Mental Music Therapy & Health

Just a few months ago, I wrote that I was back after a year of silence. That comeback starts in 2019. This blog used to be a place for a rant of random opinions on some far-fetched ideas. Will it continue to be like this? I don't know. This blog will continue to be a stream of consciousness and basically a digital free-writing session each month.



The end of the year is meant for reflection, time to spend with family and friends and for the stereotypical new year resolutions.

Most people have the generic ones: get healthy, be more active, etc. Most are dealing with body image and a person's health, which I'm not knocking at all. This past year has also been a focus on mental health across the nation, many of these people being of the "millennial" age range
(which can we stop using this as a negative connotation? that's a new discussion meant for another post).

2019 will be a focus on mental health for me as well. However, it's not going to be through therapy, meditation, church or any third party. It's through writing (go figure, a journalist using writing) and music.

For those who are unaware, I used to DJ in college. I have a musical background, not with talent but with just my family. I'm very aware I can't sing; that still won't stop me from belting Ella Mai or Chris Brown in the car or the shower. I'm a music junkie, trying to find new artists and vibes on a regular basis. I even had a music blog for a while that I killed to focus on other areas of interest for me.

Lyrics and rhythm are a form of poetry that I truly love. In my mind, you can reach more people mentally and spiritually through music than any other platform. I have the stance on sports that I do on music:

Sports is the only thing that can unify the entire world for a short amount of time and forget about all the conflict and hardship. It's the only thing that can bring people from all races, genders, incomes, religions, ethnicities, ages, and neighborhoods to cheer someone on. What else can do that?

Well...music can. People of all backgrounds will shell out money to see a game and to see an artist perform. So, for me, how will I use music to better my mental health? No, it's not by listening to chanting monks or "yoga music" (yes, that's apparently a thing). 

I'm going to deconstruct music, studying the lyrics and why an artist decided to use a certain beat rhythm or instrumental. Obviously, this can't apply to all types of music, e.g. dubstep. For me, I'm a huge hip-hop/rap/r&b/blues/soul fan. With the trends happening in those genres, I've been vibing more so with that style lately.

I recommend this for people. To understand why you like a song outside of it just being catchy, you have to listen to what's being said. Those words can help you understand why you vibe with it. It could be related to something happening in your real life or a dream of yours. It's helped me thoroughly through the first few weeks of 2019. 

By listening to the words (and beats, because I'm that weird), I've realized that there are better ways for me to handle a certain situation or problem. It's been beyond therapeutic for me. I recommend it.

I'm still old school and haven't hopped on the Spotify train. I still own an iPod (go ahead and judge. I don't care). However, I continue to tweet constant music recommendations. If you'd like to know what's playing in my headphones, head here.

Dear Future Husband, Ignore Meghan Trainor

What I love about hypocrites is that they eventually expose themselves. They preach one thing and say that people need to act a certain way, and then they fulfill those stereotypes they're trying to destroy. Well, Meghan Trainor did JUST THIS with her release of her new music video to her song "Dear Future Husband." Let's just take a look at the lyrics, shall we?

"Take me on a date / I deserve it babe / And don't forget the flowers every anniversary"

News flash: not every woman wants flowers on their anniversary. Who? ME! I don't like flowers. Do I think they're pretty? Yes, but those things would die in approximately two days after receiving them. Save yourself the money, and don't fulfill the stereotype that women want flowers.

"If you treat me right / I'll be the perfect wife / Buying groceries / Buy-buying what you need"

So...being the perfect wife means grocery shopping? That's definitely not what I thought the definition of a perfect wife was. Also, men do grocery shopping, too. My father has gone grocery shopping just as much as my mother. Again, Trainor's pushing for the 1950's housewife stereotype. And this is coming from someone who said to love all bodies....oh, except skinny ones.

"You got to know how to treat me like a lady / even when I'm acting crazy"

Ok, alright. I'll give her this. Women are crazy. So are men, children, gays, lesbians, blacks, whites, latinos, asians. Everyone is crazy. Saying that women are crazy fulfill the stereotype of the "crazy girlfriend," which feminists, as Meghan calls herself, are trying to destroy.

"If you wanna get that special lovin' / tell me I'm beautiful every night"

I would rather be called intelligent, rational, logical, compassionate, loving, caring, or determined instead of beautiful. Women are not as shallow as the stereotype pushes. We are individual human beings that want to acheive our career-oriented or family-oriented goals. We're not just plastic Barbie dolls that are skin deep.

"After every fight / Just apologize / And maybe then I'll let you try and rock my body right / Even if I

was wrong / You know I'm never wrong"

WOA WOA WOA. Hold on, here. Let's take this apart piece by piece. First off, she's rewarding someone caving their beliefs or opinions with sex. Well, that's just a great idea to implant in children's heads. Good job. Secondly, Trainor is saying that the woman is always right. No, we're not. We are not perfect individuals who are always right in an argument. Men and women make mistakes, and women need to admit they're wrong when they're wrong. Stop with the stereotype, Ms. Trainor.

"Make time for me / Don't leave me lonely / And know we'll never see your family more than mine"

WHAT?!?!? Oh my God; are you kidding me? Meghan, what are you doing? You're basically saying that women are dependent creatures who cannot be independent. That's disgusting. Secondly, you will be a terrible wife. You cannot exclude your husband's family from your children's lives. That's terrible! I love both sides of my family, and I would never want one side neglected because of your stereotypical ideals. That's repugnant.

"Don't have a dirty mind / Just be a classy guy / Buy me a ring / Bu-buy me a ring"

Well aren't you just a demanding little lady? First off, men and women are sexual humans. You can't force your husband to stop thinking about sex. Be a classy guy? If you have to demand that out of your husband, then you don't know how to choose men. Period. Finally, buy me a ring? How about you use your millions to get yourself a ring...? You're so demanding.

This song, coming from the woman who was praised as someone who spread the love of body image in her song "All About That Bass," is something that no man should listen to. Not every woman wants to be the stereotypical housewife who cooks and cleans for her husband. Some of us are independent individuals who are career driven and care about their work future, not their familial future.