Doja Cat appeared to make an unexpected change to one of her most recognisable lyrics during a Detroit concert, replacing Ed Sheeran's name with 'Mac Daddy' in a surprise alteration just weeks after rapper Macklemore was removed from Sheeran's US tour.
While performing 'Get Into It (Yuh)' at Little Caesars Arena on 1 October, Doja delivered a changed version of the line that originally reads, 'Call him Ed Sheeran, he in love with my body'.
At the Detroit show, she instead sang, 'Call him Mac Daddy, he in love with my body'.
Footage of the moment was shared on Reddit, where a post documenting the apparent lyric change drew attention from fans. The alteration prompted speculation that Doja was referencing Macklemore, although there is no public explanation from Doja confirming that the change was connected to the controversy surrounding Sheeran and Macklemore.
The timing, however, has made the lyric particularly striking.
Doja Cat replaces Ed Sheeran name drop in “call him Ed Sheeran, he in love with my body” with “call him Mac Daddy, he in love with my body” in Detroit show
by u/nicosloft04 in popculturechat
Doja Cat Changes Ed Sheeran Lyric During Detroit Show
The original reference to Sheeran is widely understood as a nod to his 2017 hit 'Shape of You', whose chorus centres on attraction to a partner's body and shape.
Doja's decision to replace his name with 'Mac Daddy' therefore changes a familiar pop-culture reference at a time when Sheeran and Macklemore have been drawn into a public controversy over Macklemore's removal from the US leg of Sheeran's tour.
The Detroit performance itself is documented by footage shared in the Reddit post, but there is no indication in the post that Doja explained why she made the substitution.
Comments beneath the clip ranged from enthusiastic approval of the new line to speculation about whether it was a deliberate reference to Macklemore.
That distinction is important because the lyric change alone does not establish Doja's intention or prove that she was taking a position on the controversy.
Still, the reference has attracted attention because Macklemore was recently removed from the remaining US dates of Sheeran's Loop Tour following pro-Palestinian remarks he made during performances at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
Macklemore Was Removed From Sheeran's US Tour
Macklemore was dropped from the remainder of Sheeran's US stadium tour after making pro-Palestinian remarks during his 4 September performance at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
During the performance, the rapper called for a 'Free Palestine' and said he wanted people in Gaza and the occupied West Bank to know they had not been forgotten.
His remarks prompted a petition from the Israeli-American Council calling for his removal from the remaining tour dates.
Messina Touring Group, the promoter of Sheeran's US leg, said venues for upcoming dates had indicated they would not allow concerts to proceed with Macklemore on the lineup, prompting the decision to remove him from the remaining support dates.
Sheeran subsequently addressed the controversy, saying the decision was made by the promoter and venues rather than by him.
He said he had spoken with venues, promoters and activists in an effort to find a resolution, but ultimately the venue and promoter's decision was final.
Macklemore, meanwhile, has continued to defend his decision to speak publicly about Palestine.
Against that backdrop, Doja Cat's unexpected switch from 'Ed Sheeran' to 'Mac Daddy' has prompted speculation beyond the lyric change itself.
For now, however, the reason remains unconfirmed.
Doja has not publicly said that the altered lyric was intended as a reference to Macklemore, leaving fans to interpret whether 'Mac Daddy' was a deliberate nod to the rapper—or simply an improvised change made during the Detroit performance.
