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Alligator Bites Never Heal

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Alligator Bites Never Heal
Doechii sits on a chair, facing the camera and holding an albino alligator. Behind her is a dark green wall.
Mixtape by
Doechii
ReleasedAugust 30, 2024 (2024-08-30)
Recorded2024
Genre
Length46:53
Label
Producer
  • Andreas
  • Banser
  • Camper
  • Childish Major
  • DJ Miss Milan
  • Devin Malik
  • Dylvinci
  • Henry Was
  • IanJames
  • AaronMac
  • Zaybans
  • Joey Hamhock
  • Kal Banx
  • KND
  • Malik Ninety Five
  • Mike Hector
  • Monte Booker
  • Peyote
  • Sader
  • Stoic & Mai
  • Super Miles
Doechii chronology
She / Her / Black Bitch
(2022) 		Alligator Bites Never Heal
(2024)
Singles from Alligator Bites Never Heal
  1. "Nissan Altima"
    Released: August 2, 2024
  2. "Boom Bap"
    Released: August 23, 2024

Alligator Bites Never Heal is the third mixtape by the American rapper Doechii, released on August 30, 2024, through Top Dawg Entertainment and Capitol Records.[1] It was preceded by the singles "Nissan Altima" and "Boom Bap". The mixtape features production from a variety of producers including Camper, Childish Major, Kal Banx, Devin Malik and Monte Booker, as well as a sole guest appearance from rapper Kuntfetish.[2]

Alligator Bites Never Heal was nominated for Best Rap Album at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards, while its lead single "Nissan Altima" received a nomination for Best Rap Performance and Doechii herself earned a nomination for Best New Artist.

Background and promotion

[edit]

After finding viral success on TikTok with her single "Yucky Blucky Fruitcake" in 2021, Doechii was signed to Top Dawg Entertainment and Capitol Records in March 2022, becoming the first female rapper signed to the former.[3] In August of that year, she released her second EP and first major-label record, She / Her / Black Bitch, featuring a remix of the single "Persuasive" with TDE label mate SZA.[4]

While promoting the EP in 2022, Doechii stated in an interview with Rolling Stone that she was working on her debut album, which included studio sessions with Pharrell Williams and Babyface.[3] After achieving her first entry on the Billboard Hot 100 with the single "What It Is (Block Boy)" featuring Kodak Black, she stated in an August 2023 interview with PopSugar that she "just came back from Jamaica finishing [her debut album]," and alluded to releasing it before supporting Doja Cat on The Scarlet Tour.[5] However, no official release date was announced. She continued to regularly release standalone singles, including "Pacer" in September and "Alter Ego" featuring JT in March of the following year.[6]

On July 12, 2024, Doechii began releasing a series entitled Swamp Sessions through social media; these were short songs that were written and recorded in hour-long periods, each accompanied by a music video.[7] The third Swamp Sessions instalment, titled "Nissan Altima", was released onto Instagram and YouTube on July 27, 2024, and would be released on streaming platforms almost a week later on August 2.

On August 14, 2024, Doechii's 26th birthday, Alligator Bites Never Heal was officially announced as her first mixtape under a major label,[1] with the tracklist being revealed six days later on August 20.[8] Three days later, the sixth and final Swamp Sessions installment, titled "Boom Bap", was released as the second single.[9]

Title and artwork

[edit]

Doechii described the concept behind the title in a statement posted to Instagram accompanying the mixtape's announcement:

The alligator performs a spinning maneuver known as the "death roll" to submerge and dismember its prey underwater. This past year I've grappled with what felt like a relentless death roll in my life... A dance of drowning in my own vices, battling differences with my label and a creative numbness that broke me. [...] In my research about alligator attacks, I found that a common thread in each survivor was that the main reason they survived is because they fought back. This mixtape is my fight back. I am nobody's prey; I was born to be the predator.[10]

Additionally, the American alligator is the official state reptile of Doechii's native Florida, and is known to inhabit swamps, thus making the title a tribute to Doechii's home state, and to her nickname, the "Swamp Princess".[11]

