Songs to calm anxiety


25 Calming Songs About Anxiety

Songs about anxiety can actually help you decrease your emotional state of panic. By listening to calming music that’ll relax you with powerful lyrics that’ll help you cope with extreme stress you can find peace of mind. In this article, we’ll share 25 anxiety songs to help you decrease panic attacks. Many of these songs have helped me with my own anxiety and I hope by sharing them with you, you’ll find comfort in these songs about anxiety as well. 

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25 Songs About Anxiety for 2022

1. Waving Through A Window – Ben Platt

Songs about anxiety, such as Waving Through A Window from the successful musical Dear Evan Hansen is about coping with social anxiety. The relatable song shares the vulnerability that comes with stepping in front of the sun and getting burned. It’s about how we often feel unnoticed or we intentionally lock ourselves up away from the world to be unseen. On days where you struggle with social anxiety, this anxiety song can be pretty fun to sing along to like all musicals let’s be honest. While this song won’t encourage you to face your fears or seize the day, we hope that you put yourself out there because if you’re falling in a forest and nobody is around, you can and do still make a sound. 

2. About Damn Time – Lizzo

Lizzo’s song About Damn Time is about mental illnesses. She asks about ‘how you’re healing’ from your anxiety symptoms. But this isn’t the song about losing hope. While there are hints of negative emotions and negative feelings about being “so down and under pressure,” she believes she’s better than her emotions. So, if you have severe anxiety, you’re not alone. This beautiful song is all about how you can go from feeling overwhelmed to triumphant. The line “I got a feelin’ I’m gon’ be alright” is all about overcoming your mental health despite feeling it. The mind playing tricks on us that make us feel bad about ourselves is common. But you can fight it.

3. Brave – Sara Bareilles

Sara Bareilles smash anxiety song Brave is all about facing your fears. It’s about how you might be someone’s backlash, an outcast, or be on the receiving end of some hurtful words, but you’re still amazing. So you have anxiety, that’s hard enough to deal with on it’s own. But you still have a voice to stand up for yourself, to call out your inner critic, and to say how you feel. It’s about allowing your vulnerability to shine through. Tell people how you really feel on tough days, you’d be surprised at how much people can relate or at least empathize with feeling anxious. 

4. Ok Not To Be Ok – Demi Lovato

Songs about anxiety like Demi Lovato’s Ok Not To Be Ok can help you accept that every day might not be sunshine, rainbows, and unicorns but it can still be okay. Dealing with the stresses of life or anxiety can be a lot to handle. Sometimes, you need to accept that your emotions are running high or you’re on edge and you need to give yourself a moment to sit with these feelings as you pick yourself back up again. There are times when you feel ashamed, lose focus, feel lost, or that you’ll never have your big moment. So, tell your loved ones to remind you on tough days that it’s ok not to be ok but to also remember that this feeling of setback, anxiety, or frustration will pass. Tough times are always temporary. You can and will eventually be stress free. 

5. Hypnotized – Purple Disco Machine, Sophie and the Giants

This song talks about mental health in a very real way. Those with anxiety disorders will likely relate to it a lot as it’s one of the best songs in terms of lyrics. For instance, “Suffocated and lonely in the crowd, I’m surrounded by all the screens of their life, screaming in a space to draw them out.” The song is about the anxiety of fame. And with more people publicly sharing their lives online, mental illness from going viral in a bad way is very real. You could develop physical symptoms from it too. But if you look at your life ahead, you’ll find this song brings self confidence to fight your inner demons as she’s “coming home.” Home is your place of refuge. And while some might view this as running away from your problems, it’s also ok to know that some things aren’t as good as they seem.

6. Anxiety – Julia Michaels, Selena Gomez

The most relatable songs about anxiety come from those who experienced it first hand like Julia Michaels and Selena Gomez. This is another song about social anxiety as Michaels sings about how her friends want to take her to the movies but her depression and anxiety prevent her from sharing that experience with them. She shares about the struggle of negative thoughts going into overdrive. The real value of this song is that the lyrics remind you that anxiety is something that others experience as well, so you’ll never be alone in your struggle on tough days. And there are anxiety coping strategies to help you overcome it.  

7. In My Blood – Shawn Mendes

This is one of my favorite songs about anxiety that I love listening to during moments of panic. The lyrics in this anxiety song are quite powerful as Shawn Mendes uses imagery to describe what anxious people tend to do. It’s also a really positive anxiety song. Despite walls caving in, it’s just not in his blood to give up. During moments of high stress, we need to remember that we’re strong enough to overcome obstacles and emotional distress. This pick-me-up is definitely one to put on repeat when you have high levels of anxiety. 

