Here’s Why ‘DENIAL IS A RIVER’ Proves Doechii Deserves Main Rap Girl Status

2025 just started, but it already looks set to be the year of Doechii! She made a huge splash with her Alligator Bites Never Heal mixtape last August and she’s kept riding that wave with outside-the-box promotions and visuals. The latest example is for ‘DENIAL IS A RIVER,’ a hard-hitting track from the mixtape that takes us on a journey through her career so far and the personal challenges she’s handled in the process.

If you haven’t been keeping up, consider this your crash course on ‘DENIAL IS A RIVER’ and how it proves Doechii deserves Main Rap Girl status! 

The Music Video

Of course, we have to start this off by talking about the new ‘DENIAL IS A RIVER’ music video and the fun rollout Doechii created for it! Throughout her Alligator Bites Never Heal era, Doechii has been raising the bar for visuals and ‘DENIAL IS A RIVER’ is the perfect example. It’s a sitcom-themed video that shows how her life has changed as she walks through different sets, and one even explodes as she moves away from it. Each set gradually gets “more Doechii” until she breaks away from the retro vibes entirely, and changes in the cinematography partner with that to show her leaving the fictionalized world of ‘DENIAL’ she was in.

The leadup to the music video was just as thrilling as the video itself, kicking off with a Family Matters-inspired trailer that teased cameos from ScHoolboy Q, Teezo Touchdown, Baby Tate, and more. Next, we got three different skits to keep the hype going: “Doechii Slaps Brad Pitt” (a nod to Earl Sweatshirt’s time on Loiter Squad), the telenovela-inspired “LA ROSA DE DOECHII,” and the Comedy Central-hosted “Can I Hit THat” with ScHoolboy Q. These creative skits made the ‘DENIAL IS A RIVER’ video feel like a real TV show, and we’d totally binge every episode if it was!

Intro: “Why don’t you just tell me what’s been going on?” 

‘DENIAL IS A RIVER’ starts with a little throwback to Doechii’s debut EP, Oh The Places You’ll Go, which ties into how the song explores various moments of her career and personal journey. She explained to Rolling Stone, “The [EP] concept was I was enrolled in some creative school and this teacher took a particular interest in me. She was coaching me through healing my inner child on that EP. She’s been gone for a while, so I brought that character back because I felt like I needed her to talk through some things now.” 

This intro is a conversation between Doechii and that teacher, with the teacher trying to get her to open up about what she’s been going through. Even though Doechii has definitely gone a lot of places since releasing Oh The Places You’ll Go, that doesn’t mean her struggles have magically gone away. Having this comforting character come back sets the tone for a confessional song that will give Doechii the space to open up on a deeper level.

“I’ve been getting some calls
Oh?
People are a little bit worried about you…”

Verse 1: “Remember old dude from 2019?” 

The first verse of ‘DENIAL IS A RIVER’ sees Doechii reflecting on a past relationship in which her ex was cheating on her… with a guy. She explained to Genius that she was doing something for him on his Instagram when she saw a suspicious DM and went to check out the person’s profile, only to see it wasn’t a woman like she initially assumed. She also emphasized that she didn’t care that he wasn’t straight, just surprised and hurt by the cheating either way. Doechii won’t stay down for long, though – she “got [her] lick back” and moved on!

“I open up the messages and had to hit the zoom
Turns out the girl was really a dude?”

Verse 2: “I went and got signed, now it’s 2021…”

Something we love about ‘DENIAL IS A RIVER’ is how the end of each verse sets up a certain expectation for the next, then the next verse completely flips it. Doechii ends her story of being cheated on with the announcement that she’s been signed as an artist, and you hope that her story will only improve from there. But the second verse explains the hustle and bustle of being a signed artist, and how easy it is to lose your artistic vision when you have to focus on numbers and keeping up momentum. We’re so glad it seems like she’s found a better balance now!

“Wristwatch, drip-drop, label want the TikToks
Now I’m makin’ TikTok music, what the f*ck?”

Verse 3: “Fast forward, me 2023…”

2023 was a pretty big year for Doechii, with ‘What It Is (Block Boy)’ going to #29 on the Billboard Hot 100 and being nominated for a Video Music Award. It even hit #1 on Billboard’s US Rhythmic charts! But even though she was “stackin’ lots of cheese and makin’ money,” she was struggling with low self-esteem, substance use, and an ex trashing her apartment. It’s a powerful reminder that we never really know what someone is dealing with behind the scenes.

“What can I say?
The sh*t works, it feels good
And my self-worth’s at an all time low…”

Outro: “We don’t wanna revert back into our old ways…”

Doechii frames the final moments of ‘DENIAL IS A RIVER’ as a moment to step back and breathe, as her teacher mentor walks her through what seems like a breathing exercise. She told 032c that the breathing she does is actually inspired by Doug E. Fresh’s beatboxing, which we think could symbolize how music gets her through hard times like the ones she raps about on this song. 

Don’t Be In ‘DENIAL’ About Doechii’s Star Power! 

From the song itself to the visual world she built around it, ‘DENIAL IS A RIVER’ is the ultimate showcase of the thoughtful creativity Doechii brings. Could it help her secure a GRAMMY next? She’s nominated for Best New Artist, Best Rap Performance for ‘NISSAN ULTIMA,’ and Best Rap Album for Alligator Bites Never Heal at February’s show. We have our fingers crossed!

What do you love most about Doechii? What’s your favorite lyric on ‘DENIAL IS A RIVER?’ Let us know in the comments below or hit us up on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter! 

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