Sadness Sounds Like…

First off, I do not support XXXtentacion as a person. As an advocate to fight violence against womxn, I think he was wilding behind closed doors, but today we’re going to talk about his artistry. I am aware that this is problematic of course *inserts R. Kelly* but that’s another conversation for another day.

XXXtentacion used his sadness as a focus in his music, and he still has thousands of people around the world using his pain to sing about theirs too. Not that there aren’t other artists who have done this, i.e Mac Miller, but XXXtentacion literally says, “Suicide if you ever try to let go.” It’s brutally honest and in your face which is how we should be with our mental health.

Reflecting on this, I feel like music is that release for everyone. Whether if you know how to express your sadness, or not. Either music does this for you, or— it carries you through it. As I briefly mentioned before, I used to listen to Rock, Screamo, and all of it really. Now not to a Marilyn Manson or K.O.R.N level, but it ranged from Scary Kids Scaring Kids to Escape The Fate. I’m grateful for the exposure because I think without that phase I wouldn’t have such an open taste in genres or be who I am, but that shit was scary bro lol.

I remember when my sadness took a turn though. A turn into Kid Cudi, The Weeknd, and Frank Ocean to name a few. I think most people and artists can relate that at least one of them had a major impact in their life. It blows my mind how a voice, an instrument, or a beat can do that for a person, but that’s why I feel like music is synonymous to therapy. Unintentionally without feeling like it, you can be reminded of good or bad memories, of yourself, of others…

So I challenge you to look into the music you listen to and decipher between what carried you and what was just background noise. I challenge you to understand where the music takes you, and why. Maybe that will help you unfold part of your identity you may have forgotten.