Jahzel Dotel Sheds Emotional Weight On Transformative Single "Peeling Off My Skin"

Some songs are written to tell a story. Others are written to survive one. On her latest single, "Peeling Off My Skin," Dominican-American artist Jahzel Dotel delivers a deeply personal release that turns anxiety, emotional exhaustion, and self-transformation into something unexpectedly liberating.

Blending elements of alternative pop, soul, jazz, and electronic music, Dotel creates a sonic landscape that feels both intimate and cinematic. The track unfolds like an emotional unraveling, capturing the uncomfortable space between who we are and who we're becoming. Rather than romanticizing personal growth, "Peeling Off My Skin" acknowledges the reality that transformation often feels painful while it's happening.

What makes the release particularly compelling is its honesty. Dotel doesn't present healing as a linear journey. Instead, the song sits inside the tension of emotional stagnation, allowing listeners to experience the weight of uncertainty before gradually finding release. Her expressive vocal performance carries every layer of that emotion, moving effortlessly between vulnerability and resilience.

Having built a reputation for immersive live performances and acclaimed Sade tribute shows, Dotel continues to carve out her own artistic identity through music that prioritizes authenticity over trends. Themes of identity, grief, healing, and renewal have long been present throughout her work, and "Peeling Off My Skin" may be one of her most direct explorations of those ideas to date.

For anyone carrying the weight of anxiety, change, or emotional fatigue, the song offers something valuable: permission to let go. As Dotel hopes, "Peeling Off My Skin" ultimately feels less like a confession and more like an invitation to release whatever has been holding you back and step into something new.

"Peeling Off My Skin" was born from a period of intense anxiety and emotional exhaustion. What was the hardest part about turning those experiences into a song and sharing them with the world?

The hardest part was sharing it more than turning it into a song. One day, alone in my room, I allowed myself to go there and say what I was really feeling in that exact moment through melody, lyrics, or both. I recorded a voice note with no end goal attached, pretending no one would ever hear it and simply letting it out.

Fast forward to when the song was ready to be shared with the world, and I felt resistance and nerves. Not because of how the song might perform, but because it felt so raw and personal. But that's our duty as artists—to share the human experience through art.

The title itself is incredibly powerful. What does "Peeling Off My Skin" symbolize for you, and how does it reflect the transformation you were going through at the time?

To me, it symbolizes the sensation of despair and the desire to escape very heavy feelings or situations. Literally, it's also an action many people experiencing anxiety engage in, whether that's peeling cuticles, biting nails, or other repetitive behaviors.

The transformation I was going through involved discovering a new version of myself that I really wanted to become, but not wanting to experience the uncomfortable, messy process of shedding old layers to get there. The song captures that tension between growth and resistance.

Your music blends influences from jazz, soul, alternative, Latin, and electronic sounds. How did those different influences help shape the emotional atmosphere of this particular release?

All of those influences give me freedom of expression. I find that different genres allow different emotions, stories, and ideas to be expressed in unique ways, and I can find soul and depth in all of them.

For this particular release, the blend came together very naturally. It felt exactly as it was supposed to feel, and I didn't allow my logical mind to interfere or try to reshape the format. I simply followed what the song wanted to become.

Many people experience anxiety and feelings of being stuck, but struggle to talk about them openly. What message would you give to listeners who hear their own story reflected in this song?

I was once a listener hearing my own story reflected in another song when I couldn't yet name what I was experiencing as anxiety. There are many different paths that can eventually lead someone to talking about what they're going through.

If speaking about it feels terrifying, music can remind you that you're not alone. Journaling, writing poetry, rapping, painting, practicing yoga, or engaging in physical exercise can all be powerful outlets. These more personal and introspective activities can be explored before having conversations about it, especially if talking about it creates even more anxiety.

Throughout your career, you've explored themes of identity, healing, grief, and reinvention. Where does "Peeling Off My Skin" fit within your larger artistic journey, and what does it reveal about who Jahzel Dotel is today?

It reveals how far I've come and how much I've grown. My artistic journey will continue to be rooted in authentic emotions and honest storytelling, whether I'm creating fun songs or deeply heartfelt ones.

"Peeling Off My Skin" exists as a reminder of our shared human experience. It's a song about connection, growth, and recognizing that we're all navigating our own challenges while trying to become the people we're meant to be.