Doja Cat isn’t just running the music charts this week, she’s running late-night TV. The rapper and singer stepped into co-host duties on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Wednesday, Oct. 1, the same day she released the video for her latest single, “Stranger.”
Doja Behind the Desk
Marking her first-ever turn as a talk show co-host, Doja didn’t simply pop by for a performance. She sat beside Fallon during the opening monologue, swapped stories at the guest’s chair, and leaned into comedy bits throughout the night.
One highlight came during the recurring segment “Song Scramble,” where celebrities are tasked with fusing the lyrics of one song to the melody of another. Doja delivered a mashup of TLC’s “No Scrubs” to the tune of Vanessa Carlton’s “A Thousand Miles,” cracking up the audience with the unexpected combination.
She later teamed up with The Roots’ Tarik Trotter for a dramatic re-enactment straight out of The Real Housewives, proving her flair for theatrics isn’t limited to music videos.
The Look That Stole the Show
Doja leaned into the retro aesthetic of her fifth studio album, Vie, with an outfit that sparkled under the stage lights. She wore a silver tunic with matching tights and pumps, topping it off with lavender leather gloves. The outfit felt plucked straight from an ’80s music video, fitting for an artist embracing that era across both sound and visuals.
Who Else Was on the Couch?
Doja wasn’t the only star bringing energy to Studio 6B. Comedian and social media favorite Druski joined Fallon for a sit-down, while Blood Orange closed out the night with a performance.
By stepping into Fallon’s role, Doja joined a short list of music heavyweights who have shared hosting duties on The Tonight Show. Previous guest hosts include Ed Sheeran, Megan Thee Stallion, Cardi B, and Shawn Mendes.
The “Stranger” Era
Doja’s Tonight Show takeover also doubled as promotion for “Stranger,” the second single from Vie. The video, released hours before her late-night debut, shows her in a carousel of wedding gowns while singing about attraction to bisexual men.
On the track, she raps: “Don’t look like he like dick / But if he liked it, I’d still like him.” The lyrics have already sparked conversation online, with fans praising her for tackling queer desire with humor and candor.
She’s been equally direct off-camera. In a recent interview with Interview Magazine, Doja said, “Yeah, I love a bisexual man! If my man is a little femme, I have no problem with that. I just think there needs to be a balance and I need to connect with them in a certain spiritual whatever way.”
Between the bold visuals of “Stranger,” the playful chaos of her Tonight Show debut, and the momentum of Vie, Doja is firmly in her spectacle era, and she seems more than happy to keep fans guessing what’s next.
