DOJA Cat recently released her new single Balut and some listeners, including Pinoys, are not happy about what it’s called.
On September 15, the American rapper and singer surprised fans when she released her latest single Balut, named after the Filipino delicacy. This came ahead of her upcoming album Scarlet, which is scheduled to come out on September 22.
Balut debuted at #100 on US Spotify with more than 400,000 streams.
In an Instagram story, Doja Cat explained that her new single’s title is meant to signify “a bird that was being eaten alive.”
“It’s a metaphor for twitter stans and the death of twitter toxicity. The beginning of ‘X’ and the tend of ‘tweets,’” she said.
Courtesy: instagram.com / @dojacat
But some fans weren’t happy about this as they found her explanation offensive and inaccurate.
Not a few were mad about her apparent lack of research on what balut really is.
An X user pointed out that “the bird in balut is already dead.”
every time i see news about doja cat its about her appropriating/disrespecting culture.
— Dusty‼️ (@PubbyLovingGoat) September 18, 2023
first it was that paraguay shit and now she after the filipinos bruh 💀💀💀
it do not signify that bruh the bird in balut is already dead. stupid ass giving my filo brain an aneurism https://t.co/DnzONqKung
Courtesy: twitter.com / @PubbyLovingGoat
Another called out Doja Cat for the improper use of the term, saying it has “the same energy of a nepo baby owned business that uses filipino words as a brand name.”
Courtesy: twitter.com / @_starfactory
One X user shared a gif poking fun at how Doja Cat thinks Filipino consume Balut.
Courtesy: twitter.com / @wreckyourplans
Meanwhile, another netizen reposted a video on X showing how the Balut is eaten, and accused the rapper of xenophobia.
Doja cat naming her song Balut and telling its the feeling of being eaten alive and I'm like????
— Labyeha💙 (@LBY2K99) September 18, 2023
The actual Balut has dead duck embryo. DEAD. So now hey, hello xenophobia. Fuck you all. This is Asian culture but you have to incorporate it with shitty music. https://t.co/yqsvgrCvtO
Courtesy: twitter.com / @LBY2K99
A user later shared a picture of what a balut looks like.
Like for real! THIS IS A FILIPINO REFERENCE!!
— brynt. (@iamneilgumbannn) September 16, 2023
Here’s what a balut looks like pic.twitter.com/pxXBksADae
Courtesy: twitter.com / @iamneilgumbannn
What is Balut?
Balut is a 16- to 21-day-old boiled fertilized duck egg embryo that is eaten from the shell with a dash of salt. It is one of the well known delicacies in the Philippines and is usually sold by street vendors.
And no, the bird is not alive when being eaten.
Who is Doja Cat?
Doja Cat rose to fame in 2018 after her single “MOOO!” became a viral success. Several of her songs, such as Say So, Kiss Me More, and Woman became TikTok hits, with many influencers creating dance steps for these.