DOJA CAT BIOGRAPHY - AGE, CAREER, SONGS & FACTS

Doja Cat — two Hot 100 No. 1s, a Grammy, five albums — is currently headlining the North American leg of her world tour.

Image: Raph_PH / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)

Early Life

Doja Cat was born Amala Ratna Zandile Dlamini on October 21, 1995, in Tarzana, Los Angeles, California. The American rapper, singer, and songwriter is 30 years old and turns 31 on October 21, 2026.

Her mother, Deborah Sawyer, is a graphic designer and painter, while her father, Dumisani Dlamini, is a South African performer who appeared in the Broadway production of Sarafina! — Doja is estranged from him. She was raised partly in Rye, New York, and spent four years living at an ashram in Agoura Hills practicing Hinduism before dropping out of school at 16.

Career

Doja began uploading music to SoundCloud, where her track "So High" caught attention in 2013. At 17, she signed with Kemosabe/RCA, and her debut EP Purrr! followed in 2014. Her debut album Amala (2018) made her a viral sensation thanks to the playful single "Mooo!".

Her second album, Hot Pink (2019), reached No. 9 on the Billboard 200 and delivered "Say So" — the remix ft. Nicki Minaj topped the Hot 100 on May 11, 2020, the first No. 1 for both artists and the first female-rap duo No. 1 in chart history.

Planet Her (2021) debuted at No. 2 with 109K units — her career-best first week. It produced "Kiss Me More" ft. SZA, "Woman" (No. 7), "Need to Know" (No. 8), and "You Right" ft. The Weeknd. She also appeared on "Motive" ft. Ariana Grande (2020, from Grande's Positions), and scored a top-10 hit with "Vegas," the lead single from the Elvis Presley film soundtrack (2022).

Her fourth album, Scarlet (2023), debuted at No. 4 and was led by "Paint the Town Red" (September 2023) — her first solo No. 1, which also topped the UK chart and samples Dionne Warwick's "Walk On By."

In 2026, Doja released her fifth studio album, Vie, on September 26 via Kemosabe/RCA. The 15-track record — with SZA as the sole guest on "Take Me Dancing" — was recorded between 2022 and 2025 at Miraval Studios in Correns, France, and debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 with about 57K album-equivalent units, her fourth Top 10 album. Its lead single, "Jealous Type," arrived August 21, 2025, and debuted at No. 28 on the Hot 100 — her 18th top-40 entry.

She is ON TOUR NOW: the 31-date North American leg of the Ma Vie World Tour kicked off October 1, 2026, at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit with Latto as special guest (announced July 2026), and runs through December 1, 2026, at Madison Square Garden. The Detroit show featured the live debut of her "Okayyy" collaboration from Latto's Big Mama album. The tour previously covered New Zealand, Australia, and Asia (late 2025), South America and Mexico (early 2026), and the UK and Europe (May 2026).

Achievements

Doja Cat has won 1 Grammy from 19 nominations — Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for "Kiss Me More" in 2022. She has also collected six Billboard Music Awards, five American Music Awards, six MTV Video Music Awards, and eight iHeartRadio Music Awards, and was named to the Time 100 in 2023.

In 2024, Billboard ranked her the 24th top woman artist and the 2nd female rapper of the 21st century. She has sold more than 34 million records between 2018 and 2022.

Personal Life

Doja Cat keeps her private life out of the spotlight. According to reports, she was linked to comedian J. Cyrus from late 2022 to early 2024, and was spotted with actor Joseph Quinn in London in August 2024. On the Angie Martinez podcast in 2025, she revealed she has one brother and three half-siblings.

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What is Doja Cat's real name and age?

Her real name is Amala Ratna Zandile Dlamini. Born October 21, 1995, she is 30 years old and turns 31 on October 21, 2026.

What is her biggest song?

Her "Say So" remix with Nicki Minaj gave her a first Hot 100 No. 1 in 2020, while "Paint the Town Red" became her first solo No. 1 in 2023.

How many albums does she have?

She has five studio albums: Amala (2018), Hot Pink (2019), Planet Her (2021), Scarlet (2023), and Vie (2026).

Is she touring in 2026?

Yes. The 31-date North American leg of the Tour Ma Vie World Tour runs from October 1 to December 1, 2026, wrapping up at Madison Square Garden.