A Composer Breaks Down The Music Theory Behind Doechii’s Hit “Denial Is A River”

Making music is a form of therapy for Doechii. Rather than crafting songs that fit current pop-music expectations, she writes deeply personal stories and performs them as catharsis. Unlike other artists in the same space, her goal isn’t to have a song blow up on TikTok. (While that may be a splendid outcome, it’s merely incidental to her process). She described “Denial Is A River,” her biggest single to date before the Gotye-sampling “Anxiety,” as “an inner dialogue that I’m having with the voices in my head.” Perhaps to her own surprise, Doechii’s authenticity has thoroughly resonated with her peers, resulting in her recent Grammy win for Best Rap Album and in the high praise she’s received from the likes of Kendrick Lamar (who called her “the hardest [rapper] out”).