Jaylah Hickmon aka Doechii releases latest single “Stressed” on October 14. She introduces new voices, ad-libs and flows while reflecting on her past trauma and built-up stress. The multifaceted artist showcases her singing abilities, effortlessly switching from rapping to singing. “Stressed” is a prime example of how every track from Doechii differs sonically. From the entrancing melodies, to the vulnerable lyrics, the track is insightful and moving.
“Stressed”
Firstly, the Florida native has eloquent and honest songwriting in “Stressed.” In the track Doechii reflects on regrets and unresolved trauma from her adolescence, over a cloudy, percussion-filled beat. “I must be lost in my regrets/ I must be down/ I must be stressed/ I’ve got like 13 years of age/ That I ain’t still got off my chest,” she raps in the chorus. As a young 24-year-old, Doechii has experienced burdensome years in her youth that have taken a toll on her. The “Persuasive” rapper has not begun to address the trauma, and needs to heals from everything she has gone through.
Secondly, in “Stressed” Doechii admits to taking prescription pills and snorting lines of a substance to cope with the trauma. The rapper finds herself consumed with regret, imagining a better life with “diamonds and baguettes.” Doechii changes to a more animated voice with rapid flows in the second verse. She alludes to a man that did her wrong and brought out a different side of her. “Sabotagin’ me ’til I’m forced to rip the mask off/ This lobotomy is just a reflection of the last loss,” she raps. Lobotomy can be defined as a surgical operation cutting into the prefrontal lobe of the brain, and in the past used to treat mental illnesses.
Her Difficult Childhood
As a matter of fact, in an interview with the Breakfast Club, Doechii opened up about the bullying she faced as a child. She states, she grew up in a predominantly white area and faced severe bullying until sixth grade. Kids would beat Doechii up, call her racial slurs, and she struggled to find genuine friends. Furthermore, the rapper used music to create her own persona and began to unpack her traumas through her songwriting.
Doechii is an artist you need to check out if you haven’t already. Click here for more of her music.
