NEW YORK, Sept 30 — From depression and anxiety to financial instability, the mental health of musicians is often put to the test. And a growing number of artists are now addressing such issues in their musical creations. But that’s not all. Some, like Megan Thee Stallion, are launching side projects addressing mental health on a wider scale.
Called “Bad Bitches Have Bad Days Too,” in reference to the lyrics of her song Anxiety, the initiative takes the form of a mental health resources website that the American musician has developed specially for her fans, the so-called Hotties.
It lists support associations and emergency numbers to contact in case of psychological distress. Some of them are aimed at specific groups, such as African-Americans or LGBTQI+ people. Indeed, the latter group is significantly more affected by depressive episodes than the heterosexual cisgender community, as many scientific works on the subject affirm.
Megan Thee Stallion didn’t promote “Bad Bitches Have Bad Days Too” on social media. She instead informed her fans directly by email, according to The Cut. But her initiative gained popularity thanks to a tweet from Shea Jordan Smith, a senior digital political strategist at GMMB. In a further tweet, he quotes the singer as telling her fans: “I created a hub with resources that can help when you might need a hand.”
A new approach to talking about mental health
The Hot Girl Summer singer is not the only artist taking steps to help tackle mental health issues, which affect one in eight people in the world, according to the World Health Organization. J Balvin has also made this his mission. To this end, he has launched OYE with the help of Mario Chamorro and Patrick Dowd. This wellness app offers its users breathing and meditation exercises that they can fit into their daily lives for US$4.99 (RM23) a month.
It is available in English and Spanish, in a bid to reach out to a Latino audience. A 2021 American Medical School Association report found that this community has an ambivalent relationship with mental health, often viewing it as a taboo subject. That’s a view that OYE hopes to change, according to Patrick Dowd, the app’s COO. “[We’re] transforming the way that we talk about mental and emotional wellness, from something that is seen as a private burden to something that is a creative opportunity to exercise to create new aspects of your life,” he told Techcrunch. — ETX Studio
