We are made up of all of the experiences, emotions, feelings, and thoughts that have ever happened to us. We are made up of the people who come before us, as well as what we leave behind. What we leave behind says a lot about how we existed while we were here. This is especially relevant in the field of art. Whether it be visual art, painting, drawing, dancing or music, especially in art, legacies are a big deal.
The music industry is no stranger to tragedy. And there is no tragedy similar to your favorite music artist passing. The loss of someone you listen to every day can be a really painful bandage. And it is often ripped off before one. This is due to the realization that there will be no more art. Whatever has been created already is what there will be indefinitely. There is no longer the excitement of waiting for a new album, the hysteria of a surprise single drop. Instead, your hype song that you know every word to has a twinge of nostalgia and sadness. That does truly show the impact artists and musicians have on the world, and what good they truly do, but it does not make it any less sad.
One thing that keeps spirits up is the world of posthumous music releases, as well as achievements. It is when the loved ones, record companies, friends and families of the artist who has passed, release the music that was either in the process of being created or was created just not released yet, as well as when the music that inspired so many gets recognized at a new level, following when the artist is no longer present to experience that well-earned success.
The beautiful, young, and striking artist Lil Peep, born Gustav Elijah Åhr, “touched countless lives through his words, his sound, and his very being”, as described by his archive page, run by his mother and brother who wanted to create a space to honor him. It was a site designed to keep the fans he so deeply touched and connected to connected, in the very best way they could. The introduction to his page says so much about the work he created and is a testament to what he left behind:
“Welcome.
This is the official website of the Estate of Gustav Elijah Ahr, who came to be known by his fans as “Lil Peep.”
This website is run by Gus’s mom and brother.
I have learned from Peep fans that Gus was a powerful and influential lyricist and music artist. It was Gus’s honesty that compelled so many people, worldwide, to connect with him. Gus was particularly observant and able to express his observations clearly and poetically.
So, to honor him, we created this website. We felt that Gus’s fans—both current and future, would welcome the chance to get to know him a little better. We believe that you are right about Gus. You connected with him because he told you that he was like you, and he expressed feelings like the ones you have.
Yes. We wanted to make beautiful designs and things for people to wear, skate on, and generally “flex” to show their support for Gus. But we also added an archive that we will add to regularly so visitors to our site can see some of Gus’s artifacts to get to know him better, as a person.
Thank you for visiting. – Liza”
(Liza being his deeply loved mom.)
Just this past week, on Spotify, as described in an Instagram repost by the album’s music producer, Smokeasac, the “Come Over When Your Sober, Pt. 1” album by the late prodigy Lil Peep surpassed 1.4 BILLION streams on Spotify, as posted by “Lil Peep Charts”. Music is so, so important to many people’s daily lives. When their favorite artists pass, that does not change things. Even following his death in 2017, Lil Peep continues to reach outstanding accomplishments in his music career. Music lives on.
And as the icon himself put it in an interview with MONTREALITY: “You can’t kill energy, energy doesn’t die.” – Lil Peep
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