Why AJR is a Next-Level Band for the 2020s
Culture and its artistic byproducts are lockstepped. Pop music commonly reflects the zeitgeist of those cultures. AJR is pioneering the transition to a new type of pop-culture sound: mental health representation.
NYC based band AJR has been rightfully praised for their Feb 2021 single “Way Less Sad” that exposes depression as a collection of overlapping thoughts and feelings, but this isn’t their first hit that reflects themes of attentiveness to mental health and hope for the future.
Mental health has long been an inspiration for musicians and artists. Though it is an unseen driving force behind artistry, mental health issues have not been hot topics for pop music in the past. In 2020, more people than ever experienced feelings of isolation, new and/or worsening anxiety and depression (Mental Health America). Teenagers and young adults faced pressures to continue to work and go to school as if everything were normal, without being able to engage in many hobbies and social activities that they enjoyed.
Youth and pop music go together like (insert your favorite analogy here). The vulnerability and authenticity modeled by a pop band is inherently valuable for younger audiences. The audience that AJR is gathering right now, no doubt, ranges in demographic trends but the younger people that are latching on to the sound will have positive reference points in their memory (Psychological Benefits of Music) at a time where finding community and positivity in the world around them is perhaps more difficult than ever.
The band bares their insecurities in a way that would have in previous decades, been considered uncool or weak. The rise of a focus on mental health as whole health, and the value of individual stories is reflected in the band’s rising popularity. Vulnerability being afforded pop culture fame is a spectacular spectacle.
AJR is wholesome in the way they put a positive twist on real-life situations, but not in a trite or condescending manner. They create authentic content. This results in another bonus and somewhat unusual trait in that many millennial-aged adults can connect with and enjoy their music as easily as their younger gen-z family members, promoting a rare few minutes of lessened family discord over what to listen to on the radio on long road trips.
Using specific references that either hit hard or miss the listener, AJR has a way of creating deeply relatable content and personal connections with their audience. They take a chance by singing lyrics that are specific to their experiences. The listeners that don’t have some of the shared experiences may not connect, but the audience that they gain has a far deeper emotional connection to the words because of the chance that they dared to take. This is user-specific strategy that doesn’t completely isolate everyone else. The brilliance in their composition is that their melodies are pop-construction, and are catchy by nature, even if you don’t hang on every word.
Their ability to put their finger gently on the pulse of the times without smothering the listener with themes they are referring to is admirable. A good example of this is “Netflix Trip”, which uses the show The Office (US) as a timeline for life events and grief, while using media to highlight the importance of media in modern life. Similarly, “Burn the House Down” takes a look at the power of social media in the hands of the people, and the choice of artists to use their fame to take a stand, or not.
Many music genres have long touched on subjects like heartbreak, loss and depression, but AJR is unique in that they are a pop band, formulating their sound to be appealing to the masses instead of niche audiences. They are a pop band that have a running theme of mental wellness woven throughout their entire catalogue. Themes of social anxiety, and pressure to conform are found within “Pretender”. Depression, mania (often found in individuals with bipolar, PTSD and anxiety) and isolation themes are found in “Bummerland”. Reflections of recovery and depression can be found in “Weak” and “Sober Up”.
Representation matters in all areas, and mental health conditions are no exception. With the world in a state of what feels like perpetual negative events, addressing the affects of mounding personal and collective cultural traumas will continue to move to the foreground, lest our mental health crisis continue to race to insurmountable heights.
AJR does not just accept the bad days- their lyrics are epic declarations that ITS OKAY! WE ALL STRUGGLE, AND DOING YOUR BEST IS AWESOME!
With the steep rise in cases of depression, anxiety and likely PTSD resulting from surviving a global collective trauma, don’t we all need more of that messaging?
AJR’s new album, OK Orchestra , drops March 26, 2021.
Ane is a mental health blogger and contributor for The Mighty. Their perspective is influenced by their own experiences with mental health treatments, and past education in cultural anthropology & social work. Ane writes through personal experiences to humanize what living with and managing mental illness really looks like, in hopes to help those struggling or feeling alone in their fight. The blog, Panic Mitigation Fun is found here and you can connect with Ane on Instagram at panicmitigationfun or Twitter @ PanicFun
