Amala Dlamini, also known as Doja Cat, released the official music video for her latest single “Kiss Me More.” The song features singer/songwriter Solána Rowe, better known as SZA. The video, featuring the two artists, reigned in over 25 million views since it was uploaded to YouTube, April 8.
The scene is set on a pink-tainted planet that Doja and Sza rule over. The video emulates feminine power through an all-pink atmosphere and the women’s possession of a male foreigner. The music video’s brilliant reference to Adam and Eve features a man making the mistake of indulging in the forbidden fruit, as opposed to a woman falling to temptation. The allegorical fruit is a symbol of the hidden treasures Doja and Sza, or women in general, have to offer.
Alternate scenes feature Doja and Sza in flirty, delicate fabrics. These scenes exhibit the fragility of the women. Their vulnerableness contributes to their beauty and by the end of the video, we see that the beauty of their delicacy contributes to their strength.
The video begins with a handsome astronaut crashing onto the planet. His rocket, which was his transportation, is up in flames. He’s left with no other option but to wander the land in a curious pursuit. After a while of roaming, he comes across a boat at a river. A bit hesitant, he boards and rows through the waters. As he does so, he sees a giant, pink alien-like Doja, who’s relaxing seductively upon the land. He becomes mesmerized by her as she blows him a kiss.
The astronaut is met by a pair of stone lips at the end of the lake. The area is surrounded by cherry blossom trees which grow foreign fruit. Exhausted and famished by all the rowing, he plucks fruit from a tree and takes a bite. As soon as he does this the stone lips open and he’s pulled in. The scene switches to him lying in silk pink bedsheets with Doja and SZA. The three caress each other as Doja places delicate kisses on the astronaut, creating a reference to the song title.
This long river and the foreign fruit contribute to the reference to the biblical story of Adam and Eve. According to Britannica and Adam Augustyn, there are rivers that flow from the Garden of Eden, similar to the concept in the video. The cherry blossom trees that await the astronaut at the end of the river are an allusion to the garden from the story. The tree from which the astronaut picks the fruit is a reference to the Tree of Knowledge, from which Eve picked the fruit.
Unexpectedly, in the end, it appears that Doja and SZA were in control of the astronaut’s every move. From the moment his rocket crashed, they captured him in a tube and connected his life to a video game designed for their entertainment. Doja and SZA eat snacks as they control his movements and toy with him. They enjoy doing so.
Viewers raved in the comment section not only about the creativity of the video but also about the man who played the role of the astronaut.
“Using an Asian man, finally we’re breaking stigmas. We need more of this,” one user said.
The feminine power that Doja asserts within the video and the racial diversity of the male actor were primary takeaways that should be applied not only to the music industry but to all features of society.
