Doja Cat’s Fresh Spin on an Old Musical Classic

Adding to Doja Cat’s successful discography of hits, she puts her personal touch in Grease’s classic, “You’re the One That I Want.” 

On top of hosting the 2021 VMA’s this Sunday, the rap trailblazer took on a new commercial with Pepsi to promote a retro-themed Soda Shop line. The Soda Shop line continues with the nostalgic theme of Grease, showcasing two new flavors: black cherry and cream. 

Hey @pepsi, my heart is set on you! 💕 #PepsiSodaShop #PepsiPartner pic.twitter.com/utHN3HVXYI

— yeeeeeees (@DojaCat) September 10, 2021

However, the commercial is not the same as the old-school musical you’d remember. Instead, it has a modern twist with hot pink outfits for the Pink Ladies, decked out Teslas, and a Doja Cat touch to “You’re the One That I Want.” 

THE WAY YOU ATE THAT + THIS LOOKKK OMG pic.twitter.com/YrqvplcHcn

— ~anthony (@aper6014) September 10, 2021

The commercial starts at a “Rydell Alumni” event. The camera pans onto Doja Cat in a cute baby blue maxi dress, symbolizing sweet Sandy Olsson with her new and improved Pink Ladies. Doja Cat sits in front of her holographic Tesla and suddenly hears a can pop open by a mystery man across from her. Instantly, she is intrigued and attracted. Doja Cat then starts into “You’re The One I Want,” but a techno-pop sound enters instead of the classic fast-paced 50’s beat.

The mystery man, a nod to bad-boy Danny Zuko, then disappears in a crowd of people. Doja Cat urgently tries to find her Danny Zuko and eventually finds him in a diner, but her look is completely transformed into “Bad Sandy.” She walks in head to toe in a leather outfit with biker-vibe studs, paired with Pepsi accessories, a red lip, a deep smoky cat eye, and short platinum hair. Definitely a combination of Sandy Olsson and Doja Cat.

However, there’s another twist in the commercial. Doja Cat isn’t after the man; she’s after the Pepsi can in his hand. The camera zooms in on Doja Cat and the Pepsi can as she sings, “You’re The One That I Want.” Doja Cat then takes the can and walks out of the diner, leaving behind the confused, bad boy. He calls out for her, and she finally delivers the infamous line, “Tell me about it, stud.” End scene. 

Pepsi approached Doja Cat with this new remake of Grease because of her authentic sound and unapologetic personality. However, the project was not easy for Doja Cat to execute gracefully.

Hold your breath, we have exciting news 🙌 We teamed up with @DojaCat to introduce Pepsi-Cola Soda Shop — a modern take on a classic. Tune in to the #VMAs on Sunday, 9/12 at 8pm EST to catch it live. #PepsiSodaShop pic.twitter.com/4GrFGtOKJK

— Pepsi (@pepsi) September 10, 2021

She explains, “I sing, but I feel like I have a lot of trouble singing certain things, even my own songs. This was one of those songs where I had to really push and find different parts of my singing ability to make it happen…back then, music was so different and so carefully done…which is why I feel like this was a bit harder for me. I can’t believe I was able to kind of hit some of those notes because it’s a very difficult song to sing.”

.@DojaCat looking absolutely beautiful for her Pepsi commercial. ✨🖤 pic.twitter.com/jDj4WUAXwy

— Doja Cat News (@DojaNews) September 10, 2021

The new rendition hints at Doja Cat’s newest album, Planet Her, with pop beats that offer techno-pop, Afrobeats, and layer on layers of harmonizing. Doja Cat’s unique personality shone through her cover while paying homage to Grease’s 50 years of musical history. 

With a collection of hits under Doja Cat’s belt, this certainly adds to the greatness she has achieved. It goes without saying I am deeply impressed by her versatility and ability to go above and beyond on any project, all while committing to her personal style. I mean, have you heard Doja Cat’s catchy song “Mooo!“? To some, it may seem easy to make a song like that. But it’s definitely not easy to make that song a stepping stone to future hit albums.

From the SoundCloud artist, she was to the rap sensation she is now, with an NFT, she has definitely grown into an artist worth looking out for. This is only the beginning of what she can and will do. 

Watch the commercial here and see why fans love it.