8. Bad Life – Sigrid, Bring Me The Horizon

When you experience anxiety, it’s common to start feeling trapped. So you fake happy. This song is about giving listeners the real anxiety experience though. The lyrics “Everyone’s damaged, a little depressed, every now and then we get that feeling in our chests.” However, your anxiety issues are not permanent. Sigrid reminds you that it’s “a bad day, not a bad life. ” So, if you’re thinking about self harm, remember that every bad thing you’re experiencing is temporary and you will thrive as long as you don’t give up. You have your whole life ahead of you.

9. Ride – Lana Del Rey

Lana Del Rey’s Ride is a song about relationship anxiety. Often, when we’re single, we feel a sense of loneliness that heightens our anxiety. Our thoughts make us feel worse and can ultimately destroy us. She sings about having a war in her mind but she focuses on riding through it. There’s a sense of desperation of wanting someone who loves her to stay by her side but in the end she’s left “high and dry.” It can be a relatable anxiety song for people who date regularly and feel an anxiety about never finding love with the right person. 

10. Only Love – Katy Perry

Songs about anxiety like Katy Perry’s Only Love is about making the most of each moment while you’re here. It highlights that most of our time is wasted and how much energy we spend by taking things personally. Her solution is to apologize her mom for never calling her back, let her dad know how much she loves him in a heartfelt letter, and focusing on spreading only love. The lyrics “Like, Oh My God, the time I’ve wasted lost in my head” are likely the most relatable anxiety lyrics Perry could come up with. But by focusing on love, you can cure your anxiety for good. This upbeat anxiety song provides the solution of love for panic and distress. 

11. Little Talks – Of Monsters and Men

Songs about anxiety don’t get more relatable than Little Talks. This song is essentially a story of a woman who feels anxiety and has someone helping her through it. She talks about the anxiety of creaking stairs which is common in people who have nighttime anxiety. The song tries to help you focus on the positive moments like when you were young. The powerful lyrics, “Your mind is playing tricks on you my dear” is a sentiment that many people with anxiety can relate to even though sometimes those tricks feel extremely real. If you’re looking for uplifting songs about anxiety, add this to your playlist.

12. Under Pressure – Queen

From Green Day to Paul McCartney to Twenty One Pilots to Linkin Park, rock bands have been singing about anxiety disorders since the age of time. So, if you want a fun song to sing when your mental health is going poorly, turn on some Under Pressure by Queen. This power song is fun to sing-cry to. The finale of the song is all about the solution to managing your mental illness. All you need to do is “give love” but that tends to be the hardest thing to do. It’s one of the best songs to listen to when you’re having a panic attack, stressed about exams, or need to let out some emotions.

13. Disturbia – Rihanna

Rihanna’s Disturbia is a song about anxiety on a more extreme level. This “disease of the mind” makes you feel like you’re going insane. She talks about how it acts like a thief robbing you of everything and making it all you consume. But the lyrics remind you to “put on your break lights” and take a look at the world around you.  So whether you’re struggling with social anxiety or any type of thought disorder, this song can be fun to sing to.

14. Demons – Imagine Dragons

Demons is an enlightening song about anxiety that talks about how sometimes things don’t go as planned and life just doesn’t go our way. And no matter how much we want to shelter people from this pain and suffering it’s ultimately inevitable. It’s something we simply have to face in life. The lyrics “when you feel my heat, look into my eyes, it’s where my demons hide” reminds you that every person who hurts you or suffers around you is also facing their own demons that they struggle with. It can be a hard to get close to someone who has so much darkness inside themselves but ultimately people who are suffering don’t want to hurt others. 

15. Keep Breathing – Ingrid Michaelson

The emotional anxiety song Keep Breathing by Ingrid Michaelson gives you the opportunity to build up the tension and then release during the song’s climax. The focus of the lyrics are on an emphasis to keep breathing. Michaelson highlights that even though people are dying and a storn is coming it’s normal to want to stay in bed during tough times. Sometimes rather than trying to change the world, “all we can do is keep breathing.” The song is produced to allow you to feel your emotions at a heightened state so if you find yourself crying to this song, that’s a totally normal experience with songs about anxiety – especially this one. 

