Doechii has said that SZA‘s debut album ‘Ctrl’ gave her the “courage” to break up with her ex-boyfriend.
- READ MORE: Doechii – ‘Alligator Bites Never Heal’ review: a candid sonic diary of struggle and resilience
During a new interview with Cosmopolitan, the rapper was asked whether she had ever been involved with a romantic partner who had held her back creatively.
“I only felt that way once,” she responded. “I was 18, and I was dating a guy who just wasn’t very supportive of my music, and it really stifled me. I stopped writing because he was just like, ‘That’s not cool’.”
Doechii continued: “I took his opinion way too seriously when really he just didn’t get it.”
She went on to shout out SZA’s acclaimed 2017 first studio record ‘Ctrl’, which was nominated for numerous Grammys.
Doechii explained: “I remember listening to SZA’s ‘Ctrl’ for the first time and it literally gave me the courage to break up with him. I only bring that up because she inspired me to be vulnerable through my music in a way that I didn’t think I could be.”
When quizzed on whether there’s one song she’s made to help people regain power after having a similar relationship, the rapper replied: “‘Girls’ [2021], the first song I dropped that went viral, was 100 per cent about that ex.
“I had been working on it for a year and I played it for him, and he was like, ‘This sucks. What are you even talking about?’ And I was like, ‘Oh yeah, I got to fix this’. And the girls loved it because they felt me.”
Doechii was then asked if anyone she had written about had ever reached out to say something. She responded: “If I’m writing about you in the negative, you can’t reach out – you’re blocked.”
In a four-star review of SZA’s debut album, NME wrote: “‘Ctrl’ skips the friendly hello and dives straight into SZA’s world. Across 45 minutes, she breathlessly leaps between genres, and laments on tired and broken relationships in a stream-of-consciousness style that fans of Frank Ocean’s ‘Blonde’ will adore.”
Earlier this year, Doechii won the coveted Best Rap Album award at the Grammys 2025 with her latest mixtape ‘Alligator Bites Never Heal’. She has since shared the singles ‘Nosebleeds’ and ‘Anxiety’, and teamed up with BLACKPINK‘s Jennie on ‘Extral’.
Doechii is set to headline the West Holts stage at Glastonbury 2025 this summer – where she’ll go up against Charli XCX’s bill-topping slot on the Other Stage.