The cover art, which shows Doechii sitting on a chair holding an albino alligator,[1] was shot by Los Angeles based photographer John Jay.[12]

Critical reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic79/100[13]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[14]
Clash7/10[15]
NME[16]
Pitchfork7.0/10[17]
Rolling Stone[18]

According to the review aggregator Metacritic, Alligator Bites Never Heal received "generally favorable reviews" based on a weighted average score of 79 out of 100 from 5 critic scores.[13] Doechii's stylistic versatility received particular attention,[15][16] with Mankaprr Conteh of Rolling Stone identifying boom bap, EDM, and soul elements appearing at various points on the project.[18] Though many critics felt favorably about this versatility, Clash's Ana Lamond was more reserved in her appraisal, remarking that "the tracklist becomes a victim of its own length" during the more R&B-influenced songs.[15] Doechii's writing throughout the mixtape was also commended: Conteh stated that she displayed "a wicked pen and brilliant charisma",[18] and Kyann-Sian Williams of NME described her as a "witty, comical songwriter".[16] Doechii's attempts to establish a position within the music industry have been identified as among the mixtape's primary themes. Williams noted that she discusses "industry politics and label demands" on the project, and described a "sense of being trapped or feeling inadequate" on many of its tracks;[16] Lamond remarked that Doechii portrayed herself as torn between "personal relationships, vices, self-worth, and perceived success".[15]

The song "Denial is a River" was named by multiple critics as a highlight of Alligator Bites Never Heal: Lamond opined that the track "unveils Doechii at her best", and Conteh called it "an immaculate display of her quirks, relatability, and tenderness".[18] The single "Boom Bap" also achieved praise for its lyrics, in which Doechii was perceived as criticizing traditionalists' views of how hip hop should sound.[15][18]

Critics' year-end rankings of Alligator Bites Never Heal
Publication List Rank Ref.
Exclaim! 50 Best Albums of 2024 23 [19]
NPR The 50 Best Albums of 2024 — [20]
Paste The 100 Best Albums of 2024 99 [21]
Rolling Stone The 100 Best Albums of 2024 9 [22]
Stereogum The 50 Best Albums of 2024 9 [23]

Track listing

[edit]
Alligator Bites Never Heal track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Stanka Pooh"
  • Devin Malik
  • Kal Banx
2:01
2."Bullfrog"
  • Hickmon
  • Matthew Bartolo Moleta
  • Mai Ankri
Stoic & Mai1:34
3."Boiled Peanuts"
  • Jaylah Hickmon
  • Armen Zabounian[u]
  • Joey Hamhock[u]
  • Andreas
  • Peyote
  • Hamhock
2:01
4."Denial Is a River"
  • Hickmon
  • James Ian Anderson
  • Hamhock
2:39
5."Catfish"
Monte Booker2:14
6."Skipp"
  • Hickmon
  • Booker
Booker1:40
7."Hide n Seek"
  • Hickmon
  • Berry
Kal Banx2:29
8."Bloom"
  • Hickmon
  • Jayda Love
AaronMac & ZayBans2:13
9."Wait"
  • Hickmon
  • Henry Was
  • Dylan Ruddy
  • Was
  • Dylvinci
3:04
10."Death Roll"
  • Hickmon
  • Malik Sanders
Malik Ninety Five2:19
11."Profit"
  • Hickmon
  • Mike Hector
  • David Duodu
  • Hector
  • KND
1:35
12."Boom Bap"
  • Camper
  • DJ Miss Milan[a]
2:10
13."Nissan Altima"
Childish Major2:06
14."GTFO" (with Kuntfetish)
  • Hickmon
  • Williams
  • Kole Kimbro[u]
Devin Malik2:40
15."Huh!"
  • Hickmon
  • Williams
Devin Malik2:16
16."Slide"
  • Hickmon
  • Berry
  • Solal Tong Cuong
  • Keanu Torres
  • Kal Banx
  • Banshee The Great
  • Keanu Beats
2:54
17."Fireflies"
  • Hickmon
  • Booker
  • Taylor Sader
  • SADER
  • Booker
4:25
18."Beverly Hills"
  • Hickmon
  • Williams
Devin Malik3:38
19."Alligator Bites Never Heal"
  • Hickmon
  • Miles Franklin
  • Super Miles
  • Kal Banx[a]
  • Austin Brown[a]
2:55
Total length:46:53

