Doja Cat finally hits Aotearoa and she did not hold back

Popstar and rapper Doja Cat strutted out for her first-ever performance in Aotearoa on Tuesday night, raising the roof of Auckland's Spark Arena on a very soggy Tuesday. Electric screams. Phones in the air. An eruption every time she even slightly shook her booty.

Earlier in the week, Doja Cat told fans via livestream to come dressed as "80s garbage". The singer wore a hot pink leotard with exaggerated shoulder pads. Her hot pink, razor-sharp nails glowed every time she lifted the mic. A blonde bob wig - instead of her iconic bald look - added to the theatre.

Doja Cat sounded clean and controlled, hitting the high notes effortlessly while sliding between rap, pop, and something close to rock.

Opening with 'Cards' set the tone. It was seductive, slightly strange, and fully Doja Cat. She carried that energy for the next hour and a half without a single break, no pauses, no costume changes. Just stamina, sweat, squats and a lot of knees hitting the ground.

It was a small, simple stage setup. With no dancers and no props, Doja Cat filled every inch of the stage herself. She slid across the floor on her back, dropped into the splits, wrapped the microphone cord around her neck, and at one point whipped the mic under her legs and caught it. Chaotic? Yes. But that's Doja. And she's one of the few artists who can make rolling around with a mic cable look like a deliberate art choice.

Her band was phenomenal. The white suits were clean, classy, and a contrast to Doja's neon palette. The trumpet player needs a raise immediately. The guitarist nailed his solo. The two backing vocalists held everything together during the more intense choreo moments. The drummer kept everything locked in without missing a beat.

Doja Cat's hits dominate TikTok, radio, and just about every gym playlist. She flexed her ability to rap, dance, and hold a melody without missing a breath during crowd favourite, 'Woman'.

Fans were less enthused by tracks from her new album, but Doja did her best to pull them in. She had the arena chanting and dancing during a call-and-response bit with her band, teasing the crowd with "So you think you can make my band dance?"

'Streets' was a highlight - the whole stage turned red and Doja Cat's silhouette popped. She moved across the floor so smoothly you couldn't look away. Cool camera work meant the crowd were blessed with a birds-eye view of Doja tearing the stage up.

By the time she sung iconic hit 'Say So', (even though she's said in the past her 'Say So era' was over) the arena was in full nostalgia mode. The show ended with intimate new song 'Jealous Type', as Doja Cat threw roses into the crowd and confetti rained down - it felt soft, sweet, and a little romantic.

Doja Cat's vocals were better than I expected, her stage presence was magnetic, and her stamina was unbelievable. While her live band was amazing, she practically carried the whole show on her own. No dancers, no gimmicks, just confidence and body-ody-ody.