message posted in late February read.
The announcement about the group’s performance took many Oscar enthusiasts by surprise, as none of the women were connected to any of the films nominated this year. In 2022, Doja Cat contributed “Vegas” to the soundtrack for Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis, featuring Austin Butler as the iconic rock star. The film received eight nominations at the 2023 Oscars but did not win any awards.
