Anxiety Anthems
Written by Dallas Killeen
Photo courtesy of The Fader
Humans beings cannot escape anxiety. Originally how our ancient ancestors responded to mortal danger, anxieties now assume more mundane —but no less impactful— forms. Anxiety today feels like your heart racing when the professor hands out final exams. Anxiety today sounds like the voice in your head nagging you to leave the party where you don’t know anyone. These internal struggles impact our external performance, either pushing us to or impeding us from academic, professional, and social success.
In music, too, anxiety has a ubiquitous presence. Recently, artists from across genres have released anxiety anthems, or tracks discussing their feelings of nervousness, insecurity, and unease. Beyond describing how they feel in anxiety-inducing situations, several artists also respond to or rationalize specific anxieties in their music. Diverse in both style and content, anxiety anthems detail a key aspect of the human experience and resonate with everyone from the overwhelmed hip-hop junkie to the lonely folk-music lover. For a few of my favorite anxiety anthems, read on.
1. "Cyber Stockholm Syndrome" - Rina Sawayama
What happens when the source of our anxiety also sets us free? Rina Sawayama explores this paradox in the autobiographical and aptly named track about her dependency on the digital world. The girl Sawayama describes throughout the song has severe social anxiety that prevents her from enjoying herself at parties. Often retreating into her cell phone, the girl struggles to make human connections due to her reliance on technology. However, the internet also lets her escape her worries to place where she feels joyful and unrestrained. With the verse “now you see her flying high-speed across the distant galaxy,” Rina makes clear the contradictory roles of the digital world as both captor and liberator.
2. "TOKYO" - BROCKHAMPTON
JOBA hits hard and hits fast in his vulnerable verse at this track’s beginning. His past regrets and future concerns (how he will pay rent, for example) manifest in rapid-fire questions that bring about a stream-of-consciousness spiral toward paralyzing anxiety. Due to this preoccupation with what he cannot control, even seemingly tranquil spaces like his bed and Saturdays transform into battlegrounds for JOBA. On the other hand, JOBA manages to make some sense out of life’s senselessness by acknowledging that he can move forward without immediately answering all his questions, and one of Ameer’s lines later in the track—“I ain’t trippin’ when the rent due”—shows a hopeful future free of at least one present anxiety.
3. "On + Off" - Maggie Rogers
Sometimes, we jump from feeling fine to feeling anxious as suddenly as flipping a light switch from on to off. Maggie Rogers rides that emotional rollercoaster again and again on this track, following proclamations of exuberant weightlessness with the self-assuring mantra “it’s okay, it’s okay, I’m okay, I’m alright again.” Maggie does know what (or rather, who) grounds her, and she depends on this person to “turn her on” when she feels off. The song’s production echoes this constant back-and-forth beautifully, especially when the repetitive drone from the song’s beginning explodes in an electronic chorus with Rogers’ plea to “take [her] to that place” away from her anxieties.
4. "Lonely Weekend" - Kacey Musgraves
In the FOMO anthem we didn’t know we needed, Kacey Musgraves touches upon the social pressure to consistently interact with other people. On the weekends, Kacey feels obligated to see what her friends are doing, and she even gets worried imagining them hanging out without her. However, as the song progresses, she recognizes the importance of self-care over giving in to the fear of missing out. Thank you to the up-and-coming queen of country pop for reminding us that “it’s alright to be alone sometimes.”
Much like how anxieties assume many different forms, anxiety anthems cover a wide range of topics. However, all the anthems remind us to reflect upon the anxieties we face in an effort to live less stressful lives. In some instances, practical solutions may exist to reduce sources of stress. In other cases, self-acceptance matters more than anything else. And sometimes, we just need some help getting back up when we are feeling down. Maybe from a family member or a supportive friend, or maybe from a good song.
If you are battling anxiety or facing other mental health issues, do not forget the resources you have at your disposal. The UT Counseling and Mental Health Center offers services such as workshops, support groups, and therapy sessions to students, and you can contact their 24-hour crisis line at (512) 471-2255 in case of emergency. For other Austin residents, the National Alliance on Mental Illness offers similar services.