I could talk for hours and hours about music. From the limitless number of interpretations of just one song to the creativity and poetry of lyrics mixed with captivating production, I believe music is one of the most beautiful forms of expression.
As some of you may know, I pride myself on my Spotify playlists. I’ve also been extremely open about my nonlinear journey with mental health. Recently, I’ve found myself utilizing music to become more excited and motivated with my mental health journey. I made a playlist called “soon!” to symbolize the mental state I want to achieve in the future — it may not be tomorrow, or the week after, but I know it’s soon!
Here are some of my favorite songs that get me excited to work on my mental health. From lyrics to production to the feelings the songs give you, this list has it all!
- “Back In My Body” by Maggie Rogers
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This song is the ultimate, “I am going to take control of my life” song. It opens with Rogers admitting her struggles, specifically with touring. I interpreted the beginning as someone reaching a low point in their mental health. The song builds to a strong chorus, with “This time, I know I’m fighting / This time, I know I’m (back in my body).” While the lyric is simplistic and repetitive, I find it so strong and empowering. It helps us remember that our mental illness doesn’t own our bodies — we do.
- “Clean” by Taylor Swift
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“Clean” is a song that is very close to Taylor Swift’s fan base and has always been a favorite of mine. It has heart-wrenching descriptions of how it feels after losing someone and coping with that loss. She opens up the song with, “The drought was the very worst / When the flowers that we’d grown together died of thirst,” introducing her extended metaphor revolving around water. This song really sticks with me because Swift admits that she almost needed to drown in order to become “Clean.” Mental health struggles can be so incredibly draining, and this song proves that while it’s not fair, you will feel clean soon.
- “Honey + Tea (Acoustic)” by Mozi
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The first two songs have been perfect, lyrical representations of the mental health journey. This song is a bit different. It definitely falls into the love song category, with the chorus being, “I gotta, I gotta, I got a feeling / Me and you, you and me / You and me we go together like honey and tea.” The way the song makes me feel, however, is exactly how I want to feel in the future.
- “I Wanna Get Better” by Bleachers
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This song is a great example of combining music production with inspirational lyrics! The bold opening instruments and production entrances the listeners while vocalist Jack Antonoff’s voice has an incredible way of coercing listeners to sing along. The song varies in dynamics, showing the musical creativity and risks Antonoff put into the song. I can’t help but scream the chorus every time when Antonoff sings, “I didn’t know I was broken ’til i wanted to change / I wanna get better, better, better, better.”
Canva - “Give Yourself a Try” by The 1975
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Like “I Wanna Get Better,” this song’s production is very bold. It can almost be too much for listeners — but I personally love the production. The 1975 is known for having lyrics that are a bit… confusing, but that’s what makes me love them. They’re so experimental with both their lyrics and production. What makes this song fit the category of a “mental health song” is just the simple lyrics of lead singer Matthew Healy, telling the listener to “give yourself a try.” While simple, it does provide me with the motivation and encouragement to give myself a try!
- “Secrets From A Girl (Who’s Seen It All)” by Lorde
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I didn’t appreciate this song enough when “Solar Power,” Lorde’s third album, came out. I found it to be a cute song, but I started really appreciating it when I saw her perform it live in Boston. The song itself is a very cute concept — Lorde deems herself as our “tour guide,” giving advice (“secrets”) about life through this song. Every lyric is so beautiful simply because it’s everything a teenager needs to hear. The lyric “Everybody wants the best for you / But you gotta want it for yourself” is so encouraging and warm. This song is definitely one I keep close to my heart, and one I constantly find myself going back to.
You can find all of these and more on my playlist “soon!,” available on my Spotify profile ash duong!
Music has such a beautiful way of bringing comfort, motivation, and love to those who allow themselves to trust in it. I encourage you to make your own playlist as motivation for your mental health journey — and I wish you all the best with it! I hope you find these songs to be helpful with your mental health journey, as they’ve truly helped me!
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