Rules (Doja Cat song)

"Rules"
A photo of a nonspecific reptile's green scales, vertically symmetrical. The singer's name "Doja Cat" is shown in white at the center of the image. Beside it is the song title "Rules", shown in pink.
Single by Doja Cat
from the album Hot Pink
ReleasedOctober 24, 2019
Recorded2018
StudioEightysevenfourteen (Los Angeles, California)
Genre
Length3:07
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Doja Cat singles chronology
"Bottom Bitch"
(2019) 		"Rules"
(2019) 		"Cyber Sex"
(2019)
Music video
"Rules" on YouTube

"Rules" is a song by American rapper and singer Doja Cat, released on October 24, 2019, as the third single from her second studio album Hot Pink (2019). The song was written by Doja Cat, Yeti Beats, Lydia Asrat, Uptown AP of R. City, and producers Salaam Remi, Tyson Trax, and Ben Billions.[3] Soon after its release, the song became popular on Twitter, and Doja Cat's performance was noted to be influenced by Kendrick Lamar.[4]

Background

"Rules" was released as the third single from Doja Cat's second album Hot Pink as well as being the third track on the album. Doja Cat first teased the song by releasing a still from the music video on her Instagram account on October 16, 2019 as well as another shot from the video on October 22, 2019.[5][6] The song was announced upon its release along with its music video premiere.

Music video

On October 24, 2019, a music video was released alongside the song's release. Directed by Christian Sutton while video production was handled by Psycho Films,[7] the video portrays Doja as the boss of a Cat Mafia gang with the video taking place in the desert.[8][9]

Critical reception

Lakin Starling of Pitchfork wrote, "[Rules] captures a more serious—though hardly humorless—mood, pairing eerie old-western bass with Doja's memorable command: 'Play with my pussy, but don't play with my emotions.'"[10] Following the release of the song, Shaad D'Souza of The Fader placed the song on the 20 Best Pop Songs Right Now list admiring the "loose, funky production" as well as Doja's "charisma and charm".[11]

Many publications, such as Elle and Pitchfork, praised "Rules" and cited the similarities of Doja Cat's lyrical delivery to those of Kendrick Lamar.[12][4]

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from Hot Pink liner notes.[3]

Recording

  • Engineered at eightysevenfourteen studios (Los Angeles, California)
  • Mixed at Threejonet Studios (Los Angeles, California)
  • Mastered at Bernie Grundman Mastering (Hollywood, California)

Personnel

Charts

Chart performance for "Rules"
Chart (2019) Peak
position
New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)[13] 17
US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (Billboard)[14] 19
US Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Singles (Billboard)[15] 8
US R&B/Hip-Hop Digital Song Sales (Billboard)[16] 25

Certifications

Certifications for "Rules"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[17] Platinum 70,000‡
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[18] Diamond 160,000‡
New Zealand (RMNZ)[19] Platinum 30,000‡
Poland (ZPAV)[20] Gold 25,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[21] Gold 400,000‡
United States (RIAA)[22] 2× Platinum 2,000,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Release dates and formats for "Rules"
Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
Various October 24, 2019
[23]

References

  1. ^ D'Souza, Shaad (October 30, 2019). "The 20 best pop songs right now". The Fader. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
  2. ^ Pierre, Alphonse (October 28, 2019). "New Rap Song of the Day: Doja Cat "Rules"". Pitchfork. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
  3. ^ a b Hot Pink (Media notes). Kemosabe Records.
  4. ^ a b Pierre, Alphonse (October 28, 2019). "The Ones: Doja Cat's "Rules"". Pitchfork. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
  5. ^ "Doja Cat on Instagram: "I tried contact lenses for the first time. Also I have a surprise for you guys."". Instagram. Archived from the original on December 25, 2021. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
  6. ^ "Doja Cat on Instagram: "I got something completely new for you guys on Thursday. #HOTPINK 🐍"". Instagram. Archived from the original on December 25, 2021. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
  7. ^ Doja Cat – Rules (Official Video), October 24, 2019, retrieved May 30, 2020
  8. ^ Aniftos, Rania (October 25, 2019). "Doja Cat Runs the Feline Mafia in 'Rules' Video". Billboard. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
  9. ^ Alston, Trey (October 24, 2019). "Doja Cat Destroys Cars And Slithers With Snakes In Villainous 'Rules' Video". MTV News. Archived from the original on October 25, 2019. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
  10. ^ Starling, Lakin (November 14, 2019). "Hot Pink – Review by Pitchfork". Pitchfork. Retrieved May 31, 2020.
  11. ^ D'Souza, Shaad (October 30, 2019). "The 20 best pop songs right now". The Fader. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
  12. ^ Penrose, Nerisha (November 11, 2019). "Doja Cat Just Wants to Make Rap Colorful". ELLE. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
  13. ^ "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. November 4, 2019. Retrieved May 31, 2020.
  14. ^ "Doja Cat Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved May 31, 2020.
  15. ^ "Doja Cat – Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Singles Chart History". Billboard. Archived from the original on June 8, 2020. Retrieved November 8, 2019.
  16. ^ "Doja Cat Chart History (R&B/Hip-Hop Digital Song Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
  17. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2023 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved November 30, 2023.
  18. ^ "Brazilian single certifications – Doja Cat – Rules" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil. Retrieved November 30, 2023.
  19. ^ "New Zealand single certifications – Doja Cat – Rules". Radioscope. Retrieved December 20, 2024. Type Rules in the "Search:" field.
  20. ^ "Wyróżnienia – Złote płyty CD - Archiwum - Przyznane w 2022 roku" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
  21. ^ "British single certifications – Doja Cat – Rules". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
  22. ^ "American single certifications – Doja Cat – Rules". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved November 8, 2024.
  23. ^ "Rules – Single by Doja Cat". Apple Music. Retrieved May 30, 2020.