Doechii took Outside Lands to school — literally.
Just as Chappell Roan stole the festival’s collective heart last year as the undercard act who deserved to be a headliner, Doechii has been the highlight of Day 1. The rapper and vocalist’s elaborate 7 p.m. set on the Twin Peaks Stage, organized as a program of “School of Hip Hop” classroom lessons, was a magnificent series of crowd-pleasers interspersed with spoken-word performances, with a pack of dancers to back her up.
Doechii was as well-choreographed as Janet Jackson, as artistic as Donald Glover, and as sexual as early Britney Spears.
Among hits like “Nissan Altima” and “Anxiety,” there was a Beyoncé cover (“America Has a Problem”) as well as hints of French electronic duo Daft Punk during her track “Persuasive.” In its scale, it was essentially a Super Bowl halftime show without the football.
The 27-year-old Angeleno delivered a kinetic performance on a stage tricked out like a boom box, with 10-plus dancers to buttress her high-energy prowess. It was a statement — unapologetically Black, but less overtly political than a display of sensuality and aesthetic excellence.
Doechii owns her body, and success has been her revenge ever since she launched her musical career in the aftermath of being fired from Chipotle in 2020.
Based on how the crowd reacted, we’re guessing she will be crowned the breakout star of Outside Lands this year.
