Since the month of November is coming up I wanted to write about something that affected me for a long time. If you've ever read any of my articles you know how much I love an artist by the name Lil Peep. I discovered Lil Peep in 2016 after my boyfriend at the time and his best friend stumbled across one of his music videos ( it was Witchblades for anyone wanting to know). I instantly fell in love with Peep. He was edgy, talented, and a mama's boy; what wasn't there to love?
For the next year, Lil Peep became more than an artist to me. He was my everything. I religiously listened to his music, there was something strangely comforting about his edgy punk rap music. I began buying his merchandise, buying his albums, watching all his live streams, and suggesting his music to everyone around him. He was my favorite.
On November 17th, 2017 Lil Peep passed away from an overdose. I walked into school that morning clueless that this had happened. A friend stopped me in the hallway and told me what happened.
At first I thought it was a joke. There was no way Lil Peep died, I had just been watching his live stream the night before. I went to my next class and looked it up. Lil Peep had in fact died. I was crushed.
The thing about losing your favorite celebrity is, it's hard to know how to react. I had never met Peep and yet I felt closer to him than I did other people in my life. Am I allowed to be heartbroken over the death of someone I had never met?
Well, the answer is yes. When you begin following and supporting someone, whether you know them or not, when they die it's heartbreaking. You are allowed to take time to grieve. Your life is going to be different.
They have helped you in some way, whether they have inspired you or their art helped you through tough times, they made an impact on your life.
It took me a long time to get over Peep's death. It's been two years, but I'm now in a place where I do not mourn him any longer, but try to celebrate his life. His art and music will live on through me and so many other people.
Never feel like you're not allowed to mourn a public figure. You absolutely are allowed to do so. Just always remember the positive impact they had on you and carry their memory with you, that is how they continue to live on.
