We live in an age of pure hedonism, where themes of overindulgence and underappreciation take precedence.
We want what we want, and we wanted it yesterday. This can especially be said for a substance as addicting as music. We want this new album, or these concert tickets; we crave it like a drug, waiting for our next fix. Except the only problem is that music is not a drug. It doesn’t steal away your health, your sanity, or your life.
Recently, an eye-opening article was published within the Mass Media about word choice and why using language that assumes music has a likeness to drugs is offensive, to say the least. But what happens when music condones the usage of actual drugs? There’s been a trend in popular music which actually romanticizes substance use and addiction and, while most listeners claim that they’re “not dumb enough to get caught up in [drugs],” there’s no denying that idolized celebrities have a heavy hand in what a large portion of people who follow pop culture find attractive and find themselves drawn to.
Trends have been set and agendas have been pushed via pop culture and the things that idolized celebrities do or say. With that kind of power, any message can be spread across and cling to a vast range of people just dying to fit in with whatever trend has become most popular. Whether the trend is partying and living that “#SingleLife,” getting over an ex, or simply dramatizing and commodifying drug use, there is guaranteed to be a song about the use of various substances to fit the mood.
Songs like O.T. Genasis’ “CoCo” and Snoop Dogg and Wiz Khalifa’s “Young, Wild & Free” advocate a carefree atmosphere where drugs are just an integral part of the lifestyle they’re living. Catchy tracks like Tove Lo’s “Habits (Stay High)” glamorize a life of binging on drugs and alcohol as a means of coping with a failed relationship. Max Frost’s “Withdrawal” relates the pain of the failed relationship itself to withdrawal symptoms—the EP which this track is featured on is even called “Intoxication.” Yes, the process of listening to music or going to a concert can actually be intoxicating in its own right, but the language that these tracks use can not only suggest the frequent use of harmful substances and offend those who have actually experienced all that comes with that use.
But with all that being said, in reality, a song is seemingly harmless. What’s so wrong about a couple of words spat in a melodic or rhythmic manner? Truth is, people don’t realize just how influential a simple song can be until they hear their little loved ones singing about how “in love with the coco” they are. And, yeah, while it’s cool and fun, cute and innocent, it also sends the wrong message to a group of people already heavily influenced by popular media.