Originally published on 28 April 2020. Lightly updated by the Distract editorial team in August 2026.
Doja Cat transformations have always been part of her appeal. Before her later high-fashion appearances turned red carpets into performance art, she was already moving between e-girl make-up, retro disco glamour, punk styling and feline alter egos.
Doja Cat first became a viral sensation in 2018 with the playful meme track Mooo!, but behind its deliberately ridiculous visuals was a rapper, singer, songwriter and producer with a far broader creative range.
Her willingness to transform extends beyond changing hairstyles or outfits. Each music video, performance and social-media appearance allows her to build a different character, complete with its own visual language and attitude.
One moment she is a ’70s disco queen; the next, she is an ethereal elf, punk antihero or final-level video-game villain. It is easy to understand why fans began joking that Doja Cat looked like a completely different person in every photograph.
Here are seven early Doja Cat transformations that made us look twice—plus one childhood throwback.
Doja cat looks like five different people lmfao I can never tell it’s her in pics unless people name her
— virginia micaela de nadal (@hoyvirgi) January 7, 2020
Doja Cat looks different every time I look at her.
— Alexis “Bring Back Bunheads” Wilson (@sassyblackdiva) March 6, 2020
Here are 7 times you almost didn’t recognise Doja Cat:
1. The E-Girl
One of Doja Cat’s go-to beauty looks is the e-girl. She even hosted a video make-up tutorial on Vogue, sharing personal tips and a guide to pulling off the e-girl aesthetic.
2. 70s Disco Queen
Throughout her Say So music video, Doja Cat wears multiple 70’s inspired outfits and hairstyles against an iridescent retro backdrop, reminiscent of a 90’s lava lamp.
3. The 80’s Hip Hop Throwback
Styled by Brett Alan Nelson for the Juicy music video, Doja Cat channels retro hip-hop in the green colourway of the Adidas Originals x Ji Won Choi tracksuit. A white bucket hat and chunky chain complete the look, giving the sportswear silhouette a bold, nostalgic finish.
4. Punk’d
Doja Cat channels pure punk rebellion in the Boss B*tch video, pairing the track’s explosive energy with a bold, high-impact visual identity. The single appears on the soundtrack to the 2020 film Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn).
5. Adventures of Doja Elf: The Mythical Creature
With waist-length, white-blonde hair and a soft pastel make-up look, she recently served us ethereal vibes during lockdown via TikTok. Doja Cat’s making it clear she owns the 🧝🧝🧝emoji.
6. The Siren
While touring Hawaii, Doja Cat embraced her feline side in a vivid pink leopard-print beachwear look. Set against the turquoise shoreline and finished with electric-blue hair and delicate body-chain detailing, the transformation turned her into a modern-day siren.
7. The Feline Femme Fatale
Imagine reaching the final level of a video game, only to find Doja Cat waiting as its formidable final boss. In the Rules music video, she fully embraces the feline identity behind her stage name, transforming into a character who is equal parts glamorous, menacing and fierce.
We’ve thrown in an extra one because why not…
8. Doja Kitten
Before she was Doja Cat, she was once a kitten. Do you recognise her?
These early Doja Cat transformations captured an artist already treating fashion, beauty and music videos as extensions of her creative identity.
From the e-girl tutorial to the feline femme fatale of Rules, each look offered a new character rather than a simple outfit change. The result was an early glimpse of the fearless visual experimentation that would later define her red-carpet appearances and high-fashion collaborations.
This list captures Doja Cat’s first shape-shifting era. Her complete fashion evolution deserves a story of its own.
Read next: Doja Cat releases her fifth studio album, Vie.
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