Music is a universal language that allows people to convey how they are feeling and what they are thinking. In their work, many artists explore and analyze problems in society. A large portion of the population can claim to have faced discrimination in some form or another, and musicians are no exception. These artists use their stardom to show the rest of the world that they are not alone and that they are valued. Artists use their music to not only speak out against prejudice and privilege, but also to express their self-identity and sexuality. However, in some cases, music might leave a negative effect on certain people. Those who struggle with mental illness should be wary of what they listen to because it just may have a negative effect on their minds. But artists such as Lil Nas X and BTS demonstrate that the world is shifting its perspectives to be more open-minded, equal, and respectful of one another’s viewpoints and beliefs.
An NBC news article speaks of Lil Nas X’s journey of stardom and his impact on the music industry and his fans. Lil Nas X, born in a city near Atlanta, Georgia, in 1999, had no name until three years ago in December of 2018. He had released his award-winning song “Old Town Road,” which would soon become the longest-running number-one song in the history of Billboard Hot 100. He has won numerous awards for his song, gaining fame, and becoming an idol and role model for the younger generations. However, this song was not the only thing to garner him more popularity. On the last day of June of 2019, the last day of pride month, Lil Nas X sends out a tweet letting people know that he is gay. Many of his followers and his fans show their support and pride in the comments of the tweet. Treye Green, the author, describes Lil Nas X as having an “unabashed queerness that is badly needed in the music industry right now, and culture more generally.” Lil Nas X has become the exemplar of self-acceptance as he makes his music acknowledging his pride and self-worth.
Similarly, a Bangladesh newspaper, “The Daily Star,” writes about BTS, a K-Pop band consisting of seven men in their 20’s who have become one of the biggest bands in the world. As the author, Sara Kabir puts it, they have used their music to “discuss socio-political issues found in contemporary society such as mental health, toxic-masculinity, women’s empowerment, self-love, capitalism, burn-out and the struggles of growing up among other things.” The boys come from different cities in South Korea and different backgrounds. The group faced a multitude of hardships in their early years, fighting their way through false rumors, financial problems, and internal conflict. They have been headstrong and have fought their way through these obstacles and trials, and at the same time, gained an immense and diverse fanbase through the years. They have become a big inspiration to people all around the world, bringing hope and strength to those who need it. Just as Lil Nas X has inspired people to be open about who they are and their preferences, BTS has instilled hope into the minds of those who face obstacles and drawbacks that make them feel like they will never amount to anything.
In 2020 Nas began working on his debut album “Montero.” While creating this album, he has learned “to let go of trying to control people’s perception of who [he is], what [he] can do… [He] has realized the only opinion of [him]that really matters is [his] own.” (Green). Nas finds himself through his music; he learns to accept himself for he is and won’t let anyone’s opinion matter. In a past interview, Nas tells the listeners to “Work on [themselves]. [He] loves who [he] is and whatever [he] decides to do. Get there.” Similarly, Kabir quotes Sumaiya Islam, a college student, saying: “In a society where men struggle to be vulnerable and be seen as ‘manly’ enough, BTS breaks the gender norms by wearing makeup, jewelry, gender-neutral clothes, and long, colourful hair.” The band is showing people that traditional masculinity and femininity are becoming a thing of the past. By “openly talking about their struggles and sharing their emotions, BTS [is] showing the world that gender does not have to confine anyone and there should be no one standard of being.” BTS inspires people to follow their passions and be their true selves even though some parts of the world might be against it, just as Lil Nas X is showing the world that he already is being his true self.
The band’s music not only includes catchy and upbeat songs, but they also have meaningful and comforting songs that uplift the spirits of many. A fan, Niaz Ahmed, shared that “Their music was eye-opening, and helped [him] to start thinking that being happy with who [he was] is very important.” (Kabir) BTS spurs people to accept their true selves and love themselves unconditionally. BTS is successfully using “their music to spread the message of social inequality and injustice.” A rapper by the name of Kid Cudi “praised Nas for his attempts to ‘break down’ the ‘homophobic cloud over hip-hop’ and pledged to do all he could to ‘stand with him.” (Green) Kid Cudi openly and proudly shows his support in what Nas is doing in trying to change the music industry and essentially the world.
BTS not only addresses traditional gender roles, but they also speak about mental health in their songs and interviews. A fan by the name of Atanu Roy Chowdhury “shared that the band makes him feel ‘seen.’ ‘Mental health is affecting our lives, but people don’t want to talk about it. BTS is using the universal language of music to tell the world how important mental health is.” (Kabir) Their fans and followers can easily relate to them because they have personally experienced what others are going through. They want their fans to know that “If they have found a way to stay hopeful for the future to change and better times to come, maybe [others] should hold on a bit longer too,” says Shehrin Tabassum Odri, a fan of BTS since 2018.
