Doechii isn’t exactly brand new to the music scene; she’s been working hard for over ten years to find her distinct voice and is one of the greatest examples of how coming into your own helps you become recognized, seen, and heard. She may have struggled to get her career off the ground at first, but Doechii reached the top by staying herself. A lot of that is obvious through her greatest songs.
Doechii was born Jaylah Hickmon in Florida and has worked on her singer-songwriter-rapper career since high school. She started releasing music on SoundCloud first, before getting signed with Five 5 and later Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE). Top Dawg has been the home to some of the most talented R&B, hip-hop, and rap artists, such as SZA and Kendrick Lamar. To be in the company of such greats means Doechii is soon to become one of them.
10
“Anxiety”
Re-released March 4, 2025
Doechii took the famous “Somebody I Used to Know” instrumental by Gotye and Kimbra and gave it her own spin in “Anxiety”; this song first circled TikTok around 2019, which gave Doechii the push to get more famous. After the skyrocketing success of her second mixtape, Alligator Bites Never Heal, Doechii got the opportunity to re-release “Anxiety,” which is currently her best-performing single, reaching number one in several countries and the top ten in a lot more.
“Anxiety” is catchy; as soon as you hear it the first time, you’ll catch yourself singing it over and over. However, it’s more than just a little catchy tune. The lyrics include lines like, “anxiety keeps on trying me; I feel it quietly, tryina silence me.” She shows off her vocal range here, with higher pitches on the chorus, but then retreats back into her snappy, quick rap flow on the verses. Doechii has a striking ability to rap words quickly but very clearly, showing eloquence and longtime practice.
9
“What It Is (Block Boy)” feat. Kodak Black
Released March 17, 2023
Surprisingly (or not), “What It Is (Block Boy)” is one of Doechii’s greatest songs, even if it’s one you may not recognize by name at first. This was her first single to reach the Billboard Top 100, and the original version features Kodak Black for a guest verse. The samples used in the song are from TLC‘s groundbreaking hit, “No Scrubs,” while Doechii sings the chorus in reference to Trillville‘s “Some Cut,” “What it is, h*e? What’s up? Every good girl needs a little thug; every block boy needs a little love.”
“What It Is (Block Boy)” is essentially a conversation between a “good girl” and a “block boy,” who are Doechii and Kodak Black in this song. Doechii shows off a sugary-sweet voice and a dynamic vocal range, which she herself said is something her fans may not be used to by then. The featuring verse by Kodak Black completes the song as one of the best tracks of 2023 and one of Doechii’s best tracks.
8
“Persuasive” feat. SZA
Released March 18, 2022
“Persuasive” accompanied Doechii and TDE’s announcement that she’d been signed to the label as their first woman rapper. “Persuasive” was on the Best Songs of 2022 lists in publications like Vulture, Billboard, and The Fader. Doechii said the song was dedicated to bringing communities together and uplifting people with the track’s upbeat tempo; the lyrics reflect a day of being high on marijuana and feeling like that b**ch while riding a mellow wave.
The single features TDE’s biggest R&B star, SZA, and it’s a catchy blend of house and hip hop. The instrumental is smooth and bassy, accompanied by Doechii’s velvety voice and SZA’s recognizable sultry vocal. “Persuasive” was first released without SZA, but to celebrate Doechii signing with TDE, the singer hopped on the remix and that version became the superior one over time. This is another song current fans of Doechii may not fully believe is hers because of her silky singing voice, but there’s not much she can’t do.
7
“Crazy”
Release April 13, 2022
Besides songs like “Pacer” and “MPH,” “Crazy” is another instance in which Doechii shows off a faster and more aggressive approach to performing. This is one of the best early showcases of her skill and potential, so anyone who heard this and then listened to Alligator Bites Never Heal had a cohesive image in mind of who Doechii is. Interestingly, “Crazy” is also underrated, since it never landed on any song charts except the iTunes chart, where it was number 10, but not until November 2024. This was the time people listened to her discography the most, likely due to her Grammy win.
“Crazy” is one of the biggest hits in which Doechii showed a wild side to her untamed creative flow, which the lyrics are actually about, or to quote Doechii, “Crazy is about uncontained power, creativity, and confidence.” Including the music video, which is about feminine rage and freedom – as well as testing YouTube’s censorship policies—”Crazy” is a brilliant single and insight into the mind of one of the best singer/rappers alive.
6
“Stressed”
Released October 14, 2022
Sometime before the chart-topping single, “Anxiety,” Doechii let fans into her internal world in her single “Stressed.” Less known, but a lot more mellow and emotional, “Stressed” takes listeners into the deep ends of Doechii’s mind and emotional states. Considering Doechii is currently only 26, the years she mentions struggling with drinking, drugs, and trauma in the lyrics seem overwhelming to her; that’s the part where she simply says, “I’ve got like thirteen years of age that I ain’t still got off my chest.”
These lyrics, along with the rest of the song, are the reason why “Stressed” is one of Doechii’s greatest songs (so far). Opening up about something so big and being vulnerable isn’t easy for many people, but it seems liberating for her to speak about such things. She thanked fans for liking it, saying it was a “vulnerable track” for her; its release came just a bit after she became more popular, and she opened up about dealing with fame after releasing “Stressed.”
