By Mercy Green
Music has always been a transformational form of entertainment and healing for many. It is a powerful tool for emotional expression, social transformation, and communication. In the past few years, the relationship between mental health and music has gained a large amount of attention. Artists like Janet Jackson, Sam Smith, Billie Eilish, and Mac Miller are just some examples who have used their platforms and lyrics to speak openly about mental health challenges, and help supporters feel less alone. This paper will dive into how music functions as a form of therapy for both the audience and artists, its role in public conversation on mental health, and how it contributes to a significant point of social change.
Music is commonly used as a therapeutic tool. Music therapy, as an evidence-based and clinically based intervention, is used to reach individualized goals within a therapeutic relationship. According to the American Music Therapy Association, “ Music therapy helps individuals manage stress, improve mood, enhance communication, and cope with trauma.”. The use of music, therapuetically, taps into the brain’s cognitive and emotional systems, which offers a connection where words might fail. This automatically makes music a natural partner in handling mental health issues like PTSD, depression, anxiety, and substance abuse disorders. The accessibility that music has through multiple streaming services and live performances shows how music has reached people from all different clinical settings. The catharsis and emotional release that listeners experience when interacting with songs that reflect their struggles in a form of informal therapy.
Many artists often write songs that stem from personal experiences that they’ve had with mental illness, addiction, grief, and trauma. These sensitive expressions serve not only as a coping mechanism for artists themselves but also create empathy among listeners. Some of these examples, like I mentioned, include Billie Eilish, Mac Miller, Sam Smith, and Janet Jackson.
Billie Eilish has spoken openly about her struggles with depression, suicide, and her self-image. Her songs “Everything I Wanted” and “ Listen Before I Go” mention these topics directly. Eilish’s courage to be so open about mental health in her interviews and lyrics has resonated deeply with the newer generation, normalizing conversations about depression and anxiety. The late Mac Miller was known for his emotionally raw music, often mentioning his battle with substance abuse and inner thoughts. His album Swimming, which was released in 2018, is a complex dive into addiction, healing, and acceptance. After he died in 2018 from an accidental overdose, many fans emphasized how his music provided comfort to those who are facing related battles. Sam Smith, who is known for his soulful vocals and emotional transparency, also discusses his battle with mental health, heartbreak, and loneliness in his songs such as “ Too Good at Goodbyes” and “How Do You Sleep”. Smith has openly spoken about his experiences with body image, depression, and the pressures of being famous, and using his music to process and communicate his pain. During an interview, Smith stated, “I’ve always been sad, but for the first time, I had mental health issues, like panic attacks, anxiety, and depression,”. Janet Jackson, who was also not seen through the lens of mental has recently opened up in her music about confronting societal pressures, trauma, and emotional problems. Her song “ The Velvet Rope” and the album highlight the themes of depression, self-worth, and identity, especially when it comes to Black womanhood. In a Billboard interview, Jackson mentions, “I struggled with depression. The struggle was intense … Low self-esteem might be rooted in childhood feelings of inferiority. It could relate to failing to meet impossibly high standards. And of course, there are always the societal issues of racism and sexism”. These are just a few artists who have made an impact on so many through their music and transparency about mental health.
The digital age has made artists more available than ever. Social media outlets allow musicians to interact directly with fans, share their mental health journeys, and advocate for awareness. Billie Eilish’s short film “Not My Responsibility” and Sam Smith’s Instagram post about therapy and vulnerability highlight their messages beyond the studio. When supporters see icons being transparent about their struggles. Because it challenges the stigma surrounding mental illness. These artists are not isolated voices but part of a larger cultural shift where mental health is becoming central to discussions about wellness and justice. Platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram have encouraged a kind of peer-led movement where users recommend “healing playlists”, using music to promote emotional resilience, and also encouraging mental health check-ins.
Music plays a crucial role in healing as a collective after social or cultural trauma. For example, events like the COVID-19 pandemic, global political unrest, and racial violence, music has become a shared collaboration in resistance. Songs that emphasize isolation, grief, and hope have gained popularity, which creates a shared emotional interest among supporters. Billie Eilish’s “Happier Than Ever” is an example of this. In the part of the song, the lyrics read, “I could talk about every time that you showed up on time. But I’d have an empty line ’cause you never did.. Never paid any mind to my mother or friends. So I shut ’em all out for you ’cause I was a kid.. “In this, she talks about her boyfriend at the time, “7:AMP”, whom she expresses her frustration towards, but many people suspected that she was talking about a family member. In
Mac Miller’s “Good News’ he comforts his audience during a global pandemic. In his song, he expresses, “When it ain’t that bad. It could always be worse.. I’m running out of gas, hardly anything left, hope I make it home from work. Well, so tired of being so tired.. Why do I gotta build something beautiful just to go set it on fire? I’m no liar, but sometimes the truth doesn’t sound like the truth.. Maybe ’cause it ain’t, I just love the way it sounds when I say it. Yeah, it’s what I do. If you know me, it ain’t anything new.. Wake up to the moon, haven’t seen the sun in a while, but I heard that the sky’s still blue, yeah. Heard they don’t talk about me too much anymore, and that’s a problem with a closed door.. Good news, good news, good news…” In this, Miller discusses how no matter what he did, he never felt happy or as if he accomplished anything, but at the end of every dialogue in the lyrics, he would say he had “Good news”. Both Billie and Mac had their stories to tell to their supporters; both were different, but through their lyrics, it was a way for them to tell what was going on in their mental journey. In this way, music not only serves as a therapy for individuals but also supports how society copes and reflects. When artists incorporate mental health messages into their large platforms, they shape the public consciousness and challenge the silence of the community. This is a clear case of how music acts as an instrument for social change.
