Sad Songs for Sad People: Why We Keep Singing the Blues
If you’ve ever found yourself belt-singing Adele in the shower or humming along to Radiohead while eating ice cream out of the tub, congratulations, you’re part of a time-honored tradition: indulging in songs about being depressed. But let’s face it, in the age of relentless self-care memes and motivational wall art, why do so many people find genuine comfort in a heartbreak anthem or a tune that tells it like it is about existential despair? Funny you should ask – because the answer is equal parts psychology, playlist curation, and sheer musical magic.
First, let’s address the elephant in the room: being sad is not trending (or at least, not on TikTok). But songs about depression sure are. Take Irish emo-pop duo Greywind. Their upcoming album ‘Severed Heart City’ is a full-blown artistic retreat for the blues, with tracks like “Make Believe (L.O.V.E. ME)” encouraging you to fake it ‘til you make it—with your own self-worth, that is. Vocalist Steph O’Sullivan puts it bluntly: “Loving myself has always been the hardest thing for me to do… therapy and self-help books aside, sometimes you just gotta sing your affirmations until you accidentally start believing them.” Now, if singing your problems away isn’t the musical equivalent of screaming into a pillow, we don’t know what is.
Depressed, But Make It Catchy: The Paradox of Earworm Sadness
Pop music and sadness: name a more iconic duo. Even the beachy-happy king Jimmy Buffett, most famous for “Margaritaville,” couldn’t escape the blues, as he admitted ‘Come Monday’ was penned in a Howard Johnson’s hotel room during a time when he was “deathly depressed” and seriously considering radical changes, like rescuing his dog from the pound and, well, rescuing himself. The resulting hit not only saved his rent situation, but also landed him his first Top 10 single. If anyone tells you that sad songs don’t get results, Buffett’s bank account would like a word.
Sometimes we fall for the myth that songs about being depressed must always come from gloomy artists who wear sunglasses indoors and write in candle-lit basements. But no — even the likes of Kate Winslet, who achieved global fame for acting rather than emo songwriting, dabbled in seasonal heartbreak anthems. Her forgotten hit “What If” (recorded for an animated Christmas movie) haunts her so much she’ll reportedly ask DJs to “turn it off, turn it off!” at dinner parties. One hit; infinite awkward moments. Winslet’s story reminds us that sometimes, a single song about longing and regret can stick with you longer than a questionable tattoo.
Benee’s Cosmic Blues: Getting Sad Without Losing The Fun
The pop universe expands every day, according to New Zealand’s Benee—whose latest album ‘Ur an Angel I’m Just Particles’ mixes the cosmic with the melancholic. What distinguishes her brand of sad-pop is a refusal to hide emotions behind irony (though a touch of self-deprecating humor might still sneak in). She insists: “You have to embrace every emotion as it is and just be sad. Don’t make fun of yourself for being that depressed in that moment… just write about it.” Turns out, honesty mixed with a catchy beat can still light up a dance floor—or at least get a few toes tapping in therapy.
There’s something humorous, almost rebellious, about how artists manage their sadness. Greywind built an entire metaphorical city for their struggles—Severed Heart City—where it’s perfectly fine to feel like the whole world is against you, as long as you don’t give up on your dreams or your Spotify playlist. Benee refuses to wrap her feelings in irony anymore, preferring a direct approach that still makes room for the occasional cosmic giggle. Even Jimmy Buffett, the hammock-strumming patron saint of escapism, admitted that jokes and laughter kept him sane in precarious times: “If we couldn’t laugh, we would all go insane.”
Why Depressed Songs Make Us Smile (Yes, Really)
So, what is it about hearing someone else’s emotional breakdown to a catchy four-chord progression that makes us feel better, or at least less alone? For one thing, sad songs are a safe way to explore heavy emotions without oversharing on social media (or worse, at family gatherings). They help us process trauma, provide catharsis, and sometimes even teach us about resilience—the kind of resilience only found in bouncing back after your karaoke rendition of “Someone Like You” brought the house down, but also your mood.
More importantly, those who write these melancholic anthems seem to be in on the joke. There’s a wry self-awareness in the lyrics, a sense that pain isn’t the end of the story—sometimes, it’s just the punchline before the next verse. Greywind, for example, frames their journey through loss in terms both serious and hilariously motivational. “Only you can save yourself,” they declare, with the kind of sincerity reserved for motivational posters and graduation speeches.
So, Next Time You’re Down, Press Play—And Laugh (Or Cry)
In a world that rewards endless positivity, sometimes the bravest thing you can do is lean into a sad song and let yourself feel all the uncomfortable feels. The paradox of the depressed pop anthem is that it offers not just an escape, but a roadmap through the hard stuff. And if you happen to smile—just a little—while singing along, well, that’s part of the healing process. As Benee, Jimmy Buffett, and even Kate Winslet have demonstrated, you don’t have to hide your blues; sometimes, all you need to do is play them really, really loud, and maybe—just maybe—laugh about it afterwards.
So dust off your playlists, cue up “Make Believe (L.O.V.E. ME),” and don’t forget: sad songs might never fix your problems, but they sure know how to keep you company. And isn’t that what music (and therapy, and ice cream) are all about?
