"The gotye and kira reference???"— Internet reacts to easter eggs in Doechii's Anxiety music video
Doechii dropped the music video for her song Anxiety on Friday, April 18, 2025, which included a reference to Gotye's 2011 classic, Somebody That I Used to Know, in more ways than one. She sampled the song in the music video, and at one point, the camera panned to a mural with two people seemingly painted into the walls.
Fans of the 2011 hit song would easily recognize the painting as similar to the visual of Gotye and Kimbra from the original Somebody That I Used to Know music video.
Fans recognized the reference from Anxiety music video, earning various reactions online. One fan on X said that the Gotye and Kimbra reference "GAGGED" them.
"The Gotye and Ki[mb]ra reference?? im GAGGED," an X user said.
Some netizens praised how Doechii paid tribute to the original song, with another user saying that they "love" how she "acknowledged her inspiration" in the music video.
"Love the reference to/cameos of the original sample/artist," an X user said.
"I love she acknowledged her inspiration and built on creativity of others adding to it and not cheapening it," another user on X commented.
"The reference to the og mv… okay Doechii I have to give you your 10s," an X user added.
However, not everyone appreciated the Somebody That I Used to Know sample in Doechii's Anxiety. A netizen claimed that hers was a "lame copy" of the 2011 hit song, while another one questioned her creativity.
"It's like a lame copy of somebody that I used to know," a user on X commented.
"So she made a song that is 100% a copy of a prior song with new lyrics? Where is creativity at," another X user said.
Doechii pays homage to the origin of Anxiety in the new music video
Doechii's Anxiety music video comes after the Grammy winner officially released the full version of the song on March 4, 2025. She recorded it in her bedroom in 2019, but before the official release, the song was only available as part of her Coven Music Sessions Vol. 1 mixtape on YouTube since she first uploaded it in 2020.
In her Instagram Stories on March 4, per People magazine, the singer announced the track's release while giving a little backstory about it. She said:
"People are finding the original version that I did on YouTube, and that's blowing up on TikTok. And now people want me to release the full version and we're here."
She added that she used the sample of Somebody That I Used to Know. However, the Gotye classic wasn't the only callback to Anxiety's origin that was featured in the music video. Doechii also recreated her old bedroom, where she reportedly recorded the track in 2019, down to the tapestry by the headboard and the stacked pink storage bins.
The real-life younger twin sisters of the Denial is a River singer were featured in the music video as well. They appeared throughout the clip in scenes that reference The Shining.
Doechii's Anxiety is now available on streaming platforms, and the official music video of the track is on her YouTube channel.
