Just this morning, a new version of SZA’s hit song “Kill Bill” was released, with an added Doja Cat verse. Fans were given little warning, and the only hint that there was something brewing between the two artists was when Doja Cat posted “.@sza sis… I did something bad.” SZA then responded, tweeting “Jesus… what is it” and fans knew something was up.
The internet immediately freaked out about the idea of a SZA and Doja collab, and then the internet freaked out again once the song dropped. Considering SZA’s recent habit of announcing new collabs — including with Miley Cyrus — and pulling out surprise guests at her shows like Phoebe Bridgers and Cardi B, we really should’ve seen this coming.
Doja rapping in the song is coming as a surprise for many of her fans, especially after she posted on Twitter on April 8 that she was no longer making pop music and added, “i also agree with everyone who said the majority of my rap verses are mid and corny. I know they are.” She then went on to say on April 9 that her new album is “no longer rap,” which suggested to fans that she was taking a step back from the genre entirely. (She also later claimed she was “just kidding” about what genre the album would be, so it’s still unclear what we’ll actually end up getting from her.)
However, the overwhelming support for Doja’s verse shows that many listeners enjoy her rapping. Fans are specifically praising the storytelling elements of her verse, in which Doja narrates the interaction between her, her ex, and his new ex-girlfriend, serving as a preface for SZA’s chorus. She describes how she barges into her ex’s house, starts fighting with his girlfriend, and ends up shooting her, but heavily implies that she intended to shoot her ex instead. Doja incorporates drama and great lyrics into her rap, making it the perfect lead-in for the rest of the song.
Right now, fans on Twitter are loving Doja Cat’s feature on the song.