16. Exhale – Sabrina Carpenter

Those of a young age, will likely relate to Sabrina Carpenter’s Exhale for managing their anxiety. She’s a Disney star like Demi Lovato. If you’re struggling with growing pains or having your high hopes shut down, this song will calm your racing heart. The song asks for permission to “exhale for a minute” and to “breathe.” It’s about not letting people discredit your accomplishments. This song is perfect for those teen years and early twenties era when you’re still learning how to handle your mental illness.

17. Breathin – Ariana Grande

Even Ariana Grande faces anxiety. In her anxiety song Breathin’ she sings, “I look up and the whole room’s spinning, you take my cares away, I can so overcomplicate, people tell me to medicate.” She tells the story of how she suffers from panic attacks due to her habit of complicating things. Her situation gets so severe that some think medication is her only cure. But in her chorus, she reminds people that all she needs to do is “Just keep breathin’, and breathin’ and breathin’ and breathin’.” And if you take Ariana Grande’s advice, you’ll likely learn how to stop panic attacks naturally.

18. Human by Christina Perri

Christina Perri’s Human is an anxiety song that reminds you that you can still do anything while you’re dealing with anxiety but you’re still only human. And you’ll still “bleed when you fall down” and “crash and break down.” It’s okay to admit to yourself and others that you’re still human and will experience pain and suffering sometimes. And that while you might be “faking smiles” or acting like a “good machine” allow yourself to experience the vulnerability of being human which entails going through challenging moments and pain. 

19. Unwell – Matchbox 20

Most songs about anxiety don’t highlight how others perceive the sufferer as well as Matchbox 20’s Unwell does. It tells the story of how the singer is headed for a breakdown and knows that you’re seeing a different side than you’re used to. The lyrics, “I’m not crazy, I’m just a little impaired, I know right now you don’t care, but soon enough you’re going to think of me, and how I used to be” tells the story of how anxiety changes people’s lives. While you might find yourself defending yourself to people telling them that you’re not crazy, this song will remind you that you’re not the only person who has spoken those words to someone and you can find inner peace with these lyrics. 

20. Complicated – Avril Lavigne

Before Avril Lavigne’s life became complicated with Lyme Disease, it was complicated by anxiety. This is one of the top songs that launched Avril’s long-spanning career, in fact it was her first song. If you have intrusive thoughts, this can be a fun jam to sing along to to get your feelings off your chest. The lyrics “chill out, what ya yelling for? Lay back, it’s all been done before” can be about tense relationships that make us feel anxious. Depression can arise from complicated relationships. And toxic people can make us feel like a basket case.

21. Falling – Haim

The anxiety song Falling is about persevering despite feeling like you’re falling and stumbling in a downward spiral. The powerful lyrics, “Don’t stop, no, I’ll never give up, and I’ll never look back, just hold you’re head up, and if it gets rough it’s time to get rough” symbolizes that you need to stay strong and fight through battles you face in life. If the situation gets rough, then you should do that too. It’ll help you overcome the challenges you face. And throughout the song, you’re reminded that you’re falling throughout it all. Yet, there’s this sparkle of hope throughout the song that helps remind you to hang on a bit longer. 

22. I Can’t Breathe – Bea Miller

For those struggling with a sleepless night every now and then from past mistakes or failed relationships, you might find peace of mind with Bea Miller’s song. This song is about wanting to go back in time so you can ‘escape from this prison’ in your head. Other mental illnesses can be just as difficult, but there’s something about anxiety disorders that makes life so tough. The feeling of not being able to breathe is common for anxiety sufferers, which is what this anxiety song is all about.

23. Epiphany – Taylor Swift

This is a song about anxiety from trauma. It’s one of the hardest Taylor Swift songs to listen to if you’ve worked in the military or in health care. The feelings of “some things you just can’t speak about” are relatable for people who bottle their emotions. Your real friends might not even understand how difficult something can be to process. The hope is that all you want is a “single glimpse of relief to make sense of what you’ve seen.” This song is what music is all about, channeling your depression with your words.

24. Help – The Beatles

If you’re looking for songs about anxiety that’ll basically give you a script of how to ask for help, you can always turn to The Beatles classic Help. In the song, the lyrics, “Help me if you can, I’m feeling down, and I do appreciate you being ‘round” are a pretty clear cut way to ask someone for help. You can use this song to muster up the courage to ask for support from a loved one as you face your battles by letting them know you need their help and you appreciate their support too. 

25. I’m Not A Robot – Marina

Most songs about anxiety don’t call you out, but Marina sure does in I’m Not A Robot. The lyrics remind you that people know when you’re trying to act tough but it’s okay to be vulnerable and say “you’ve got a weak spot.” By telling people you have emotions you’re working through, you give them an opportunity to help you with your pain. So let people know you’re not a robot and maybe you can finally find a way to treat your anxiety for good.  