Contrastingly, Sandra Garrido, a researcher with a background in both music and psychology, tries to find a correlation between sad music and depression. While people find their place in the world through musicians like BTS and Lil Nas X, some people might find themselves falling down a deeper hole when listening to certain types of music. Garrido has conducted experiments to find whether or not “people with tendencies to clinical depression also respond to music differently.” (Garrido) She asked a number of people to listen to pick a song that made them happy and a song that made them sad. As the participants listened to their self-selected piece, the experimenters measured their response to the music. She found “that rather than feeling better after listening to sad music, people with high scores in rumination reported feeling more depressed.” (Garrido) Rumination is the tendency to get trapped in negative thought patterns and struggle to shake bad sentiments or ideas about situations. Listening to sad music prompted negative thoughts and feelings, creating questions and scenarios as to where they went wrong or why their life isn’t better than it is. All of the participants were more depressed after listening to sad music. However, these people tended to argue that they felt better after listening to sad music, they felt better, contrasting the results of the experiment. These participants don’t realize that this music is making them feel even worse about their lives, whether it is their self-identity or relationships. So, in the end, not all music has this effect on people, it depends on the type of music that they choose to listen to when they are feeling down. An upbeat song with uplifting messages may very well someone get out of a rut.
Comparing Garrido’s study to another study that determines how music affects the brain, the results vary drastically. Tiffany Field, a professor in the Departments of Pediatrics, Psychology, and Psychiatry, conducted a study to investigate the effects of music on mood state and right frontal EEG activation associated with chronic depression. To give some background, “affective states are associated with EEG patterns in the frontal region of the brain.” (Field) The left frontal side is linked with positive effects, easily accessing emotions. The right frontal side is connected with negative effects, a withdrawal of emotions. Depressed adults are seen to have “right frontal activation even during remission of depressed behavior symptoms.” (Field) There has also been a correlation between elevated cortisol (hormone levels) and depressed people.
In this study, 14 depressed female youths listened to rock music for 23 minutes. There was also a group of controlled depressed female youths who instead sat and relaxed their minds for the same 23-minute period. EEG recorded pre-music, during the music, and post-music, along with saliva samples before and after for a cortisol check. While there were no visible changes in both groups of females, the EEG and saliva check says otherwise. Cortisol levels decreased, and the right frontal activation was significantly reduced during and post-music period. This experiment concludes that music does have positive effects on physiological and biochemical measures. Although physical changes were not seen, the brain was showing the truth. Music does have a positive effect on those who are depressed.
While Garrido’s and Field’s study determine the effect of music on different kinds of people, they yield opposing results. Garrido notes the physical effects that she sees and hears, while Field observes the internal effects that people do not see without taking a closer look. Field produces results that show how the brain positively reacts to music. Garrido generates results that show an increase in sorrow when listening to sad music, however, her results do not effectively prove that music has a negative effect on people. People need to find the music that not only fits them, but music that uplifts and exhilarates them.
Each of these authors has their own approach in explaining the effects of music, whether it be positive or negative. The first, second, and fourth sources show music having a positive effect on the mind. The first two sources use specific artists and go into detail on how they are helping people feel confident in their own skin. They show how Lil Nas X and BTS are encouraging people to be brave in their own skin. The second source, from The Daily Star, includes quotes from fans that show how much BTS has positively impacted their lives. The last source conducted a study to show the positive effects of music on the brain. Music helped people deal with their depression even if there were no visible signs. Contrastingly, the third source shows that music might be increasing depression. When already depressed people listen to sad music, their moods don’t change; they still feel lost and hopeless. However, if they choose to listen to happy music, their outlook on life changes. Music is different for all people, they just have look closer and find the music that inspires and energizes them because we all go through different things and need different solutions to help us live to our fullest potential.
In conclusion, these sources have discussed the argument on whether or not music has a positive effect on people’s understanding of the world and themselves. Many people have forgotten the important things in life because of the influences that surround them. Some are discriminated against while others are bullied; it is hard to be our true selves and learn to love the world again. People lose their way on this journey of life, falling into depression and shutting friends and family out. Music is a universal motivator that inspires people to live their lives for themselves and no one else. These sources prove that music leaves behind a powerful and positive message to those who are struggling in life.