5
“Yucky Blucky Fruitcake”
Released September 6, 2020
“Yucky Blucky Fruitcake” is the single that pushed Doechii into the spotlight, and it genuinely is one of her best songs. Doechii said she was inspired by Junie B. Jones, a book series about a little girl, saying “Yucky Blucky Fruitcake” is one of her favorite books; she also called the name of the song (and book) childish and nasty, adding that her song feels the same. It’s also the first track where she stopped censoring herself and being afraid of what people would think about her lyricism and expression, unknowingly starting the career of the Doechii we all now love.
“Yucky Blucky Fruitcake” is an outsider’s anthem; in the lyrics, Doechii dives deep into her growing up and personality but also transforms from a people-pleasing person to someone more confident, willing to believe in herself. There’s also a pretty funny beat switch mid-song, which Doechii introduces with “Doechii, you forgot to take the chicken out,” mimicking her mother’s presence; she also claims she used to cry to Narnia and belt out Paramore songs while her mom wasn’t home. Relatable queen, indeed.
4
“Denial Is a River”
Released January 14, 2025
As soon as you hear “Remember old dude from 2019,” I advise you to turn up the volume high, since you’ll hear some highly personal and, frankly, funny recounting of Doechii’s life so far. “Denial Is a River” is a hit from her Grammy-winning album, Alligator Bites Never Heal, and it deals with some pretty crazy life events she experienced over the last few years. More than a story within a song, Doechii enters the stage as a skilled and intuitive storyteller with a dry and slightly dark sense of humor. She takes the role of herself and a therapist figure, in which the therapist says something like, “it’s been a while; tell me what’s been happening.”
“Denial Is a River” has a very simple beat below all the lyrics, but, of course, Doechii tells the story of her life in brilliant rhymes, never once skipping a beat. The retelling goes from smooth and slow to often getting Doechii riled up (“I ain’t a killer, but don’t push me”), but it overall gives an earnest perspective into how she processes some (more and less) traumatic events. Again, with Doechii being a sort of outsider with immense creativity and talent in her pinky fingers only, “Denial Is a River” is another song that just makes us relate to her; she understands her flaws and accepts them but doesn’t deny (pun intended) they led to some bad times.
3
“Black Girl Memoir”
Released November 27, 2020
Perhaps a little-known song by Doechii, “Black Girl Memoir”, came to the front after her incredible NPR Tiny Desk concert, where she performed the song and said she wrote it specifically for Black women. Doechii’s first mixtape, Oh the Places You’ll Go, also features “Yucky Blucky Fruitcake,” so if there’s time to listen to it too, give it a go. It represents the formation of the sound Doechii heavily embraces on Alligator Bites Never Heal, still feeling shy when coming out of her shell but doing it steadily.
“Black Girl Memoir” is mellow and listening to it feels like having a conversation with a gentler side of yourself; it even says, in one part of the song, “I could be anything; I can do anything.” The song talks about self-love, the adversity and experiences of growing up Black, and simply standing up for herself against everyone who doesn’t believe in her. “Black Girl Memoir” is one of Doechii’s essential songs because it emphasizes and celebrates who she is, encouraging Black women and girls everywhere to try the same.
2
“Nissan Altima”
Released July 27, 2024
One of the songs that Doechii got into the charts with last year is “Nissan Altima.” This fast-paced, energetic track will make you shake your head and swing to it. Besides the Grammy nomination for Alligator Bites Never Heal, Doechii was also nominated for Best Rap Performance for this song. The lyrics are explosive, the language is dirty, and she freely – and confidently – calls herself the “trap Grace Jones.”
“Nissan Altima” is one of Doechii’s best songs because it emphasizes her impeccable rap skills. Rapid-fire verses in which she asserts dominance over men, women, and literally everyone show off not only her unmistakable flow but also the bravado she grew into that always seemed to be there. “Nissan Altima” is a perfect track to get ready for a night out to, and if you put your makeup on to it, you’ll feel like a boss b**ch, undeniably. While we love Doechii’s introspective side, we love her badass, confident side just as much.
1
“Catfish”
Released July 19, 2024
Many people have heard “Catfish” paired with “Denial Is a River” in Doechii’s live performance at the Grammys, which is widely considered one of the best live performances on that stage. Doechii keeps up with the pacing, controls her breath, and delivers biting lyrics that command attention with each line. “Catfish” belongs to Alligator Bites Never Heal and is one of the standout tracks on it (though that could be argued for every track, even on the extended version).
“Catfish” includes lyrics like “Gangsta’s giving actress and all these fake activists; Leave me baffled, bewildered, relax a bit,” immediately telling how she’s sick of fakeness and attention-seeking, both in the creative field and in general. The biggest flex with “Catfish” is the old-school beat Doechii raps over, making the song equally nostalgic and new; her flow is even reminiscent of Busta Rhymes’ style, especially when she hits the chorus with “Hoorah.” The versatility of “Catfish” shows that Doechii can do it all; it’s also one of the most refreshing songs to hear in today’s landscape, evoking a classic rap song that’s gone mainstream.
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