Conclusion

These songs about anxiety remind you to persevere when it gets tough. If you liked one a lot, feel free to add it to one of your music playlists and play it on repeat for hours. It’ll help you calm down. You might also want to look up the lyrics to these anxiety songs because often songs are best heard after reading the lyrics and realizing how relatable these songs about anxiety actually are. May your anxiety decrease after listening to these calming songs.

8 songs to calm anxiety, from a music therapist

Mind and Body

Feeling worried, upset, and stressed has become the norm, but music can help.

Shutterstock/Stokkete

Elizabeth Coombes

It may seem like we are living in an age of anxiety, where feeling worried, upset, and stressed has become the norm. But we should remember that anxiety is a natural human response to situations.

It comes when we are not sure what is going to happen, or when we feel under threat. And even mild anxiety can have a negative effect on our ability to lead a productive life. It can interfere with being able to enjoy the simple things in life.

When we experience anxiety, our heart and breathing rates increase and many other systems in our bodies experience overload. Anxiety affects our general physical health as well as our emotions.

In my work as a music therapist, I’ve noticed the impact music can have on anxiety. For example, in guided imagery sessions, the therapist uses specially selected music and the client is invited to describe what they are feeling and what images the music conjures up. It’s amazing what insights can be gained from simply allowing yourself time to listen and talk about what you see in your mind’s eye.

These may be as simple as becoming more aware of how music can affect emotions, or be used to explore past experiences or future dilemmas. It can also be used to find a place of comfort and a secure base where physical and emotional balance can be found.

A recent experiment explored whether certain kinds of music can reduce anxiety during a complex task and concluded that some music is better at doing this than others.

Also, a study based on measuring physiological and emotional responses suggests there are certain qualities in music that are better at helping people relax.

The speed of the music should be relatively slow, the melody should be simple, and the beat and harmony should not hold too many surprises. Other factors, such as the complexity of the music and — surprisingly —familiarity with the piece, were not so important.

In fact, knowing a piece too well was found in some cases to be counterproductive. The genres most likely to support relaxation are classical, soft pop, and certain types of world music. These are found to largely contain the musical elements necessary to help a person relax.

With these musical elements in mind, here are eight suggested pieces of music that meet these criteria:

1. “Ambient 1: Music for Airports” by Brian Eno. This soundscape provides a wash of musical effects that echo the rhythm of our physiological functions, leaving space for us to attune to the slow tempo of the music. The album is described in one review as “the kind of music one might hear in heaven.”

2. “Pieds-en-L’Air,” from Capriol Suite, by Peter Warlock, a composer and former music critic. Known for his unconventional lifestyle, he died in 1930, aged 36. His musical legacy includes this soft and slow classical piece with a melody reminiscent of songs we may have heard as children.

3. “Om Namah Shivaya” by Deva Premal. The vocals of Premal and supporting music made by her partner Mital hark back to evocative chants from times past. The slow pace and almost hypnotic music combined with her clear vocals feel very supportive.

4. “Someone Like You” by Adele. While this hugely successful song explores the issue of loss, the slow tempo and cool accompaniment is found by many to offer a sense of calm and reflection. It has been claimed that the piece’s emotional strength is due to small, unexpected changes in the melody or “ornamental notes,” which create a melancholic tension.

5. “I Giorni” by Ludovico Einaudi, an Italian pianist and composer who has written numerous film soundtracks. This piano piece, with its repetitive motifs and steady tempo, evokes a dreamlike state with moments of light and brightness.

6. “In Paradisum” by Gabriel Fauré, a French composer who gained great popularity in his lifetime but suffered from deafness in his later years. In this piece, from his Requiem, the choir and organ accompaniment provide a feeling of serenity.

7. “Stopover at Djibouti” by Anouar Ibrahem, a Tunisian oud player and composer. He is widely acclaimed as an innovator in his field, fusing Arab classical music, folk music, and jazz. This world jazz piece has hypnotic motifs that can seem almost meditative.

8. “Wilma’s Theme” by Stefan Nilsson, a Swedish composer and pianist who is well-known in is home country. This piece, which seems somehow familiar, has a simple melody and harmonies that provide a safe landing place.

This list offers some suggestions of music that could be used to help people relax. A favorite of mine, which I haven’t included, is the slow movement from JS Bach’s Double Violin Concerto. It never fails to give me a sense of feeling safe and grounded, something that can be so important when we may be feeling anxious.