To understand the full impact of music on mental health and social change, we turn to relevant theoretical frameworks. The concept of emotional resonance, which refers to the way music echoes and amplifies internal emotional states, explains why people connect so deeply with certain songs. Theories such as theories of cultural hegemony were originally developed by Antonio Gramsci, suggest that challenging dominant narratives, such as “mental illness is weakness,” through popular culture can be a form of resistance. Another critical framework is critical consciousness, which Paolo Freire described as the” ability to recognize and challenge oppressive social conditions”. Artists who integrate themes of trauma, resilience, and recovery into their work help listeners become more critically aware of their emotional states and societal pressures. Music, then, becomes a dialogic process, a space for learning, growing, and imagining alternative futures. Janet Jackson, who has spoken openly about her depression about self self-image, and trauma that she dealt with through childhood and adult years, is an example. In a Medium Interview, Janet explains, “During this pretty scary and stressful period my whole world was turned around. I moved in with my grandparents, who would raise me. I was medicated briefly for my “nerves” because I was having a very hard time coping with the things I had been exposed to and that had been done to me. I was a child, so none of my coping mechanisms were in place yet…I was confused and felt alone and misunderstood, which sent me further into my depression. Children don’t know what depression is. They have no concept, at least not at an early age. They know “happy” and “sad.” I did have happy times, but I was notoriously solitary. This quote from Janet Jackson’s Medium interview shows a deeply personal glimpse into the origins of her struggles with depression, identity, and emotional isolation. Her candid reflection on childhood trauma, feelings of confusion, and the lack of emotional tools to cope emphasizes a broader truth about how early-life adversity often shapes an individual’s mental health trajectory. Janet’s openness about these experiences connects directly to the recurring themes of trauma, resilience, and healing found in her music, as mentioned in the beginning, in her critically acclaimed album The Velvet Rope (1997).
Despite these positives, it’s important to consider the critiques around it all. Many argue that the commodification of mental health messaging in music risks oversimplifying complex issues or turning pain into profit. In a quote from Vice,” Mental health is rapidly becoming a commodified issue… the music industry… has routinely failed to provide enough tangible support. What it has done, however, is spin it into something marketable.”(2017). This observation stresses the risk of oversimplifying complex mental health issues for commercial gain, turning genuine struggles into marketing tools without offering substantial support or solutions. Moreover, artists who share their trauma can become overly burdened by public expectations or emotional labor. The pressure to be transparent and inspirational can clash with the artist’s own need for privacy or rest. Further, not all listeners will respond to music in the same way. For some, emotionally intense music may trigger rather than soothe. Therefore, while music can be a powerful therapeutic tool, it is not a substitute for professional mental health care, particularly in cases of severe mental illness. Sam Smith is well known for his raw and uncut vulnerability in his music. While honesty has gained Sam Smith a global respect and helped normalize mental health discussions, it also raises concern, as mentioned in the quote given by Vice. These emotionally vulnerable songs are often marketed to large audiences and become chart-topping hits that drive album sales. But while this may cause concern, Artists like Smith illustrate both power and the potential pitfalls of mental health advocacy through their music. They continue to help fans not feel alone or misunderstood about their emotions.
Music is a powerful force in the conversation around mental health. Through emotionally honest lyrics, public advocacy, and community-building, artists like Billie Eilish, Janet Jackson, Mac Miller, and Sam Smith contribute to breaking down stigma and promoting healing. Their music functions not only as personal catharsis but as a form of social change, altering how mental health is understood and addressed within society.
As the world continues to grapple with growing mental health challenges, music will remain a vital outlet for expression, understanding, and connection. When paired with deeper societal efforts toward equity, access to care, and emotional education, music becomes more than a soundtrack—it becomes a catalyst for transformation.
References
Jackson, Janet. The Velvet Rope. Virgin Records, 1997.
Jackson, Janet. Interview by Medium Staff. “Janet Jackson Talks About Childhood Trauma and
Healing.” Medium, https://medium.com/@janetjackson/janet-jackson-childhood-trauma-article.
Leight, Elias. “Pop Stars Are Opening up about Mental Health, but Is the Music Industry Ready to Help?” Rolling Stone, 6 Sept. 2019,
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/music-industry-mental-health-awareness-87 5775/.
Reilly, Phoebe. “Sam Smith on Heartbreak, Fame, and Finding the Confidence to Come Out.” The Guardian, 29 Mar. 2019,
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/mar/29/sam-smith-interview-heartbreak-fame-confide nce-come-out.
Richards, Will. “Mental Health Is Rapidly Becoming a Commodified Issue in the Music Industry.” Vice, 4 Oct. 2021, https://www.vice.com/en/article/v7dv9x/mental-health-selling-point-music-industry.
Ziv, Stav. “How Music Helps with Mental Health.” Newsweek, 26 Oct. 2017, https://www.newsweek.com/how-music-helps-mental-health-691374.