Songs that speak for you: albums that talk about emotional conflicts

I. Flores

 

When our words are not enough and our minds are full of thoughts, expressing what we feel is harder than ever, making it seem like we are the only person in the world who feels that way. For difficult moments like this, listening to music can always be therapeutic, as it has been stated by different studies that music can create emotional and behavioral changes. Here are 5 albums that talk about the different struggles of the human life experience.

 

1. To Pimp a Butterfly – Kendrick Lamar

The fourth album of the rapper not only talks about political and social problems, but also about his fight with depression, anxiety, and emotional pain. Through the recording of this album, Lamar experienced depressive thoughts, which are portrayed in the song “u”, which contrasts with one of the last songs of the album: “i”, where the topics of optimism, self-esteem, and peace are the main centre. The track “u” exposes Lamar’s hunting thoughts, even getting to the point of calling himself a failure.

 

1. Fine Line – Harry Styles

The second album of the singer deals with many different topics, some of them being love, heartbreak, nostalgia, and a self-reflection of one’s being. Songs like “Lights Up” develop the concept of allowing ourselves to come into the light and stop denying ourselves. “Falling” makes our hearts skip a beat due to its mention of thinking in a way we don't want to, but having the inability to change it. Finally, the last song of the album, “Fine Line”, portrays the weak line between being well and being bad, which sometimes we can cross without realising, causing a great impact and influencing our future. 

 

1. Dark Side of the Moon – Pink Floyd

The main concepts that this classic album deals with are death, greed, aging, and mental illness. From the beginning of the album, we can analyze that there is a symbolism to life and the passing of time, as the first song, “Speak To Me”, begins with a heartbeat and the sound of a clock; later, the album finishes with a similar sound in “Eclipse.” Songs like “Time” focus on how the passing of time can control an individual, and warn people who waste their time on nonsense. 

 

1. Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers – Kendrick Lamar

Considered the best album of Lamar, he exposes his insecurities and beliefs. In the tracks, he states that those who represent Kendrick Lamar are his family and friends, as well as showing intergenerational trauma and the process of healing. In “United In Grief”, he constantly repeats the phrase “I grieve differently” to demonstrate that his grief process is complex and personal. “Father Time” exposes the way that the artist interprets being strong, which has affected him emotionally. Finally, he talks about the emotional tiredness that he feels, singing “I can’t please everybody” in the song “Crown”.

 

1. Happier Than Ever – Billie Eilish

This last album is honest and vulnerable, where you can find the concept of growing up in songs like “Getting Older” and “my future”, the first one focusing more in the emotional exhaustion of people always wanting more of you when you feel alone, and the second one centered more in the excitement of the future and what might come with it. “Not My Responsibility” points out that everyone judges young women and their appearance during the digital age, which can affect the perception of one’s body and emotional impact. The song “Everybody Dies” reflects on death and the existential anxiety of dying in a moment of your life where you might not want to, even when you know it is something that every human goes through.

 

These 5 albums might not cure your problems, but feeling accompanied and understood by an artist can always make it easier to endure. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter if you’re listening to Lamar's confessions or Styles’ confusion; what matters is that the listener minds a work that can act as a mirror in which they can see themselves reflected. In times where empathy is lacking, it feels like a relief to listen to music that proves that feelings are not a weakness, but a way to connect and transform pain into art.