Yes, music affects our lives a lot. This is indirectly shown by a study published Monday, December 13 by the British Medical Journal. It relates to the effect that a hit by American rapper Logic, 31, may have had. The song is called 1-800-273-8255, such as the emergency number for the US suicide prevention line. The song is about a harassed young man who wants to end his life, but ends up calling the number and hearing the words of the operator who will change his life. This song was released in the spring of 2017 and immediately made it into the American Top 100, where it remained for weeks, even accumulating a billion plays on the Spotify platform.
Logic performed this track at the MTV Music Awards and Grammy Awards in 2018, each time displaying the phone number in large format behind him on stage. Each time, during the following weeks, the suicide prevention service received 50% more calls. Researchers from a university in Vienna (Austria) therefore decided to study the impact of the song, taking three benchmarks: the release of the song, the MTV Music Awards ceremony and that of the Grammys Awards.
According to their results, the line received over these periods more than 10,000 additional calls compared to the average for previous years. At the same time, the country recorded 5.5% fewer suicides among 10-19 year olds, i.e. 245 deaths avoided.
American hip hop artist Logic’s song “1-800-273-8255” was associated with an increase in calls to the US National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and a reduction in suicides, a new study finds. https://t.co/8mYEN9GfWs
– CNN (@CNN) December 14, 2021
Logic suspected the impact of his hit since many fans wrote to him to confide and thank him. “I did this song with all my heart, to try to help people because I think music can affect our lives “, he told CNN. “The fact that it actually worked really upsets me.”
Logic is a rapper who claims to be sincere and honest, who sings about his troubles and his doubts. He himself went through a depressive episode in 2016, touring for his second album. To get by, he revised his priorities and decided to spend more time with those close to him. He then crossed the country by bus from Los Angeles to New York to distribute meals to his most insecure fans, before returning home and writing this song, which has since become the most widely circulated suicide prevention message. He says : “I hit rock bottom. It took a while, but I don’t want to cry anymore. I want to feel alive.“
If you need help, if you are worried or if you are confronted with the suicide of a member of your entourage, there are anonymous listening services. The Suicide listening line is reachable 24/7 on 01 45 39 40 00. Other information is also available on the website of the Ministry of Solidarity and Health.