How SZA inspired Doechii to dump her 'unsupportive' ex and pursue music

Before she could write a Grammy-winning album, Doechii had to rewrite her life.

In a new Cosmopolitan cover story published Monday, April 21, the Anxiety hitmaker opened up about the creative process behind her songwriting.

And it all started when SZA’s Ctrl gave her the courage to walk away from a relationship that was holding her back creatively.

“I was 18, and I was dating a guy who just wasn’t very supportive of my music, and it really stifled me,” she shared. “I stopped writing because he was just like, ‘That’s not cool.’”

But one listen to SZA changed everything. 

“I remember listening to SZA’s Ctrl for the first time, and it literally gave me the courage to break up with him,” Doechii said, adding, “She inspired me to be vulnerable through my music in a way that I didn’t think I could be.”

That shift paved the way for Denial Is a River, a raw track that took her a full year to write.

“Sometimes I have to process things before I can talk about them,” she said. “But that song took me a year to process. I didn’t want to give my ex any promo in my music.”

She added, “And I talked about three different exes in that song. People think it’s just one!”

The result was a historic Grammy win this year for Alligator Bites Never Heal, making Doechii the second woman after Cardi B to win a Grammy for Best Rap Album.

“A little bit of art and authenticity wins,” she said. “Vulnerability wins.”