It should be said, though, that many studies emphasize the importance of finding your own selection of music that works for you. Whatever your musical taste is, you have the edge on any prescribed playlist in finding what is best for you.

This article was originally published on The Conversation by Elizabeth Coombes. Read the original article.

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16 Anxiety Songs That Say It All

If you live with anxiety, you may have already discovered that music can calm many of your anxious thoughts. When physical or emotional symptoms become overwhelming, your favorite songs or relaxing playlist can help you find a sense of calm.

You may also feel some relief knowing that you are not alone. Knowing that others have experienced similar disturbing thoughts can be comforting and help you deal with the situation.

Listening to songs about anxiety, such as the 16 listed below, can help normalize your experience and replace feelings of isolation with feelings of connection and solidarity.

Lyrics, of course, can have several interpretations. We settled on these songs from different genres because their lyrics somehow describe what living with anxiety can look like.

Alternative

The Crucifixion by Tori Amos

Amos's poetic, confessional lyrics are open to many interpretations, but if you're socially anxious, you can find many things to identify with in The Crucifixion.

The opening lines "Every finger in the room is pointing at me" might resonate if you've ever walked into a room feeling uncomfortable, only to feel like a spotlight has suddenly turned on to illuminate you even more.

It touches on the physical symptoms of fear: "I have a bowling ball in my stomach / I have a desert in my mouth / Numbers that my courage would decide to sell now."

But it is precisely the refrain “Why do we crucify ourselves” that resembles an endless analysis of looped anxious thoughts. You know it doesn't help, but you still can't stop dissecting them.

"Fear" by The Shins

Anxiety does not always have a clear trigger. Sometimes it's just an obsessive fear that you live with, a "fear of all the stupid things" that you can feel.

James Mercer spoke about his own experience of anxiety when discussing this song in an interview, explaining that it describes various anxieties that can slowly destroy a relationship.

"Young Thousands" of mountain goats

Living with anxiety often means fighting fears about what the future holds. You can often feel consumed by "the things you have," as John Darniel sings.

Maybe the anxiety and stress you are experiencing leaves you with a "dull ache" that never seems to go away, or your brain sometimes feels like a closet where you've hidden video tapes of disturbing memories or "dirty little scenes in living flowers.

Muse Issue Map

It's undeniable that anxiety often makes you feel isolated and alone, especially when you get caught up in the cycle of worry and rumination.

This song conveys the frustration you may experience when you feel like every choice you make is wrong. Various possibilities play out and seem to elude you as you try to find a way to avoid feelings of fear, panic and despair.

"Concertina" Tori Amos

Amos explained in an interview that the song highlights her own experience of social anxiety when she enters a room and feels "so uncomfortable that you're crawling out of your skin even though no one has touched you."

The lyrics "fever above my waist" and "chill that bends" can describe the sweating and chills that often accompany anxiety, while "you're the most furious peace I've been in" seems to refer directly to anxiety.

When nervousness and anxiety rages inside you to the point where you are sure everyone can see it clearly in your face, you may be surprised to realize how unperturbed you appear to others.

"Basket" from Green Day

If you turned on the radio once or twice in the late 90s and early 2000s, you've probably heard this song before.

Vocalist/guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong has stated that he wrote the song to cope with feelings of anxiety and panic he experienced before he was eventually diagnosed with panic disorder.

It's not uncommon to struggle with anxiety for a while before you find a way to make sense of what you're going through. You may even wonder, like Armstrong, if it's all in your head or if your mind is "playing tricks on you."

(But if you are not sure what your symptoms mean, a therapist can give further advice.)

Rock

"Deceiving Yourself (Angry Young Man)" by Styx

This song helps convey the pessimism that often accompanies anxiety, or the tendency to look at things "cynically". Even when things are actually going pretty well, you may have trouble moving forward when your hands are "wet with sweat" and "your head needs to rest" due to worry.

However, the lyrics emphasize the importance of remembering that others can't beat you and doing your best anyway.

"The Paper Bag Writer" by Radiohead

The opening phrase "Blow into that paper bag" is reminiscent of a person trying to cope with feelings of panic, as breathing into a paper bag has long been considered a useful method of hyperventilating that can occur during anxiety and panic attacks .

"Take off your armor, you're not being attacked" illustrates a key symptom of panic attacks: an overwhelming perception of fear unrelated to any real threat.

