May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Each year, millions of Americans face the reality of living with a mental illness. It’s likely that someone you know, or even you, is suffering from depression, anxiety, addiction, or one of the other hundreds of psychiatric diagnosis. Studies have found that one in five people will experience some mental illness throughout their lifetime. It’s not an uncommon problem, yet it’s not freely talked about.
Some of our favorite Electronic Dance Music artists are changing that. They’re openly talking about their own struggles and creating music that reflects what they went through. ILLENIUM dedicated his song “Take You Down” to the addiction struggles he faced as a young adult. Alison Wonderland frequently discusses her anxiety, and many of her lyrics describe what she’s been through. Before dropping his new album, “Good Faith”, Madeon shared his own struggles. They’re reminding us that no one is immune to mental health problems.
The COVID-19 crisis has brought the topic of mental health to the forefront. Many of us in the EDM community find our therapy by going to festivals and escaping the world. Without raves to keep us going, ravers are facing mental health symptoms without any relief. Their outlet has been taken away from them, to only be replaced by a world that is full of fear, uncertainty, and chaos. Not the best for our mental health, right?
I have suffered from my own mental health struggles. While these days I’m doing pretty well considering, there are still times I catch myself feeling down, anxious, or doubting my self-worth. I’ve always turned to EDM to pick me back up when things look bleak. There are some songs that no matter how many times you listen to them, will still leave you with tears in your eyes.
To give everyone a bit of hope, I have curated a list of EDM songs for Mental Health Awareness Month. Each of these songs was chosen because they have a special meaning behind them, talk directly about mental health struggles, or simply could be applied to many people’s lives. While no one’s illness can be cured by listening to a playlist, my wish is that these songs will resonate with you, put a smile on your face, or help you look forward to the future.
If you, or someone you know, needs help with their mental health struggles, find resources available here.
