Take a minute to close your eyes and go back in time. Think about your favorite song when you were a kid: the lyrics, the singer, and even how you listened to it. Now, if you're like me and in your 20's, you're probably thinking about *NSYNC or another boyband pop classic that you rocked out to on your iPod Nano. If you're older, you may be getting nostalgia of your cassette tapes or LPs and classic rock. Do you remember the message those songs had? More than likely you thought it was one of newly developed love, the loss of it, or simpler things. However, the artist most likely had a deeper meaning behind the lyrics. Looking at the present, music and its message have exploded beyond our beloved heartfelt ballads. Artists are using our car radios, iPhones, and Spotify playlist's to get across a more advanced agenda.

We all remember (or know of) Nancy Regan's war on drugs, but have you heard of Macklemore's? Most likely, you have and you know the lyrics to it, you just don't recognize it. Macklemore is notorious for using his music as a way to fight consumerism, expose the unequal rights issue our country is currently facing, and bring light to the personal battle recovering drug addicts go through. His recent release, "Drug Dealer," took a hard look at how drug addiction doesn't start in the back of a sketchy club, shooting up for the thrill. Instead, it starts with the little orange bottles given to us from those that we trust our lives with, doctors. He also recounts this battle in his song “Otherside” and “Starting Over” and continues to fight to bring light to how the music industry glamorizes addiction. Luckily many more rappers are following his lead and using their music to promote positive life styles rather than those of drugs, sex, money, and alcohol.

Recently artists have been using their music to bring attention to the nation’s most controversial subject: The 2016 election. It's March of 2017 and this is still a touchy subject for Americans to talk about. With our nation in such a delicate place, our favorite musicians are using their art form to express how many of us feel. Up-and-coming rapper, Amine, used his appearance as the musical guest on the Jimmy Fallon Show as a noteworthy opportunity to do so. As he performed his hit single “Caroline,” he changed the last verse to a powerful testimony of his disdain for Trump. The acoustic performance included eye-opening lyrics such as “9/11 a day that we’re never forgetting, 11/9 a day that we all regretting” and “you can never make America great again, all you ever did was make this country hate again.” While you may not agree with Amine’s words, you have to admit that this rewrite is a testament to the art of using lyrics to create a political message.

Now, with music being more accessible than ever, so are artist's thoughts and feelings. We turn on music to feel a certain way instantly, through searching playlists on Spotify or iTunes. However, we get so lost in the rhythm that we remember the lyrics but don't ever fully understand the message that the songs portray. It is time to start truly listening to our music. It is said that musicians write because they feel so passionate about a certain subject that words alone would not do it justice. Next time you listen to your favorite song, I dare you to take a moment to analyze these passions in the lyrics and create a deeper connection with the artist(s). Once you start to truly listen to songs, I guarantee your music experience will be enhanced.