⏲️ Estimated reading time: 5 min
A Bold Dive into Mental Health and Musical Risk. Doechii’s “Anxiety” is a haunting reinvention of Gotye’s iconic hit, exploring mental health with raw vulnerability and theatrical edge. Loved and critiqued, it’s a divisive track that’s sparked cultural conversations and a Billboard Hot 100 climb.
Doechii’s Anxiety: A Fearless Reimagination with Emotional Weight
In the ever-evolving landscape of music, some artists are unafraid to take risks. Doechii is one such artist. Her latest track, “Anxiety,” boldly samples Gotye’s 2011 mega-hit “Somebody That I Used to Know” and transforms it into a deeply personal reflection on mental health. While some celebrate it as a vulnerable, genre-bending piece, others label it messy or overambitious. Either way, it’s a song that demands attention and conversation.
Sampling Gotye: Genius or Gimmick?
Doechii’s “Anxiety” is a raw, introspective track that flips Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used to Know” into a haunting exploration of mental health. Her lyrics hit hard, personifying anxiety as a relentless force lines like “Anxiety, keep on tryin’ me / I feel it quietly / Tryin’ to silence me” capture the suffocating weight of it, while clever wordplay (“Solo, no mojo / I bounce back, no pogo”) keeps it sharp.
The production, with its eerie, shifting rhythms, mirrors the chaos of spiraling thoughts, though some find the sample a bit gimmicky or overplayed. It’s divisive fans love its vulnerability and authenticity, especially after its TikTok-driven rise from a 2019 YouTube drop to a 2025 streaming hit, peaking at No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. Critics, though, call it messy or unoriginal, arguing it doesn’t match the grit of her Grammy-winning Alligator Bites Never Heal. The music video, with its nightmare-like visuals and Gotye homage, amps up the song’s unsettling vibe.
The TikTok Effect: From Underground to Billboard Top 10
Social media, especially TikTok, has played a massive role in the resurgence of “Anxiety.” Originally released in 2019 on YouTube, the track simmered quietly in Doechii’s early discography. Fast forward to 2025, and it exploded thanks to a viral soundbite that sparked over 1 million user-created videos in just two months. This exposure propelled the song to No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100, marking a significant commercial milestone for the artist.
A Visual Experience: The Music Video Breakdown
If the song feels like a psychological spiral, the music video is a full-blown descent. Directed with a surrealist eye, the visuals showcase Doechii trapped in looping dreamscapes, sometimes confronting clones of herself, other times caught in abstract representations of panic. The deliberate nods to Gotye’s iconic painted-face visuals from his own video create a direct intertextual bridge, while reinforcing the theme of being fragmented and watched.
Versatility on Display: Rap, Melody, and Theatricality
What makes Doechii unique is her refusal to be boxed into one genre. “Anxiety” showcases her ability to switch between rapid-fire rap, soft melodic croons, and theatrical deliveries that feel almost spoken-word. That versatility is both a strength and, in the eyes of critics, a weakness some argue the song tries to do too much at once. Still, for many listeners, this complexity mirrors the chaos of living with anxiety itself.
Mental Health as a Movement: “Anxiety is Watching Me” Initiative
Doechii isn’t just singing about mental health she’s acting on it. Alongside the release of the track, she launched a new platform called “Anxiety is Watching Me,” aimed at providing mental health resources for marginalized communities. The hub features stories from fans, access to virtual counseling sessions, and curated content from mental health professionals.
It’s a powerful move, aligning art with advocacy in a way that elevates the conversation around mental wellness in the music industry. Fans have praised her initiative as a bold, necessary step, especially given the continued stigma surrounding mental illness in hip-hop and pop.
The Divide: Fan Reactions vs. Critical Reviews
As with any piece of polarizing art, “Anxiety” has its supporters and detractors. On platforms like X (formerly Twitter), reactions are split. Some users commend the song’s authenticity, sharing personal stories of how it made them feel seen. One fan wrote, “It’s like she took the panic out of my chest and made it a beat.”
Others aren’t so convinced. A popular post by @BrozWx criticized the track as “a failed attempt to bottle anxiety,” arguing that songs like Kendrick Lamar’s “u” or Billie Eilish’s “Everything I Wanted” capture the feeling more viscerally.
The truth likely lies somewhere in the middle while “Anxiety” might not be perfect, it dares to address a subject that many artists shy away from, and that in itself is worth applauding.
Is “Anxiety” Doechii’s Defining Song?
“Anxiety” may not be Doechii’s most technically impressive or sonically polished track, but it’s definitely one of her most talked-about. Whether listeners find it empowering, triggering, or confusing, the fact that it evokes such strong reactions is a testament to its power. For an artist still shaping her legacy, “Anxiety” signals that she’s willing to challenge conventions and herself.
Final Thoughts
Doechii took a bold artistic swing with “Anxiety.” It’s not a clean hit for everyone, but it’s undeniably compelling. By blending a nostalgic sample with painfully current themes, she created something that feels both familiar and new. Whether it becomes a lasting anthem or just a snapshot of 2025’s mental health conversation, it’s already made its mark.
So what do you think? Did Doechii capture the complexity of anxiety or miss the mark?
🏷️ Tags: Doechii, Anxiety, Gotye, Mental Health Music, TikTok Songs 2025, Billboard Hot 100, Music Video Analysis, Sampling in Music, Rap and Mental Health, New Music Reviews
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