Doechii - "Anxiety"

(Image Credit: Top Dawg Entertainment/Capitol Records)

“Now he’s just somebody that we used to know” was the common refrain about the singer Gotye, who started an extended hiatus not long after his 2011 song “Somebody That I Used to Know” dominated the charts. But this March, the world was reacquainted with this old stranger of a song when rapper Doechii sampled the tune in her official new single “Anxiety.”

Despite being released on Mar. 4, “Anxiety” has lived many lives over the last six years. Jaylah Hickmon, who takes the stage name Doechii, originally uploaded the song to YouTube in 2019 as part of her “Coven Music Sessions,” where she would challenge herself to write verses in a short amount of time and then release the song. In May 2020, during COVID-19 quarantine, Doechii posted a video of herself performing the song in her brightly-decorated bedroom, alternating between singing on her bed and dancing around.  In 2023, fellow rapper Sleepy Hallow sampled the song for his album Boy Meets World, garnering further attention for “Anxiety.” Finally, after the 2019 version went viral as a TikTok sound in February, Doechii re-recorded “Anxiety” and released it as a single, hot on the heels of her Grammy Award win for Best Rap Album for her debut LP Alligator Bites Never Heal. 

“Anxiety,” as the title suggests, is about Doechii’s struggles with managing her mental health. “Anxiety, keep on tryin’ me / I feel it quietly / Tryin’ to silence me, yeah,” she softly sings to open the song. As Doechii is first and foremost a rapper, singing gives the song an added dimension of vulnerability—for many fans who started listening to Doechii after the Grammys, this might be their first time hearing Doechii sing and getting to know this other side of her. In the rapped verse, Doechii touches on what is causing her anxiety: anti-LGBTQ+ legislation in her home state of Florida, police brutality, and the “new world order” resulting from Trump’s re-election. Her vulnerability allows her to further connect with her audience, many of whom likely share her concerns about the state of the country. Doechii’s emotional honesty, frank political commentary, and ear for catchy beats are a recipe for success with the Gen Z market. If stealing the show at the Grammys wasn’t enough, then “Anxiety”—her first top-ten hit—should prove that Doechii is one to watch. 

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Grace Copps is a junior in the College majoring in Government and minoring in Journalism and Justice and Peace Studies. She is the Managing Editor for the INDY.