Amala

Amala is the debut studio album by American rapper and singer Doja Cat. It was released on March 30, 2018, by Kemosabe Records and RCA Records. The album's deluxe version was released on March 1, 2019, and featured her breakthrough singles "Juicy", "Tia Tamera", and "Mooo!". Her first commercial release in four years, Doja Cat has expressed strong disdain towards the record for a number of reasons. Upon its release, Amala was initially a commercial failure and was largely ignored by critics. In August 2018, the album and Doja Cat gained attention when her novelty song "Mooo!" became an internet meme. As a result, songs "Candy" and "Juicy" became sleeper hits, and the album debuted on the Billboard 200 chart in August 2019. Amala would eventually peak at number 138 on the chart in November 2019, coinciding with the release of her second studio album, Hot Pink. Background and release On March 27, 2018, Doja Cat's label announced the album via Twitter. In addition to announcing the release date of the album, they also revealed the title of the project and its cover. When "Roll With Us" was released in February 2018 as the first promotional single, the album was originally titled Baby. Amala was later repackaged with a deluxe version on March 1, 2019, which added three new songs: "Juicy", "Tia Tamera", and "Mooo!". Doja Cat herself has expressed strong disdain toward the record, claiming that it does not entirely represent her as an artist. She has also stated that she believes it is not a "finished album", partially due to her constantly partying and being high on marijuana during its recording. Her first commercial release in four years, she revealed that it was also rushed in order to meet deadlines, and that it was made in a "difficult time" as she received "almost no support" before its release.