‘Is this Nova?’: Outrage at Triple J Hottest 100 result as G Flip loses to Doja Cat

Aussie music fans were left “fuming” by the number one song in the Triple J Hottest 100. Fans of rocker G Flip have vented after the artist lost to a “mass produced American”. Here’s what they said.

American rapper Doja Cat was the first female rapper to take Triple J’s coveted No.1 spot in the Hottest 100 on Sunday with ‘Paint the Town Red’. Photo: Getty.

From beloved cultural phenomenon to flop — Triple J’s Hottest 100 crowned American rapper Doja Cat’s ‘Paint The Town Red’ as the No. 1 song of 2023 on Saturday, and Aussies aren’t happy.

“Is this Nova?; “fuming”; “mass produced”; and “so disappointed” were just some of the comments on the station’s Instagram post announcing the results.

Doja Cat. Picture: Angela Weiss/AFP.

G Flip performing at Vision Australia’s Carols By Candlelight 2023.

“Isn’t this supposed to help Aussie artists?” wrote another.

Australian muso G Flip had a record-breaking seven entries from their 2023 award-winning album Drummer, and was the only homegrown artist that rang true to the indie pop genre that built Triple J.

However, the Melbourne-born songwriter came in second place with break-up anthem ‘Worst Person Alive’.

Only four foreign artists have topped the Hottest 100 list since 2010, with that spot usually reserved for someone fostered by the station. Someone like them.

G Flip performs during the 2023 AFLW Grand Final match between The North Melbourne Tasmanian Kangaroos and The Brisbane Lions. Photo: Dylan Burns/Getty.

“Thank you from the bottom of my heart all of you that voted and got behind me,” G Flip captioned a video of themselves crying at the results. “The hottest 100 countdown has always been one of my favourite days of the year, since I was little I was glued to the radio listening. This is beyond my wildest dreams.”

Fans were not quite so warm with their words, with most complaining that an international artist taking the top gong was the antithesis of the youth station’s purpose.

“G was robbed,” one simply put.

“You should of heard the boos and pissed off screams at my hottest 100 party when this came first. And the confusion on everyone’s face when G Flip came second. Nobody had even heard that song before,” another added.

The count, which formerly rewarded Australian artists who cut their teeth on Triple J’s airwaves and at small festivals, was dominated by foreign acts in 2024.

Just three Australians fell in the top 10 as far as Hottest 100 betting goes, with Dom Dolla, Troye Sivan and G Flip the only homegrown artists in with a shot of the top spot. Only two more Aussies made the top 20.

The 2024 edition was also one of the heaviest on record for electronic artists, representing a seismic shift away from the Australian garage bands and indie singers dominated in Triple J’s heyday.