Doechii’s Hit ‘What It Is’ Was Originally Meant for Normani

Here’s a surprising behind-the-scenes look at how one of 2023’s biggest songs found its way to the spotlight. Doechii’s breakout single “What It Is (Block Boy)” almost went to a different artist entirely—Normani.

Songwriter Bianca “Blush” Atterberry recently shared the story on TikTok, explaining that RCA Records originally asked her to write songs for Normani’s debut album. That’s when the track first came to life.

“This record ‘What It Is’ was intended for Normani. Me, J White [Did It], Verse Simmons and Fresh locked in. Label set it up — they wanted records for Normani,” she said. “We all got together in the studio. We were locked in for like three days and we got about six songs and ‘What It Is’ was one of them.”

Once it was written, the team felt confident they had something special. “We immediately knew,” Atterberry said. “We were like, ‘This is a smash. This is one of them ones.’ You just be knowing.”

They presented the song to RCA and Normani, but it didn’t end up moving forward. “She didn’t think it was something that fit her vision,” Atterberry explained. “Which is normal. It happens all the time. Sometimes that’s just how this works… It’s not odd. It’s very normal.”

After holding onto the track for a couple of years—and turning down a few other artists—Doechii eventually came into the picture. “We heard it and absolutely loved it. We were like, ‘She’s out of here. She’s a star.’ Always been a star.”

Atterberry also emphasized that Normani’s decision not to use the track was completely valid. “We uplift over here,” Blush concluded.

“What It Is (Block Boy)” officially dropped in March 2023, with a version featuring Kodak Black—and went on to become one of Doechii’s defining songs.