In my opinion, there has never been another generation as diverse as this one in terms of music. While music is constantly evolving and pushing boundaries, the artists that are here now are becoming beautifully bold and writing about what people are really thinking. There are songs about questioning religion and sexuality, songs about depression and suicide, songs about toxic relationships, songs about national issues and so much more. Here are some of the artists that embrace these issues and are completely unafraid to speak their mind.
1. Hozier
Most popular song: "Take Me to Church"
Recommended song(s): "Arsonist's Lullaby"; "From Eden"
Hozier (Andrew Hozier Byrne) is my favorite artist of all time. While "Take Me To Church" was wildly popular and focused on the religion and sexuality, his entire self-titled album is a work of art. I want to mention "From Eden" specifically, which references the Bible and religion throughout, as well as devotion in relationships. If you listen to the chorus, it’s incredible as he talks about innocence and chivalry and completely strips them down. A second song to focus on is "Arsonist's Lullaby," which talks about hearing voices in your head and instead of repressing them, to tame them instead. The thing that I love about his style is that everything is up to interpretation and everyone’s interpretation is different.
2. Alessia Cara
Most popular song: "Here"
Recommended song(s): "Four Pink Walls"
Alessia Cara is 19-year-old girl who is actually telling people it’s cool not to give into peer pressure. Her biggest song, "Here," talks about going to a party and completely feeling out of her element even though she’s with her friends. She sees all of the drugs and the alcohol and how it’s affecting people, and she’s basically like “Nope, see ya later!”. It’s actually pretty incredible to hear this type of content coming from someone who’s trying to make a name for herself and she goes against what’s popular in the media—drugs, sex, alcohol. Her other song titled "Four Pink Walls" talks about her life growing up, and is really a perfect display of how she’s balancing humility and fame.
3 and 4. Twenty One Pilots
Most popular song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXRviuL6vMY
Recommended song(s): "Screen"; "Fake You Out"; "Not Today"
Twenty One Pilots (Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun) have recently gained a huge amount of success since the release of their album "Blurryface." However, they’ve got two albums before that, as well as a few EPs. While "Stressed Out" talks about the struggles of transitioning from a child to an adult, and how things are much easier at a younger age, their other songs touch on topics such as suicide, depression, and mental illnesses. "Screen" and "Not Today" both reference suicide and coping. "Screen" is about being vulnerable and open with another person while being in a fragile state. "Not Today," in my interpretation, is consciously making the choice to choose life everyday and how the people around you make drive you crazy, but are honestly trying to help. "Fake You Out," again, in my interpretation, is a song about being someone who you’re not and doing whatever you can to protect your image. While it's not included on the list, take a listen to their cover of "Can't Help Falling In Love." It's probably going to be your new favorite song.
While there are so many artists that have reached out and changed society in so many different ways, these are the ones that are making quite the splash in pop culture today.
