Once seen as a stringent confine, the idea of genre has become more malleable in recent years. Artists have blended and experimented with style to varying degrees of success, be it Post Malone's hip-pop concoction or Yelawolf's honest approach to country rap. For Doobie, the foundations of rock and roll music and its various subsects have paved his path. A path best traversed with all lights off. Boasting an aesthetic lined with dark and discomforting imagery, the Ohio-born & LA-based singer has developed and honed his craft for some time.
Songs like "Hate Song" and the slow-burning ballad "Angels Don't Fly" juxtapose melancholic music with disturbing visuals, revealing a willingness to explore the depths of his creativity. Instrumentally, Doobie tends to favor more low-key production centering around minor-key guitar arpeggios, a recent trend that likely has Los Angeles session players salivating. His recent album, the aptly titled Faithfull Faded, arrives lined with somber instrumentation and well-placed bangers like the hip-hop leaning "Check Gon Come"; with influences like Kevin Gates and Eminem, it's no surprise that Doobie has saved room for the flows, sparing though they may be.
Dealing with themes of fractured relationships and the dangers of succumbing to insecurity, Doobie epitomizes the tortured artist. Drug abuse and all-nighters are familiar comforts, exposing the flaws of his neverending masochistic cycle. And yet it's the source that keeps his inspiration tanks fueled. A double-edged sword, and one that has spearheaded this new movement in which elements from hip-hop, rock, pop, and emo coalesce. You've seen it with Post Malone, with Clever and Juice WRLD. And now you've seen it with Doobie.
