With song lyrics showing a clear trend towards negative emotions over the last 50 years, is it now time for a shift towards positivity in music?
By Edwin FairbrotherScene Report: How can Independent Music Change the World for the Better?
Underground music and independent artists have been subtly influencing society for decades – whether it’s expressing our darker sides, guiding fashions, or spreading positive messages of hope and happiness. So in what seems like an ever-more dangerous and dark world, is popular music becoming more negative? And if so, how can independent music make a lasting positive impact?
We’ve all enjoyed songs that make us smile, and appreciated artists that spread overtly positive messages through their music – take songs such as One Love by Bob Marley, I Got You (I Feel Good) by James Brown, or even the more underrated and lesser known I’ll Be Surprised by UK hip hop icon Skinnyman (to some it might not sound like he’s spreading positive messages, but if you listen carefully he certainly is).
The point is, music can clearly influence our moods, and at the very least impact our view on the world – and perhaps it’s no coincidence that since the 1960s lyrics in popular music have been becoming less and less positive, with lyrics getting angrier and sadder over time.
How can independent music bring more positivity to the world?
With the world now feeling darker, and less optimistic than ever, and considering the trends in commercial music just mentioned, how can independent music take the lead in spreading happiness and hope? SoundSight Mag spoke to some independent artists and did a little digging of our own to find out…
It’s no surprise then that it all starts with words, that being the lyrics in songs. Verity Raphael; music journalist, founder of Rave Report and someone who is heavily entrenched within numerous independent music communities and creative collectives highlights the importance of words in music.
“Independent music has the power to make a difference, first and foremost through words. I think there’s a lot of catchy music out there, but the messages are quite divisive and manipulative. People consume these messages without even realising what they’re consuming, how it’s affecting them, and how it’s impacting them. So, firstly I think having conscious lyrics is the key to uplift and empower.” – Verity Raphael
Verity goes on to mention that she’d like to see more underground artists writing more lyrics about friendship, creativity, community, collaboration, and spirituality. She highlights the fact that while we do see song lyrics sometimes touching on these subjects, there is plenty of room for more.
“I think if that [positive lyrics] were actually being consumed on a wider scale, the youth would have a different outlook and consciousness.” – Verity Raphael
Independent artist and producer Einsam believes that independent music’s positive impact can be found in its ability to promote independent thought and foster a positive connection with the world around us.
“Independent music, if it’s a consequence of independent thought, can teach someone new ways of seeing and the value of developing their own thoughts, feelings and ideas about themselves and the world. It can be a companion and a connection to their body and to the world beyond.” – Einsam
Einsam himself certainly contributes to positive and independent thinking through his music, with his recent single Motivation being an excellent example of a song that promotes optimism and self-motivation – check out our review on that here.
In our recent interview with independent singer-songwriter Janita, she went in-depth about how independent music is not only a powerful and stabilizing force in her life, but how it’s a unifying and virtuous force for good for everyone, but particularly for those looking to resist the capitulation of political tyranny and oppose institutional incompetence in modern society.
“Independent artists are especially needed right now, because we are free thinkers—we’re free from any major corporate affiliations, we’re not beholden to anyone, and therefore are free to express ourselves as we want to. At a time when the guardrails of democracy are failing, we artists have a responsibility to hold the line, to uphold beauty, quality, craft, truth, facts. Independent artists are always, and have always been, a powerful, underground resistance. I think we’ll see that power strengthened as institutions we’ve counted on capitulate and fail us. Music is a way for likeminded people to hold strong together.” – Janita
Haitian drummer and singer-songwriter Jeff Pierre is another artist who thinks independent music makes its biggest positive impact on the world through its purely authentic messages and intentions. From our previous interview with Jeff, it was clear that he is a big proponent of fostering authentic and sincere connections and communities through music – positioning himself as somewhat in opposition to the “digital drive” in music.
“I feel like independent music will have its biggest impact on the world through its message and intention by artists being authentic…their true selves.” – Jeff Pierre
Often it’s small groups of courageous people that end up changing the world for the better, or at least being the ones brave enough to initiate the idea of change. With such a mandate on independent artists to be unapologetically “themselves” whether that ruffles the feathers of the mainstream or not, is there more responsibility on independent musicians to lead movements of positive change?
It’s important to remember that each artist may have their own way of expressing, as well as encouraging change. Artists like the major label affiliated John Mayer who with his 2006 hit was Waiting on the World to Change, bands like Rage Against the Machine who achieved an Xmas number one with music that uncovers the tyrannical aspects of US government through bold and sometimes controversial lyrics, or conscious rappers like London based Inspeckta Veg who recently went viral with Bird’s Eye Baby Mums – his single and accompanying movement which aims to promote healthy eating (an exclusive interview with him is coming very soon, so subscribe here to be the first to watch that when it drops). So, it’s clear that negative lyrics can often be a means to inspire positive change.
Take a rap subgenre like drill, which I think most would agree nowadays seems to come with some of the most violent, sometimes downright evil, and hateful lyrics that exist in music today – it could be argued that this genre would be a major contributor to the growing trend of negative lyrics in music.
That being said, thankfully even in drill music some independent artists are starting to take the genre in other (more positive) directions through the lyrics they choose to write – like Cash Cobain for example, who in a recent MixMag interview described his new subgenre “sexy drill” as music that “instead of rapping about killing each other, it’s about having a good time.”
Trends like this are promising, but when it comes to lyrics, perhaps consistent trends in negative lyrics over time are more a response to the world around us rather than instructions for the world around us. After all, songs are of course more reactions to our lives and environments than as necessary influencers.
So what else can the independent music community do to make a positive impact beyond just writing songs about nice things? Well perhaps the clue is in the very word itself…”community”.
One organisation that’s pushing connection and community through music like no other is Playing For Change – a network, channel and foundation spreading positive messages and coming together through music. They give the following description of their organisation and mission…
“Playing For Change was created to inspire and connect the world through music. The idea for this project came from a common belief that music has the power to break down boundaries and overcome distances between people.” – Playing For Change
They have helped produce 70 Songs Around the World (you can stream them here) involving musicians from different backgrounds and cultures promoting connection through music – with many of these musicians uniting to form the Playing For Change Band.
They have also produced two award winning documentaries ‘A Cinematic Discovery of Street Music’ and ‘Peace Through Music’; in addition to setting up the Playing For Change Foundation, a charity that has used money from PFC memberships to create 18 music and education programs across 50 locations in 13 countries to date, being honored with a ‘Polar Music Prize’ in 2019.
All this great work has resulted in over 400 video performances, 1400 participating musicians, 60 countries represented, and over 2 billion viewers reached! You can become a member of Playing For Change here and shop their merch and Songs For Humanity album here.
So although music has become more negative, arguably to reflect an increasingly dark world, one thing we can all do to create more positivity is get out there and participate in our local music scenes, communities and events – especially given the fact many of our music communities may be in decline. And if you’re a singer-songwriter, don’t forget to write the odd song about the joys of life and the world from time to time.