Doja Cat Makes ‘TIME’ List of 2023’s Most Influential People: ‘She Can’t Be Boxed In’

Doja Cat “can’t be boxed in,” writes Baz Luhrmann of the Grammy-winning rapper, who has been named one of TIME‘s most influential people of 2023.

It’s true: Doja is both unpredictable and exceptionally gifted at stirring the pot, and not just when it comes to her Gen Z-defining music. She also consistently grabs attention with everything from her daring fashion choices to her brazen social media proclamations, all of which earned her a spot on the publication’s annual ranking.

“She’s a rapper, a singer, a performance artist — she’s the canvas on which she expresses a character or an idea,” continued Luhrmann, who worked with Doja in creating Elvis‘ lead soundtrack single “Vegas.” “There’s no ‘brand’ to Doja Cat. You never know what she’s going to do next, and that’s exciting.”

In addition to having the filmmaker write a brief tribute to the musician, who’s spotlighted as a “pioneer,” TIME also interviewed Doja about being “addicted” to the internet and her upcoming album.

“I might just mess with everybody and completely turn the tables on them,” said the “Woman” artist, who’s been trolling fans about the genre of her next project for months.

When it comes to her explosive posts on social media — which span everything from the times she threatened to quit music, slammed Stranger Things star Noah Schnapp for exposing her private DMs, or went on Instagram Live to shave off her eyebrows — Doja says she’s learning to curb her impulsiveness.

“Social media has been a really big part of what I do,” she said. “I’m just learning to control how much I put out, and the way that I put those things out.”

See Doja Cat’s TIME cover below:

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