For years artists have released music about dark times in their lives. However, only recently have more and more artists been able to bring awareness to their own histories of mental illness.

Perhaps the most notable example is Logic’s single  “1-800-273-8255,” which doubles as the actual phone number for the National Suicide Prevention Hotline. Although some may argue the song’s popularity is based solely on its catchiness, others say the meaning is what catches listeners attention.

“I just want to take a moment right now and thank you for giving me a platform to talk about something that mainstream media doesn’t want to talk about: mental health, anxiety, suicide, depression and so much more,” Logic said during his 2017 VMA performance.

Not only do the song’s lyrics express an otherwise uncomfortable issue most millennials have been battling in recent years due to cyberbullying and social media giving teens more access to negative influences, but the title itself is the National Suicide Prevention Hotline phone number, extending help to teens in a way that’s fitting for this generation going through tough times.

It seems that since the topic of mental illness is such a sensitive topic, music has the power to express what is hard for some to say out loud.  

Other songs that reference mental illnesses — such as “Fight Song” by Rachel Platten, “Mad Hatter” by Melanie Martinez, “Unwell” by Matchbox Twenty, “Warrior” by Demi Lovato, and “Migraine” by Twenty One Pilots — have risen to popularity within the past decade, highlighting that not only teens, but all demographics have been fighting demons within themselves.

This trend has extended into the musical theater scene as well with Dear Evan Hansen. The pop-music based musical follows the life of a teenage boy struggling with a social anxiety disorder, a theme not usually discussed on Broadway.  

It seems that since the topic of mental illness is such a sensitive topic, music has the power to express what is hard for some to say out loud.

Photo via Wikimedia Commons under Creative Commons license.