Photos by: Aaron J. Thornton
Genre-defying pop and hip-hop artist Doja Cat officially ignited the North American leg of her ‘Tour Ma Vie’ world tour in Detroit last night. In an almost sold-out Little Caesars Arena full of passionate fans, the multi-platinum artist delivered a high-octane set blending her energy, fierce lyricism, and mesmerizing choreography for over an hour and a half.
The show began at the scheduled 7:30 p.m. start time, with Atlanta rapper Latto serving as the opener. Latto set the tone for the night, bringing her hard-hitting rap to the stage and creating an energetic atmosphere for the headliner. She turned up the energy even further by bringing out a special guest of her own, Detroit native Dej Loaf, whose surprise appearance sent the crowd into a frenzy.
It wasn’t long after Latto wrapped her set that the lights went down, signaling the start of the main performance. Two mimes came onto the stage with a short, entrancing act, followed by members of Doja Cat’s live band, including trumpet, saxophone, and trombone players. When Doja Cat finally appeared, she was met with a roaring response from the crowd, which remained engaged from beginning to end.
Doja Cat’s set featured a mix of songs from her newest album, Vie, as well as material from Scarlet, Planet Her, and Hot Pink. She opened the show with “Cards,” and after a couple of songs, she took a short pause to light a cigarette on stage, sparking another explosive reaction from those in attendance. It wasn’t long after that she moved into her smash hit “Kiss Me More,” which won her a Grammy for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance with artist SZA.
Throughout her time on stage, she performed alongside six male dancers, shifting seamlessly between elaborate group choreography and more intimate moments featuring a single dancer, adding variety to the performance. Midway through the set, she told the crowd that she had two words for them, calling out Big Latto before bringing her opener back onto the stage for a collaboration on Latto’s song “Okayyy,” drawing another eruption from the audience.
The Motown crowd was kept engaged from start to finish as Doja Cat blended riveting dance moves on stage with production that extended beyond the stage. At one point, she came offstage and made her way through the pit, stopping to interact with fans at the front of the barricade and creating a memorable moment of direct connection with the crowd. The production matched the intensity of her performance, with onstage bursts of pyro and fire, billowing fog, and laser lights shooting across the arena, adding visual impact throughout the set. Dramatic shifts in the stage lighting, from saturated red hues during some songs to vivid blue tones during others, further transformed the atmosphere, giving each segment of the performance its own visual identity.
The setlist touched well over 30 of her hits and included crowd favorites like “Agora Hills,” “Get Into It,” “Need to Know,” “Woman,” and “Paint the Town Red.”
The Detroit tour stop marked the first of 31 North American dates through major cities in the U.S. and Canada before concluding on December 1 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. With Detroit now in the books, the tour moves onto Chicago on October 3.