Since the beginning of time, my favorite band has been Imagine Dragons. There’s always the running joke that they’re the only band I listen to, and quite frankly, they’re wrong. But it’s definitely the band that I listen to the most. Here’s the thing though: how could you not stan a completely unproblematic and uplifting band?
Starting off as a small band in Las Vegas, Nevada, Imagine Dragons made it big with their debut album Night Visions. While the band is comprised of four members, their lead vocalist has always stuck out to me as he is a strong advocate for the things I believe in. Dan Reynolds started the band back in 2010 while he was attending Brigham Young University, and eventually, they made it big.
During Imagine Dragons shows and concerts, Dan Reynolds encourages the audience to spread love amongst each other and in the world, which is actually a reoccurring theme throughout many of their songs. While the songs aren’t all about romantic relationships, many of their lyrics are about simply just embracing who you are, whether you’re a total loser or you’re on top of the world. With so many negative songs out there, I held these ones closer to my heart because they would always lift my spirits.
That is the power of music, after all. Through the roughest times in my life, especially during the lows, belting out their music would make it seem like there really was nothing wrong, even if it was just for a few minutes. Dan Reynolds has always been very vocal in discussing mental health and his own personal battle with depression; by doing this, he is starting a conversation about a topic that many people in the limelight don’t like to talk about. It helps people realize that they really aren’t alone, which could mean the world to somebody.
There’s always the constant push for people to just be themselves, which is the overarching message of a majority of Imagine Dragons’ songs. This is essential to Dan Reynold’s outspoken efforts for the LGTBQ+ community. Being both heterosexual and Mormon, he’s described himself as unique and is fully aware of how uncommon an ally of his type tends to be. The band has held fundraisers and benefit concerts in order to help fund and support LGTBQ+ groups.
Reynolds stresses the fact that his home state of Utah has the fifth-highest suicide rate in the nation, and that homophobia is a considerably large factor contributing to that. Another foundation that Imagine Dragons works hard to support is the Tyler Robinson Foundation, which was created in honor of a fan of theirs. Diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma, Tyler found a lot of strength in the song “It’s Time” and grew very close to the band. Even before the band was big, they were still making an effort to create a difference in the world.
Most recently, Imagine Dragons have become a vocal supporter of Kesha’s fight against producer Dr. Luke. Dan Reynolds publicly announced on Twitter that he pledges to never work with Dr. Luke again until he drops his lawsuit with Kesha and releases the rights to her music. Alongside this pledge is an encouragement for other artists to follow in his tracks.
The thing is, Imagine Dragons have never been scared to speak their mind and be authentic. You hear so much about artists and celebrities who are getting themselves into scandals or just aren’t that positive. Imagine Dragons produces a great mix of pop and rock, which always creates a great beat and helps me to get my day going. So yeah, I’ll just keep bopping to the best band ever.