Trillblazers: Grammy Nominees Making a Mark on Mental Health
There are good musicians, and then there are really good musicians who create a safe, inspirational, and inclusive space. Whether it’s speaking on important issues through lyrics or navigating identity in a certain culture, the following artists uplift and empower fans who struggle with mental health, sexuality, and identity related issues.
BTS: Best Pop Duo Performance
You may just perceive them as the shiny K-pop band with an intensely loyal fanbase, but the seven men who make up the South Korean band Bangtan Boys are also loved for their incredible mental health-related lyricism and defiance of gender norms. Lyrics about social issues and mental health are mostly absent in Korean pop music, but BTS’s debut song “No More Dream” was a powerful track criticizing the societal pressure to succeed. The band also has a four-part album series called “Love Yourself” and the third album, “Love Yourself: Tear,” even explores the less discussed, dark sides of the self-love journey.
The BTS brand includes BT21, an adorable collection of gender-neutral characters created by each member. When asked about fashion preferences for Vanity Fair, main vocalist Jungkook advised fans to “wear whatever they want, regardless of gender.”
In an interview with Esquire, rapper Suga commented, “There is this culture where masculinity is defined by certain emotions, characteristics. I’m not fond of these expressions. What does being masculine mean?”
BTS receives a lot of Western criticism for not conforming to typical ideas of masculinity (“they wear makeup!”), but the members repeatedly express themselves freely and show support to the LGBTQ community. They even went as far as not using the word “girl” in their lyrics so that the songs can be enjoyed by everyone regardless of gender.
Billie Eilish: Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Pop Solo Performance Best Song Written For Visual Media
Eilish is known for her silky vocals and somewhat intense lyricism, and the artist has opened up about her struggle with Tourettes syndrome as well as depression and self harm. She also mentions her struggle with body dysmorphia, which started at a very early age, and claims that she started wearing baggy clothes so that people wouldn’t be able to judge or sexualize her. When it comes to dealing with suicidal thoughts, Eilish pleads her fans to be patient and not take that last step. “I had patience with myself. I didn’t take that last step. I waited. Things fade.”
Billie’s song “Everything I Wanted” is nominated for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Pop Solo Performance. The song concerns a nightmare in which she committed suicide yet no one cared. The song is a conversation between her and her brother, Finneas, who is there for her no matter what she feels. Billie encouraged her fans to find out what the song means to them and their own lives.
HAIM: Album of the Year, Best Rock Performance
HAIM is a pop rock band consisting of three sisters Este Haim, Danielle Haim, and Alana Haim. HAIM emphasizes that rock is not a genre only for men, and encourages women to take up space in music, which is especially important in an industry that is said to be 70% male to 30% female. Their album “Women in Music Pt. III” discuss deep and dark subjects from loss to illness to depression all while maintaining a powerful female narrative that is not often heard in rock music. Danielle says, “Every time I’ve been depressed, it takes me accepting that I need help, to start to get out of it. Be nice to yourself. And thank the ones around you that help you every day.” HAIM’s fight for gender equality goes beyond just their music. The band has donated to SoundGirls (which empowers young women to enter music), the Girls Rock Camp Foundation, the Black Trans Femme in the Arts Collective, the Los Angeles LGBT Center, and more.
Phoebe Bridgers: Best New Artist, Best Rock Performance, Best Rock Song, Best Alternative Music Album
Phoebe Bridgers is a 26-year-old, bisexual singer-songwriter whose music is noted for its direct, often darkly humorous engagement with painful topics including mental illness and death. Her songs are described as “sad” and the lyrics touch on abusive relationships and lack of belief. Phoebe encompasses authenticity, and her Twitter is a great example of her uncensored thoughts and relationship with fans.
Many of Bridgers’ fans who also struggle with mental illness or navigating LGBT+ identity find immense comfort in her music and the community that she has created. The fans, who self proclaim themselves as “Pharbz,” are “tied together by a love for the depressed internet queen herself.”
KAYTRANADA: Best New Artist, Best Dance Recording, Best Dance/ Electronic Album
Kaytranada is a Canadian Haitian DJ and producer who openly identifies as a gay man in the hip hop industry. The hip hop scene is not known for embracing gay culture, but artists like Lil Nas X and Brockhampton have been inspiring figures for Kaytranada. “I was like, Yeah, I’m gay. But am I really gay? ’Cause I don’t have the culture down. I’m not like, ‘Yes, queen!’ and stuff like that. So that was really hard to deal with.”
He had to navigate gayness not only in the music industry but also within the Black community. Kaytrana recalls the challenges that came with having a white boyfriend. “I had to learn a lot about gay history and, you know, [gayness within] the Black community — especially with me having a white boyfriend. There’s a lot of crazy things that come with it. I had to get away from social media, get away from a lot of things, the internet.” Nevertheless, Kaytranada is one more inspirational example for those who are facing intersectional identity challenges. It is also important to recognize that demographics, whether they be sexuality, gender, or race, can be unattached to a musician’s content just as much as they can influence the music.
CHIKA: Best New Artist
Known for her lyrics that tackle socio-political issues affecting youth culture, CHIKA is a rising rapper seeking to make earnest music about the world around her. The artist identifies as bisexual and expresses her frustration with gender-based categories in music.
“It’s dismissive of the work you do, and that doesn’t just go for me. I’m not trying to be your next favorite female rapper, a title that I despise.”
CHIKA has also experienced body shaming, with some claiming that she doesn’t have sex appeal to rap about. She retorted: “[That] is untrue. You can ask all of my partners.” Furthermore, she says, “I’m not competing with the girls only. I’m competing with everybody who touches a mic.” CHIKA highlights a very important issue within the industry: while highlighting gender identity has potential to create more inclusivity, music does not need to be grouped in terms of genitalia.
Lido Pimienta: Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album
Aside from creating music, Lido Pimienta is raising funds for indigenous Wayuu communities, writing film and TV scripts, working on music, and raising two kids. Pimienta creates experimental music in Spanish, and many of her songs deal with themes of love beyond just romantic love. A queer Afro-Indigenous Latina, Pimienta is committed to uplift the overlooked Black and Indigenous roots of the music she and many other artists make.
“If we still had the GRAMMYs and I got invited, I’d probably show up wearing a beautiful gown embroidered with, “Make Reggaeton Black Again.” I’ve already practiced my speech.”
Will you be tuning in for the Grammys this Sunday? If you do, we encourage you to explore these artists and find support in their narratives!
Author’s bio: Tulsi Patel is a student at Yale University studying Cognitive Science. At Trill, she works on marketing, content creation, and outreach. She is passionate about alleviating digital addiction and creating ethical technologies. She loves to meditate, do yoga, hug her friends, and draw pictures of eyes.
