How many uplifting lyrics or quotes do you see on your timeline nowadays? Whether it’s a #mondaymotivation or just a “Life is good!” kind of quote, I can say that lately, at least one uplifting quote shows up on my Instagram, Snapchat or Twitter feed each day. I can also say that I’m loving it. This trend is something that has become increasingly popular in the past year or so and I have noticed a connection between it and the most prominent music artists of today.
Artists like Post Malone who some say really came to light with his song “White Iverson” -a very catchy piece – have tuned into their softer side in more recent releases. Malone’s album “Stoney”, which was released last December, is mostly comprised of songs that come from the heart. With lyrics like, “Ooh I fall apart, down to my core…” topped with complete vocals, it shocked many people to hear Post Malone, the hard rapper, in such a soft light. As the success of artists like Post Malone continuing to grow, it comes as no surprise to find that many people are inspired by his music and look to start a career in this particular industry. Plus, with sites like upyourplays.com, it may not be as difficult as you initially thought to grow a following online. The more people who get to hear your music, the more exposure you’ll get.
Last December was a music-lover’s paradise. I would even go as far as to say it was almost overwhelmingly beautiful. Post Malone, J-Cole, Kid Cudi, Childish Gambino and more all released albums within the same month. Not only that, every album was along the same lines of Frank Ocean’s Blonde (August 2016), where the lyrics were both uplifting and heart-wrenching but also more meaningful than anything we’ve heard from these guys before.
These artists went from rapping about things that sexualised women to digging so deep into their souls for their new albums that you could almost hear the teardrops hit the microphone.
If it weren’t for said artists, along with Frank Ocean and Mac Miller in his album The Divine Feminine, this trend of being yourself wouldn’t have become as popular as it is now in my opinion. If it weren’t for Miller spilling his heart out about his ex and current lover, Ocean opening up about his sexuality, and Cudi embracing his struggles with mental health, I think many people would continue to maintain their facade both in real life and on social media.
“Hmm, of course we all have those times when we’re weak. Where you cannot find the version of yourself you seek. You should dig deep. Hmm, don’t go through the extremes, oh baby don’t get so down…” preaches Kid Cudi in his song “Wounds” that is featured in his touching album Passion, Pain & Demon Slaying. His lyrics are about his mental health issues throughout the album, but in this specific part, he encourages others not to harm themselves.
It’s deep, meaningful lyrics like these that make up songs that will forever resonate in people’s hearts. Fans or not, these albums really stuck with audiences and we can see that through tweets, Instagram and Facebook posts and more. Every day, someone shares an uplifting quote, picture, or captions a simple picture with a more real message than what used to be the trend.
It’s becoming less about posting a picture just to say you were there, (or to make your grid look good) and becoming more about posting a picture because it genuinely made you feel something and thus you wanted to share it with people. What I love most about genuine posts like this is that no one claims to know everything, because really, we’re all working on being the best versions of ourselves. We’re simply sharing what we’re learning and feeling along the journey, much like the music artists of today.
Today, for example, a friend of mine who used to have a specific style of posting, posted a sweaty picture of herself at the gym and shared a very lengthy, but uplifting message. After reading it I thought, “If she can do it, so can I!” And then I got to thinking about my life, and how I have to “step up my game” in working on myself. It seems like everyone around me is doing just that.
I hope I’m not the only one who feels this way when reading a friend’s post. I hope that the meaningful music and lyrics of today are resonating with us all, social media or not. Above all, I hope everyone is beginning to realise that there is no better way to express yourself than by being exactly that – yourself.
