Songfacts®:

• The phrase "paint the town red" means to go out and celebrate without inhibition by having a noisy and disorderly spree. It often involves drinking and dancing with friends. On August 4, 2023, Doja Cat released "Paint the Town Red" as the second single of her fourth studio album.
• I said what I said
  I'd rather be famous instead
  I let all that get to my head
  I don't care I paint the town red
  
  "Paint the Town Red" is Doja Cat's defiant response to her haters. The rapper tells them that she won't let their negativity get her down, and she'll keep living her life the way she wants to. Their criticism won't stop her from going out and enjoying herself.
• There's a possible second meaning behind the title. In August 2022, Doja Cat shaved her head, then shaved off her eyebrows during an impromptu video on Instagram Live. This spawned a lot of hate on social media by people who thought it made her look demonic. This song's music video finds Doja peeling out her eyeball, which then falls into hell. We later see a red costumed Doja keeping company with death and the devil, and tossing bloody chunks of meat.
  
  From this point of view, painting the town red could be a warning to her haters. Doja Cat is not someone to be trifled with, and it could get bloody.
• Nina McNeely directed the video, which was inspired by three paintings Doja Cat designed. Los Angeles-based choreographer, editor and animator Nina McNeely also filmed Fergie's "Love Is Pain" visual.
• The rest of the song is about Doja Cat being a confident and independent woman. She's not afraid to be herself, refuses to conform to societal expectations and won't let anyone tell her how to live her life.
• The intro and outro are samples of Dionne Warwick's "Walk On By," written by the famous team of Burt Bacharach and Hal David. Doja inserts the sample to show she's walking past all the negativity planted in her way.
• Earl on the Beat created the brassy, finger snap-laden beat. The Atlanta producer is best known for his work with members of Quality Control, including Lil Yachty, Lil Baby and City Girls. He also co-produced the instrumentation for Drake and 21 Savage's "Privileged Rappers."
• The phrase "paint the town red" was first used in the USA in the 1870s, possibly referring to a town's red-light district that cowboys and their molls extended to the entire town. Nevertheless, the story persists that the phrase comes from the actions of the Marquis of Waterford, who was known for his wild and drunken behavior. In 1837, he and a group of friends are said to have run riot in the town of Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, England. They vandalized several buildings and painted the town's toll-bar red.
  
  Other songs on our database about painting the town red include:
  
  "Party All Night (Sleep All Day)" by Sean Kingston, a song about having a wild and carefree night out. The lyrics "we gonna paint the town red 'til God knows when" are a metaphor for letting loose and having fun without any inhibitions.
  
  "Cozy" by Beyoncé, a song about luxury and excess. The lyrics "paint the town red like cinnamon" are a reference to the lavish lifestyle that Beyoncé and her friends enjoy.
  
  "The Climb Back" by J. Cole, a song about overcoming adversity. The lyrics "and paint the town red for my ni--a found dead too soon" are a reference to Cole's friend who was killed in a shooting. Cole is vowing to celebrate his friend's life by living it to the fullest.
• Doja Cat garnered her first ever UK #1 on the Official Singles Chart when, after a five-week climb, "Paint The Town Red" ascended to the summit. Doja's previous best chart position in the UK was the #2 that "Say So" reached in 2020.
• "Paint The Town Red" rose from #3 to #1 on the Hot 100 dated September 16, 2023, becoming Doja Cat's second chart-topper, following "Say So." It was the first rap song to top the chart since Nicki Minaj's "Super Freaky Girl," which debuted at the summit chart dated August 27, 2022. The gap of over a year was the longest since 2001; in the 54 weeks between "Super Freaky Girl" and "Paint the Town Red," 15 songs topped the Hot 100 in the pop, R&B, country and rock/alternative genres.
  
• This wasn't the first chart-topper to sample a song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David. In 2004, Twista's "Slow Jamz," featuring Kanye West and Jamie Foxx, spent a week at the peak position. That song samples Luther Vandross' cover of Dionne Warwick's "A House Is Not a Home."
• "Paint The Town Red" topped the 2023 Triple J Hottest 100, the 31st edition of Australia's annual listener-voted poll of the most popular songs of the year. Doja Cat became the first female rapper and first woman of color to lead the countdown.