Notes

  • ^[a] signifies an additional producer
  • ^[u] signifies an uncredited writer/producer

Charts

[edit]
Chart performance for Alligator Bites Never Heal
Chart (2024) Peak
position
US Billboard 200[24] 82
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[25] 41

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c Mamo, Heran. "Doechii Announces 'Alligator Bites Never Heal' Mixtape on Her 26th Birthday: 'Happy Birthday to Me'". Billboard. Retrieved August 28, 2024.
  2. ^ Bernstein, Elaina. "Doechii Reveals 'Alligator Bites Never Heal' Tracklist". Hypebeast. Retrieved August 28, 2024.
  3. ^ a b Conteh, Mankaprr (August 5, 2022). "Doechii Is Rap's Pointed, Provocative Next Big Thing". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 28, 2024.
  4. ^ Sanchez, Gabrielle. "Doechii stakes her claim as rap's newest It Girl with first EP for TDE". The A.V. Club. Retrieved August 29, 2024.
  5. ^ Perkins, Njera. "Doechii Wants Fans to Feel "Liberated" by Her Upcoming Debut Album". POPSUGAR. Retrieved September 3, 2024.
  6. ^ Breihan, Tom (September 19, 2023). "Doechii – "Pacer"". Stereogum. Retrieved August 29, 2024.
  7. ^ Hickmon, Jaylah. "BULLFROG". @doechii. Retrieved August 28, 2024 – via Instagram.
  8. ^ Bernstein, Elaina. "Doechii Reveals 'Alligator Bites Never Heal' Tracklist". Hypebeast. Retrieved August 28, 2024.
  9. ^ Breihan, Tom. "Doechii – "Boom Bap"". Stereogum. Retrieved August 28, 2024.
  10. ^ Hickmon, Jaylah. "The Alligator performs a spinning maneuver known as the "death roll"..." @doechii. Retrieved August 28, 2024 – via Instagram.
  11. ^ "State Reptile American Alligator". Florida Department of State. Retrieved August 29, 2024.
  12. ^ Jay, John. "Alligator Bites Never Heal 8.30". @johnjay.img. Retrieved August 28, 2024 – via Instagram.
  13. ^ a b "Alligator Bites Never Heal [Mixtape] by Doechii Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved November 1, 2024.
  14. ^ Kellman, Andy (August 30, 2024). "Alligator Bites Never Heal - Doechii | Album". AllMusic. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
  15. ^ a b c d e Lamond, Ana (August 30, 2024). "Doechii – Alligator Bites Never Heal". Clash. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
  16. ^ a b c d Williams, Kyann-Sian (August 30, 2024). "Doechii – 'Alligator Bites Never Heal' review: a candid sonic diary of struggle and resilience". NME. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
  17. ^ Goldberg, Lily (September 5, 2024). "Doechii: Alligator Bites Never Heal Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
  18. ^ a b c d e Conteh, Mankaprr (August 30, 2024). "Doechii Reigns Supreme on 'Alligator Bites Never Heal'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
  19. ^ "Exclaim!'s 50 Best Albums of 2024". Exclaim!. November 27, 2024. Retrieved December 4, 2024.
  20. ^ "The 50 Best Albums Of 2024". NPR. December 2, 2024. Retrieved December 2, 2024.
  21. ^ "The 100 Best Albums of 2024". Paste. December 2, 2024. Retrieved December 2, 2024.
  22. ^ "The 100 Best Albums of 2024". Rolling Stone. December 2, 2024. Retrieved December 4, 2024.
  23. ^ "The 50 Best Albums Of 2024". Stereogum. December 2, 2024. Retrieved December 2, 2024.
  24. ^ "Billboard 200: Week of September 14, 2024". Billboard. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
  25. ^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums: Week of September 14, 2024". Billboard. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
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