It’s hard to remember a time before that shimmering, disco-inflected guitar riff took over every radio station and TikTok feed on the planet. When Doja Cat dropped Kiss Me More featuring SZA in April 2021, the world was just starting to crawl out of a very long, very grey period of isolation. We needed something pink. We needed something that felt like a summer breeze on a planet made of marshmallow fluff.
And honestly? We got exactly that.
But it wasn't just a "vibe." Kiss Me More was a calculated masterpiece of pop engineering that managed to sound effortless while doing the heavy lifting of cementing Doja Cat as a versatile powerhouse rather than just a "meme rapper." It didn't just climb the charts; it parked there for 19 consecutive weeks in the Billboard Hot 100 top ten. That’s not luck. That’s a shift in the cultural tectonic plates.
The Secret Sauce of the Kiss Me More Sound
If you strip away the flashy pink music video and the TikTok dances, you’re left with a song that is technically fascinating. It’s basically a masterclass in interpolation. You might have noticed a certain familiar "sparkle" in the melody. That’s because the track heavily borrows from the 1981 classic "Physical" by Olivia Newton-John. Writers Steve Kipner and Terry Shaddick are actually credited because of those structural similarities.
Produced by Rogét Chahayed and Yeti Beats, the track leans into "Y2K-meets-Disco" aesthetics. It’s breezy.
The bassline doesn’t punch you in the throat; it hugs you.
One of the coolest things about the production is how it uses space. Pop music in the late 2010s got really loud and crowded. Kiss Me More went the other way. It’s airy. You can hear the "room" in the track, which makes Doja’s precise, rhythmic delivery stand out even more. She isn't just singing; she’s playing with the pocket of the beat like a seasoned jazz drummer.
👉 See also: Eazy-E: The Business Genius and Street Legend Most People Get Wrong
That SZA Verse Changed Everything
Let’s be real: collaborations can often feel like business transactions. You see two big names on a track and you just know their managers swapped files over email and never spoke. This wasn't that. SZA’s appearance on Kiss Me More felt like a genuine conversation.
While Doja provides the rhythmic structure and the rap-singing hybrid that she’s perfected, SZA brings the ethereal, slightly raspy soul. Her verse is famously wordy and melodic, contrasting beautifully with the "staccato" nature of the chorus. It’s the "yin" to Doja’s "yang."
Interestingly, SZA mentioned in interviews around the release that she was nervous about the track because it was so "pop." She’s an R&B darling, and stepping into this bubblegum-pink world was a risk. It paid off. The chemistry between them was so palpable that it won the Grammy for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance in 2022. Watching them rush to the stage—with Doja nearly missing the moment because she was in the bathroom—became one of those rare, authentic awards show highlights that people actually remember.
More Than Just a Catchy Hook
Why did it stick? Why do we still hear it in grocery stores and high-end boutiques five years later?
The lyrics of Kiss Me More aren’t reinventing the wheel. It’s a song about physical affection and the "honeymoon" phase of a relationship. But it’s the way it’s phrased. Doja uses clever internal rhymes and a playful, almost bratty persona that makes the song feel youthful without being childish.
- It tapped into the "Main Character Energy" trend.
- It provided a perfect 15-second loop for social media creators.
- It bridged the gap between Gen Z's love for aesthetics and Gen X's nostalgia for 80s pop.
People often dismiss pop music as "disposable," but making something this "light" that still has "weight" is incredibly difficult. If you look at the credits, there are about a dozen writers involved, including Dr. Luke (which remains a point of contention and complexity in Doja’s career trajectory). Despite the behind-the-scenes controversies regarding production credits, the song's cultural impact was undeniable. It was the lead single for Planet Her, an album that proved Doja Cat could build an entire world, not just a viral moment.
✨ Don't miss: Drunk on You Lyrics: What Luke Bryan Fans Still Get Wrong
The Visual Language of Planet Her
We have to talk about the music video. Warren Fu directed it, and it looks like a high-budget sci-fi film filtered through a Barbie lens.
Featuring actor Alex Landi as an astronaut who crashes on a planet inhabited by Doja and SZA (who are literal giants), the visuals leaned into the "Afrofuturism-lite" aesthetic. It was soft, feminine, and weird. Doja has always embraced the "weird." Whether she’s dressing as a cow or shaving her eyebrows on Instagram Live, she refuses to be the "polished, untouchable" pop star.
This video allowed her to be a goddess and a comedian at the same time. The ending, where she and SZA are basically playing a video game version of the astronaut’s journey, broke the fourth wall in a way that felt very "Internet Age."
Addressing the Critics
Not everyone was a fan of the song’s relentless ubiquity. Some critics felt it was too safe, especially compared to Doja's more aggressive underground rap roots. There’s an argument to be made that Kiss Me More polished away some of the "edge" that made her early SoundCloud days so exciting.
However, looking back from 2026, it’s clear this song was a bridge. It gave her the commercial capital to later experiment with the darker, more abrasive sounds found on Scarlet. You have to play the game to change the game.
How to Apply the "Doja Method" to Your Own Creative Projects
If you’re a creator, musician, or marketer, there are actual, tangible lessons to take away from the success of this track. It wasn't just a "hit"—it was a strategy.
🔗 Read more: Dragon Ball All Series: Why We Are Still Obsessed Forty Years Later
First, embrace the "and." Doja is a rapper and a singer. The song is disco and hip-hop. Don't feel forced to stay in one lane. The most interesting work happens at the intersections.
Second, nostalgia is a tool, not a crutch. The song didn't just cover Olivia Newton-John; it sampled the feeling of the 80s and repackaged it for people who weren't even born then.
Third, visual identity is 50% of the battle. People don’t just listen to Kiss Me More; they "see" it. The color palette of the Planet Her era was so consistent that you could see a specific shade of muted pink and immediately think of Doja Cat. That’s brand power.
Your Next Steps for Deepening Your Music Knowledge
To truly understand the lineage of this sound, you shouldn't just stop at Doja Cat.
- Listen to the "Physical" original: Go back to Olivia Newton-John’s 1981 hit. Listen to the bassline. You’ll hear the DNA of the chorus immediately.
- Explore the Planet Her deep cuts: Songs like "Alone" or "Naked" show the more vulnerable, less "radio-friendly" side of the same production team.
- Analyze the 2022 Grammy Performance: Watch the live version. Notice how the arrangement changes to accommodate a live band. It proves the song’s structural integrity isn't just based on studio magic.
- Follow the Producers: Look up Rogét Chahayed’s other work with artists like Drake or Halsey. You’ll start to recognize the "shimmer" he brings to modern pop.
The legacy of this track isn't just the billions of streams. It's the fact that it made pop music feel "fun" again during a time when everything felt very heavy. It reminded us that sometimes, a great song doesn't have to solve the world's problems—it just has to ask for a little more affection.