Music isn't just for dancing to or for listening to when you're in a certain mood. Nowadays, artists have been using their creativity to make inspirational songs and helping to raise awareness in the world. Similarly, eleven of these songs that I've included in this list has been created for an emotional reason and will make you feel things and be more aware of the things going on around you and the world.
1. Almost Like Praying - Lin-Manuel Miranda ft. Artists for Puerto Rico
As we all know, there has recently been a lot of deaths and destruction in Puerto Rico due to Hurricane Maria, so as a tribute to Puerto Rico, Tony-and-Pulitzer-winning "Hamilton" creator Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote this beautiful song. Artists like Camila Cabello, Ana Villafañe, Tommy Torres, PJ Sin Suela, Gilberto Santa Rosa, Gina Rodriguez, Anthony Ramos, Joell Ortiz, Ednita Nazario, Rita Moreno, Jennifer Lopez, John Leguizamo, Alex Lacamoire, Luis Fonsi, Fat Joe, Gloria Estefan, Dessa, Pedro Capó, Rubén Blades and Marc Anthony are all featured in the song. All the proceeds from the track will help to support those who were affected by Hurricane Maria. This song makes me emotional every time I hear. It’s not only an inspirational hit, it’s also got this great tune to it.
2. Dear Hate - Maren Moris ft. Vince Gill
This is another song that was created and dedicated to a devastating event that shook the world lately, the Las Vegas shooting. Though Maren Moris had written the song more than two years ago, a few days after the 2015 Charleston, South Carolina church shooting, and she finally released it the day after a gunman blasted rounds of gunfire into an outdoor concert in Las Vegas. The song was written as a prayer of belief in the power of healing and as hope in the face of obscene violence. The song tackles issues of race and uses a unique way of addressing such issues. 100% of the proceeds from the song were donated to the Music City Cares fund for victims.
3. Dear World - Echosmith
Similar to "Dear Hate" by Maren Moris and Vince Gill, "Dear World" by Echosmith is a tribute song about the events that take place in the world. While this song doesn't really relate to any particular event, it's more of a tribute song to the world and encourages positivity and unity as a means to overcome some of our recent struggles. The band stated that this song was like a heartfelt journal entry to the world and as soothing as the music is and as cool as the little animation in the video is, the lyrics are truly packed with some emotional truths.
4. Pretty Girl - Jessie James Decker
"Pretty Girl" is a song about accepting one's uniqueness and beauty. It's about growing up listening to the taunts and teases of other people and never feeling enough, and finally, just one day telling all the haters to get off and learning to love one's self. As Jessie James Decker sings and chants, you are a pretty girl and you should always believe so.
5. Broken Glass - Rachel Platten
Rachel Platten rose to fame when her song "Fight Song" took the world by storm. Since then, she's released other great songs that were both empowering and fun to dance to, and "Broken Glass" is no different. A song about accepting the bad times and the horrible life one has been dealt with and turning it into a good thing. Besides that, it's also a song celebrating the power of women — of their unity, strength, and fierceness, and how they're already badass on their own, but they when they come together, they become unstoppable.
6. A Little Work - Fergie
This song is so different from Fergie's other songs that I was a little surprised when I first heard it, but I love it so much. There's such a strong message behind the song much like Ke$ha's "Praying" and P!nk "Fuckin' Perfect", the song narrates how the singer has been through a particular struggle in life and how it's almost knocked them down, but they garnered enough strength to get through it and turn their lives around. The song is empowering and I can't stop listening to it, and the lyrics hold such special meaning that literally everyone can relate to it and feel better from listening to it.
7. Beautiful Trauma - P!nk
I loved this song from the moment I first heard it. When asked why she named the album Beautiful Trauma, P!nk stated that because life could be pretty traumatic and difficult, but there are times when it's also beautiful, so using life as an inspiration, she made this amazing song that I can't get out of my head. "Beautiful Trauma" talks about the difficulties in life and how it can seem like the end of the world when things don't go your way, but if you keep on, you'll always come out on top and much like her previous empowering songs, "Beautiful Trauma" is one that will definitely be helping tons of people out of the darkness and back into the light.
8. Halloween - Walker Hayes ft. Nicolle Galyon
"Halloween" is a song about putting on various costumes to fit in with society and putting on the best costumes to win "candy" AKA acceptance, but then meeting that one person with whom you no longer have to wear a costume for and suddenly "Halloween" and the act of constantly dressing up to impress is over. The lyrics are so creatively spun into this narrative that so many of us can relate to but don't always realize and I think that's what makes it so special, because this song is tackling something so constant yet it's not talked about as often as one would think. Walker Hayes wrote the track about his wife, Laney, and around the concept of falling in love with someone you can be totally yourself around — mask free and no longer having to sell himself or try too hard to gain attention.
9. Dirty Laundry - All Time Low
The lyrics written in this song are so amazing and the message behind it is so sweet and endearing. Usually, when a person's been through so much in the past and has dealt with a lot of demons, they're hesitant to let someone new in or let them see that old version of them, but as All Time Low frontman, Alex Gaskarth, sings it's okay if you're no longer perfect or if they've got their secrets; their secrets are what makes them special — or at least that's my opinion on what the song is about. When I was researching the song, I learned it was actually about a past relationship and learning to accept the mistakes that both parties have made in the past, and according to Alex Gaskarth, the song is "about leaving the past where it belongs, and loving the people around you for not only their light, but their darkness too,". Regardless of the interpretation of the song, the lyrics will definitely touch you and make you feel things, and probably even remember a past relationship or two.
10. Guillotine - Jon Bellion ft. Travis Mendes
Much like "Dirty Laundry," "Guillotine" is about loving and accepting the darkest parts of someone and just making it work despite all the secrets and pain from the past. Jon Bellion has a way of combining unique sounds into his music and he never fails to disappoint when it comes to good feel music.
11. The Rest Of Our Life - Tim McGraw & Faith Hill
This song is so sweet and special, not only because the two singers are a real-life married couple who have been together for 21 years, but because this is a love song where they promise to be with each other for the rest of their lives even when they've got gray hair and wrinkles. They're both 50 years old now, but they're still so insanely in love; they're both still young at heart and they're both still making beautiful music together.
