Song Spotlight: Doechii - DENIAL IS A RIVER

What happens when you combine Wendy Williams, quirky storytelling rap and introspection? A bop of course! Join us as we deep dive into Doechii’s ‘DENIAL IS A RIVER’.

Image by the CwEvia Wikimedia Commons

Hailing from Tampa, Florida, American rapper Doechii (a.k.a Swamp Princess) already had a couple viral hits under her belt (including ‘Yucky Blucky Fruitcake’ and ‘What It Is’), with ‘DENIAL IS A RIVER’ being the latest addition to the mix.

The track’s MF DOOM-inspired beat was initially posted to YouTube in 2022 by one of its producers, Ian James, with the track going on to be written by Doechii alongside James and Joey Hamhock, and then released on her 2024 mixtape, ALLIGATOR BITES NEVER HEAL. Deriving its title from the viral meme from The Wendy Williams Experience radio show—“Denial is a river in Egypt, your husband is gay!”— the song lyrically narrates the tumultuous events of Doechii’s life and career over the past couple years, including: her partner cheating on her with another man, her rise to fame, substance addiction, Hollywood partying, mental health, etc. - all through a back-and-forth dialogue between her and her therapist alter-ego. The song also features a rhythmic breathing exercise sequence, accompanied by record scratches.

This standout track skyrocketed on TikTok, seeing the release of its highly-anticipated ‘90s sitcom-inspired music video, a NPR Tiny Desk performance, a Genius Open Mic collaboration with Issa Rae (voicing the therapist alter-ego), and a Grammys performance - with Doechii taking home the Grammy Award for 'Best Rap Album', making her the third woman to win in the category.

There’s no denying that it’s Doechii’s time to shine, and we can’t wait to see what she does next! Woosah!

Image by the CwEvia Wikimedia Commons

Thumbnail Image by the CwE via Wikimedia Commons

Featured Image by Josh Berendes (@brende_films)via Wikimedia Commons