Listening to songs when we feel low is not a new notion, and honestly, I have incorporated listening to songs whenever I feel bad wholeheartedly. But knowing that there are certain songs about mental health is a much-needed cherry on top.
The healing power of music cannot be overstated, it makes us feel better to listen to music. It can surely help you relax your mind and body and indulge your soul at the same time.
You’re about to hear some of the amazing songs about mental health!
Top 10 Amazing Songs About Mental Health
Before delving into the songs, let’s first get a few important terms clear:
Mental Illness
The term mental illness refers to a range of conditions that affect mood, thinking, and behaviour. Mental illness includes clinical depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and other types of mental illness.
We define mental health as the state of being emotionally, psychologically, and socially healthy. It affects our way of thinking, feeling, and acting.
Our coping mechanisms, relationships with others, and choices we make are also affected by our coping mechanisms. We must take care of our mental health from childhood and adolescence to adulthood.
U.S. healthcare professionals report that mental illnesses are among the most common. In the United States, one out of every 25 people lives with a serious mental illness, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or major depression.
The rate of severe depression among youth in the United States has increased to 9.7%, up from 9.2% last year. 12% percent of youth claim more than one race, a rate that was highest among those identifying as more than one race.
Mental Health and Music
You can feel better by listening to songs about mental health since it can affect your thoughts, feelings, and behaviours. Music can have profound psychological effects. Your musical taste can reveal important aspects of your personality, according to research.
Relaxation can be achieved through music, you can improve your memory with it. You can also manage your pain by listening to songs about mental health. Mental health has become one of the most prominent themes for different art and music forms.
Let’s begin the search for some songs about mental health that combat the stigma around mental illness. Music is known to have many benefits for people, including the prevention of mental illness.
Songs About Mental Health
1- “OK Not To Be OK” by Demi Lovato
Singer/Artists – Demi Lovato and Marshmello
Lyrics by – Gregory Hein, Demi Lovato, James Gutch, James Nicholas Bailey
Track Length – 2:39
Featuring – Demi Lovato and Marshmello
Released – 10 September 2020
Album – Dancing with the Devil… The Art of Starting Over
Genre – Pop
It is impossible to discuss songs about mental health without including this one by Demi Lovato. Demi Lovato has always been open about her struggles with mental health more than any other singer, as evident from her songs about mental health.
To be living with a mental illness is exactly what the lyrics of the song describe.
According to the official music video for the song, suicide prevention starts with a conversation we’re not having with our mental health due to stigma.
The first step to breaking that silence is dispelling stigmas of fear, judgment, and shame about our internal experiences. We achieve that by proclaiming It’s OK Not To Be OK!
2- “Skyscraper” by Demi Lovato
Singer/Artist – Demi Lovato
Lyrics – Lindy Robbins, Toby Gad, Kerli
Track Length – 3:42
Released – 12 July 2011
Album – Unbroken
Genre – Pop, Soul
“Go on and try to tear me down. I will be rising from the ground like a skyscraper.”
These lines are adapted from a song by Demi Lovato entitled Skyscraper, one of the pop artist’s songs about mental health.
17 weeks were spent on the Billboard Hot 100 chart after the song debuted at number 10.
3- “Breathin” by Ariana Grande
Singer/Artist – Ariana Grande
Lyrics – Ariana Grande, Savan Kotecha, Liya Salmanzadeh, Peter Svensson
Track Length- 3:18
Released – 18 September 2018
Album – Sweetener
Genre – Dance-Pop
Ariana Grande relates how breathing helps with anxiety in this song, which falls into songs about mental health. The lyrics of this song are based on Grande’s personal experience of breathing to help with anxiety.
It talks about anxiety and feeling as if you cannot catch your breath, as stated by the artist. In this song, the artist encourages people to stay positive, and it belongs to the category of songs about mental health.
As a form of therapy, this song can be taken for anxiety.
4- “Help!” by The Beatles
Singer/Artist – The Beatles
Lyrics by – The Beatles
Track Length – 33:44
Released – 6 August 1965
Genre – Pop Rock
In 1965, the Beatles’ English rock band released their fifth studio album “Help!” and their film of the same name.
As John Lennon told a reporter of the period in his life during which he wrote “Help!” and was tackling depression, “I was fat and depressed, and I was crying out for help.”
In addition to being received well by critics, the album topped charts in Australia, Germany, the U.K., and the U.S. No doubt, and it was a big hit back then.
5- “1 800 273 8255” by Rapper Logic
Artist (Artists) – Logic featuring Alessia Cara and Khalid
Lyrics – Alessia Cara, Khalid, Drew Taggart, Sir Robert Bryson Hall II, Dylans Wiggin, Arjun Ivatury
Track Length – 4:10
Released – 27 April 2017
Album – Everybody
Genre – Conscious hip-hop, Pop-rap
It’s true what you read. This song falls in the category of songs about mental health and is the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline number. The song is sung by Logic, an American rapper. The genres of the song are pop-rap and conscious hip-hop.
