"She honestly did good for a rapper" — Internet reacts to Doja Cat singing 'Diamonds Are Forever' during Bond tribute at the Oscars

Doja Cat joined English singer and songwriter Raye and BLACKPINK's Lisa for a musical tribute to the Bond franchise during the 97th Annual Academy Awards, held at Hollywood's Dolby Theatre on March 2, 2025.

The tribute kicked off with a dance number by The Substance actress Margaret Qualley, followed by Lisa performing Live and Let Die from the eponymous 1973 Bond movie, originally performed by Wings.

Following this, Doja Cat took to the stage, where she sang her rendition of Diamonds Are Forever, from the eponymous 1971 flick starring Sean Connery as the 007 agent. The song was originally performed by Shirley Bassey.

Doja Cat's version of Diamonds Are Forever at the Oscars was met with mixed reviews. Some praised Doja Cat for her performance, claiming she did well for a rapper.

"She honestly did good for a rapper and she actually sang live."

Many netizens echoed this sentiment, dubbing Doja Cat "mesmerizing."

"This woman is too mesmerizing in so many aspects," one person posted.

"MOTHER SERVING VOCALS," another person added.

"MY TALENTED QUEEN. SO FCKNG PROUD," someone else commented.

"She has a very versatile singing voice and can notes that full time singers can't even hit. Doja Cat is ultra talented.," another user wrote.

However, others criticized Doja Cat for her performance, claiming she missed her mark as a singer and sounded bad.

"Who says a RAPPER can sing too !!!!" one person exclaimed.

"Who told her she can sing? my poor ears," another person added.

"Huge fan, but she sounded so bad here ngl," someone else commented.

"It's a disgrace to oscars," another user tweeted.

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Exploring the James Bond tribute performance led by Doja Cat, Raye, and Lisa

The James Bond tribute during the 2025 Oscars came over 60 years after the first Bond movie, Dr. No, starring Sean Connery, was released in 1962. The tribute kicked off with a speech from Halle Berry, who portrayed Giacinta "Jinx" Johnson in the 2002 Bond movie Die Another Day.

During her speech, Berry thanked the Bond franchise producers, Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, saying:

"I had the great pleasure of working with Barbara and Michael on 'Die Another Day'. And let me tell you, they don't just produce Bond movies, they were the heart and soul of the franchise for decades. Every generation does have their Bond, you know? The world revolves — it evolves, and so does he. But that signature mix of danger, style, and intrigue...well, that's timeless."

Margaret Qualley then took to the stage for a dance sequence with tuxedo-clad backup dancers, followed by Lisa's performance of Live and Let Live, and Doja Cat's rendition of Diamonds Are Forever. The tribute ended with Raye singing Skyfall from the 2012 Daniel Craig flick of the same name.

Skyfall, originally performed by Adele, took home the Oscar for Best Original Song in 2013. Other artists who have won an Oscar for a Bond song include Billie Eilish for No Time to Die in 2022 and Sam Smith for Writing's on the Wall in 2016.

The tribute to the Bond franchise came after Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, who have helmed the spy franchise since the beginning, revealed they would step back and hand over the reins to Amazon MGM Studios on February 20, 2025.

"I have had the honor of working closely with four of the tremendously talented actors who have played 007 and thousands of wonderful artists within the industry. With the conclusion of 'No Time to Die' and Michael retiring from the films, I feel it is time to focus on my other projects," Broccoli said in a statement at the time.

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In other news, Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo opened the Oscars with an Oz-themed medley, including Somewhere Over The Rainbow and Home, ending their performance with Defying Gravity. Queen Latifah also paid homage to the late Quincy Jones, with a performance of Ease on Down the Road from The Wiz.

The Los Angeles Master Chorale and the Academy Orchestra joined forces for a rendition of Mozart's Requiem in D Minor for the In Memoriam section, which paid tribute to the actors and actresses who died in the past year, including Gene Hackman, Shelley Duvall, and Maggie Smith, among others.

The 2025 Oscars this year did not include live performances of the nominees in the Best Original Song category, straying away from the years-long tradition.

According to a February letter from CEO Bill Kramer of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, this was done to reportedly shine a light on the songwriters to honor "their artistry through personal reflections from the teams who bring these songs to life," as reported by The LA Times.