Doechii, one of rap’s freshest voices, has released her new single, “Anxiety,” which the artist puts out in a year where she has established her space on this year’s map. Doechii’s solo version of this song, originally recorded in 2020 and released with Sleepy Hallow, shows her stepping into the spotlight, leaning into the theme of inner conflict with a commanding and gripping delivery.
Not a rap song so much as a call-and-response, “Anxiety” arrives as a winding exploration of worry, intimacy, and clarity. Based on a sample from Gotye’s hit “Somebody That I Used to Know,” the song’s funky, loose-limbed rhythm establishes the vibe for Doechii’s woolly vocal style. Her mixing of rapping and singing comes effortlessly as she navigates a common but underrated nuance.
What sets this version of “Anxiety” apart is Doechii’s sharpened emphasis on the song’s emotional pivot. Doechii’s solo turn digs deeper into the song’s nervous energy, while the original collaboration with Sleepy Hallow was a solid effort. She owns the hook and captures a tension in the verses, stacking her vocals with the force she brought to her last standout mixtape. The double-tracked backing vocals add to the sense of inward chaos that the song gradually builds.
The real magic is toward the back end of “Anxiety, where the momentum swells, and the song builds to a visceral, even claustrophobic height. The lyrics are deep, and the emotional delivery is more than just catchy, making this track a raw, vulnerable outpouring of mental and emotional struggle that you can feel personally but also know is something everyone goes through.
Connect with Doechii on Instagram – @doechii
