Comedy is a natural route of catharsis when it comes to processing trauma and packaging the fast-moving events of life into clever quips and one-liners that burn deep into one’s mind. Coupled with painterly storytelling and masterful direction, the genre evolves into a new life form that tells memorable jokes without saying a single word and becomes a form of release therapy that helps the artist and the audience dissect otherwise difficult topics while jesting here and there. American rapper Doechii’s latest music video “Denial Is a River” encapsulates all these attributes, stitching every limb into a singular body, the visuals in sync with the backing lyrics provided by the song itself.
Directed by Carlos Acosta and James Mackel, the slapstick-inspired visuals of “Denial Is a River” are a multifold spectacle, with the first portion of the music video shaped into an old-school sitcom christened after the song title. With the Swamp Princess phasing into the set as one of the stars alongside her onscreen ex named “Old Dude from 2019”, the triple Grammy-nominated hip-hop star breaks the fourth wall to communicate with her audience, eating up the crumbs of small talk as she makes her way to the kitchen with a brown grocery bag.
A preview of the visuals from Doechii’s Instagram:
Detailing the shenanigans of her cheating ex, Doechii is portrayed violently chopping up vegetables as she recounts the events to an interactive audience which responds either by asking more questions or raucous laughter. After pacing up and down the kitchen and fixing her ex-boyfriend a meal, she walks into the living room only to find him cuddling on the sofa and lovey-dovey with another man.
After a hyperbolic scene depicting Doechii flinging her ex out like a ragdoll, the Tampa-bred lyricist starts rocking skimpy yet flashy white clothes, a stark contrast to the afro-and-jeans aesthetic she donned earlier in the visuals. Heralded by her hanging up a framed picture of herself with TDE higherups, this part of the music video departs from the homely vibe the story started with, soft-launching themes of fame and the abrupt end of anonymity that came with the commercial success of her subsequent music.
A snapshot of Doechii talking to the audience in the music video | SUPPLIED
The third section of the song bloodies the walls of the set with a regal-red interior, platinum plaques gleaming as Doechii sports a tomboyish look. Engaging in another jocular one-two convo with her audience, Doechii is prompted to speak about her struggles and vices, information she indulges them with after much prodding. Emphasis is further added to her words with striking close-up shots which show a stream of blood tricking from her nose, dovetailing with her explicit admission to liking drugs.
The music video ends with her ex getting revenge by detonating her place, and her standing amid the rubble of what used to be her home.
Watch “Denial Is a River”:
