It's been a hot summer for Doja Cat. The singer-rapper, whose real name is Zandile Dlamini, released her third album, Planet Her, on June 25, 2021, receiving massive public and critical acclaim. Since gaining attention with her second album, Hot Pink, the once up-and-coming artist is now quite mainstream, having been featured on tracks with Ariana Grande, Megan Thee Stallion, and The Weeknd.

While known by many for her fashion, attitude, and of course her catchy music, Doja Cat is now gaining attention for a more private aspect of her life: her sexuality.

In mid-July, rumors started to circulate around the internet that Doja Cat, who had previously been linked with indie singer Johnny Utah, had a new love interest — and this time it wasn't a man.

While usually private about her sexuality and relationships, Doja Cat had casually mentioned her sexuality as fluid, although she has never publicly come out to her fans. In an Instagram Live in 2019, she shared with her fans, "I like both. I like dicks, and I also like, um, I like people I can have sex with. You can kind of have sex with anyone, right?"

While this seemed to be confirmation to some fans that Doja Cat is a part of the LGBTQ community, most were quick to dismiss the comments as glib. After all, it has been a trend for many young celebrities to "queerbait," identifying with traditionally LGBTQ trends and sentiments only to "come out" to fans as exclusively heterosexual.

Most recently, pop singer Billie Eilish got into hot water for this. She posted a video of herself cuddling and dancing with cast members of her "Lost Cause" music video, with the caption, "I love girls." With the post dropping in the middle of Pride Month, many fans thought Eilish was coming out. The stunt worked to increase talk about Eilish and her upcoming music but eventually led many LGBTQ fans to feel betrayed.

Doja Cat hasn't gone without her own involvement in queerbaiting scandals. After releasing a remix to "Say So" with Nicki Minaj, both artists were called out for Minaj's problematic line, "I used to be Bi, now I'm just hetro," seeming to once again use LGBTQ identities to engage fans, only to let them down by "coming out" as straight.

Despite fans not putting much energy into the scuttlebutt, internet sites Reddit and Twitter continued to circulate clickbait about Doja Cat and her rumored girlfriend, Bree Runway. On July 19, Doja Cat confirmed the rumors, posting images of Runway on Twitter with the caption, "I have a girlfriend and I'm going public @breerunway."

In response, Runway posted images of the two of them together on Instagram with the caption, "You know I'm crazy about my WOMANNNN! Love youuuuu @dojacat best night everrrr."

The reception both Doja Cat and Runway have received since going public has been mostly positive, with fans of both artists tweeting support and excitement. The confirmation came as a surprise to some of Doja Cat's more casual listeners, though, as the artist has only cast male leads in her music videos and tends to only use male pronouns when singing.

Many fans of Doja Cat have been fans of Runway as well. She is an English singer and rapper, known for the singles "ATM" and "All Night." Like Doja Cat, Runway primarily uses male pronouns in her songs and male actors in her music videos, making the announcement of her new same-sex relationship a bit of a surprise to many who had not been aware of her sexuality.

In the wake of Doja Cat and Runway confirming their relationship publicly, some have wondered if it will impact their music. Lesbian artists, such as Hayley Kiyoko and Girl in Red, are known for using same-sex casting and female pronouns in both songs and music videos, and some are wondering if Doja Cat and Runway will start doing the same now that they are in a sapphic relationship.

While it's possible, it seems unlikely that either will use different pronouns or release a music video with a female love interest. At the end of the day, they are both trying to carve out careers in rap music, a genre that has been hard enough for women to break into, let alone Queer women.

For rappers, sex and sexuality sell. While two women in a music video could still be popular for the sex appeal and fetishization that comes with the ever-present male gaze, homoeroticism might damage its reception. Rappers like Lil Naz X have attempted to release music and music videos that showcase same-sex relationships, and while they have been provocative, these songs have also led to hate speech and threats.

Whether Doja Cat releases music about her relationship with Runway, or continues to write about men, even just going public with her new relationship is a game changer. Seeing one of the most popular artists of the summer openly in love with another woman, gaining so much acceptance, and not facing career backlash as a result is a huge step forward.

Doja Cat and Bree Runway are showing the world that sometimes pretty women just love other pretty women, and the internet is here for it.