The song – 1 800 273 8255, a National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, features Alessia Cara and Khalid as guest vocalists and songwriters.
At the 60th Grammy Awards, “1 800 273 8255” received nominations for Song of the Year and Best Music Video. The song eventually reached number 3 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.
6- “Mind Playing Tricks on Me” by Geto Boys
Artists – Ghetto Boys
Lyrics – Brad Jordan, Doug King, William Dennis
Track Length – 5:11
Release date – 1 July 1991
Album – We Can’t Be Stopped
Genre – Horrorcore, G-Funk, Southern hip hop
The Geto Boys recorded this song on their debut album. The song was written by Brad Jordan, Doug King, and William Dennis.
In what was originally planned as a solo album by Scarface, the song features three of Scarface’s lyrics. Rap-A-Lot Records, the label for Geto Boys, decided that it would be better suited as the group’s debut single.
Scarface’s song “My Mind Playing Tricks on Me” reflected his inner turmoil as he was suffering from manic depression at the time. His struggles are visible in the song.
The single peaked at number 23 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it the Geto Boys’ highest-charting single, there was no doubt that it was a big hit.
7- “So Many Tears” by Tupac
Artist – Tupac
Lyrics – T.Shakur, G.Jacobs, R.Walker, E.Baker, S.Wonder
Track Length – 3:58
Release date – 13 June 1995
Recorded – August 1994
Genre – Conscious hip hop
This song from “Me Against the World” fell under songs about mental health and peaked at 6 on Billboard’s hot rap songs.
Amidst the backdrop of an imminent prison sentence, “Me Against the World” deals with all of the emotions of the human experience, revealing his deepest emotions like never before.
The rapper Tupac died at the age of 25 by homicide.
8- “Smile” by Jay-Z
Artists – Jay-Z featuring Gloria Carter
Lyrics – Carter, Wilson, Stevie Wonder
Track Length – 8:28
Released – 2017
Album – 4:44
Genre – hip hop
Grammy-winning rapper Jay-Z featured his mother Gloria Carter in his music video for “Smile.” Gloria Carter revealed she is a lesbian in Jay-Z’s 4:44 song, also revealed by her son Jay-Z.
“Had to hide in the closet, so she medicates
Society’s shame and pain were too much to take
Cried tears of joy when you fell in love
Don’t matter to me if it’s them.”
Gloria Carter delivers a moving monologue after Jay-Z’s verses on “Smile,” She talks about “living in the shadows” and overcoming her situation.
The Huffington Post notes that Jay-Z supported same-sex marriage in a 2012 interview with CNN.
9- “Everybody Hurts” by R.E.M.
Artist – Rem
Written by – Bill Berry, Peter Buck, Mike Mills, Michael Stipe
Track Length – 5:20
Released – 5 April 1993
Album – Automatic for the People
Genre – Alternative Rock, Soft Rock
We listen to songs to feel good. We listen to songs about mental health for feeling good and understanding the emotions of the one experiencing it.
Understanding that all humans (humans) have hearts, can feel pain, are capable of hurting, and all are struggling.
R.E.M. wanted to write a song for struggling teenagers for Automatic for the “People” – a song cycle about life and death. Therefore, Everybody Hurts contains their most direct and heartfelt lyrics.
10- “Head Above Water” by Avril Lavigne
Artist – Avril Lavigne
Written by – Avril Lavigne, Stephan Moccio, Travis Clark
Track Length – 3:40
Released – 19 September 2018
Album – Head Above Water
Genre – pop-rock
Singer Avril LavigneKings’e, and The Kings’ Travis Clark, wrote this title song with producer Stephan Moccio.
Fans assumed that the Cstar’sn pop star’s time away after more than 15 years of recording and touring was spent unwinding when she returned after a six-year break with this title song from “Head” Above Water.
Unfortunately, Lavigne turned out to be struggling with Lyme disease and was taking therapy. She describes trying to remain positive despite her deteriorating health in the rock ballad.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What are the positive effects music has on mental health?
Music may decrease blood pressure, diminish cortisol (the stress hormone), boost the amount of endorphins and serotonin in the blood, improves one’s mood, and can increase dopamine production.
2. Can music help with depression?
There is a definite link connecting music and health: music therapy may be adopted to battle depression and extensive trauma.
3. Does music affect your mentality?
Music, in addition to stimulating the production of the feel-good hormone dopamine, improves cognitive performance, decreases signs of stress and anxiety, and aids in concentration.
Bottomline
Well, the songs being listed above for your convenience, you must listen to them, but, don’t forget there are other ways of fighting with depression and bad mental health as well.
Reach out to your loved ones, go out, have fun, meet new people, and most importantly, enjoy life!
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