"Losing My Religion" by REM

Michael Stipe said that this song is not about religion, but about unrequited love, an experience that often causes intense feelings of anxiety and disappointment.

Moreover, texts such as "I said too much / I said not enough" and "Every whisper, every waking hour / I choose my confessions" reflect the experience of anxiety quite clearly.

You probably know this feeling - you cannot find the right words, so you keep talking, perhaps in the hope that you will finally be able to express your feelings. But then you can endlessly worry that you tried too hard or said too much.

"A Million Little Pieces" by Placebo

Anxiety can disrupt concentration and make it difficult to complete tasks as usual. A Million Little Pieces is about what it's like when you think you've lost your spark, your creativity, and struggle to find your way forward. Perhaps you are haunted by mistakes, or you are tired of trying to deal with them without any relief.

But you can also find a hopeful note in the song: You are leaving this "disturbing city" and breaking the circle of disturbing thoughts.

"The Middle" Jimmy Ita Mira

Radio stations in the early 2000s sang this uplifting anthem about staying true to yourself and overcoming social anxiety.

Of course, dealing with the overwhelming fear of rejection is not always as easy as telling yourself that the perception of people who look down on you is all in your head.

Still, it's good advice to start with, even if you need a little extra support to stop worrying about what people might say about you. And a catchy beat doesn't hurt if you're looking for a fast tune to lift your spirits.

Pop

Red Light Fever by Liz Phair

This song might resonate with you if anxiety has ever kept you awake, obsessing over your fears, your goals, or even your sense of who you are as a person.

Perhaps you know what form you want your life to take. However, your worries are holding you back, making you stuck in your head, "going nowhere" and nervous about pursuing your dreams and taking the first steps towards achieving them.

"Shake It Out" by Florence + The Machine

Isn't it wonderful how anxiety makes it so easy to reflect on every humiliating moment and embarrassing situation you've ever found yourself in?

The lyrics of "Shake It Out" don't just reflect the experience of reliving "the darkest moments" when those memories are "gathered like old friends". They also emphasize how difficult it is to get rid of these memories and leave the past behind.

Florence Welch herself noted that the song reflects the desire to restart when you are stuck in unwanted behaviors.

Rihanna's "Disturbia"

According to Rihanna, who spoke about her experience with anxiety in an interview, this song explores what it's like to deal with anxiety and emotional stress.

If you yourself experience anxiety, you may be familiar with thoughts that “sneak in” and “swallow you” or fears that you “don't want to think about” that grab and hold you anyway.

You might even hope, as she sings, for something to free you from the "curse" of anxiety and fear.

rap

"Anxiety" by Bmike

This song offers a deep personal look at the challenges often associated with getting professional support and finding the right treatment for anxiety, suicidal thoughts and other emotional disorders.

Bmike also talks about how frustrating it can be when talking therapy doesn't work despite your best efforts and the therapist seems somewhat unaware of your concerns.

In the YouTube description, he notes that the music video aims to raise awareness about mental health issues and expose the stigma that many people face.

Heavy metal

Iron Maiden's "fear of the dark"

Phobias also fall under the category of anxiety states, and nyctophobia, or extreme fear of the dark, is not that uncommon.

This song describes the anxiety and fear that comes when "the light starts to change" and the darkness deepens, whether you feel like someone (or something) might be following you down a dark street or hiding at night in the corner of your bedroom.

Bottom line

Music may have a positive effect on your mood, but it will not eliminate the underlying causes of anxiety.

If you are having trouble coping with anxiety symptoms on your own, a qualified mental health professional can provide more information about possible triggers and help you learn new ways to manage your anxiety.

14 songs that describe the anxiety of 2020

2020 was a year full of challenges, especially due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We struggled with feelings of insecurity, loneliness due to quarantine, and a strange feeling that time is moving too fast and too slow at the same time. Perhaps that is why so many K-pop songs have been released that reflect feelings of anxiety, fear, expectation and hope. This is exactly what we experienced in 2020. There is something soothing in these disturbing songs, as if the performer perfectly understands what we are experiencing and tries to console. So relax and immerse yourself in the incredible atmosphere of these 14 tracks.

See also: 2020 APAN Music Awards Announce Top 10 Artists and Other Category Winners

1. TXT - "Can't You See Me"

TXT You See Me" in which they struggle with the feeling that they are separated from the rest of the world. It seems to them that those closest to them no longer understand them, as if they do not notice them. This song is even stronger, especially after a year when seeing other people in person was much more difficult than before. The ghostly whistle in the background of the song is the highlight of this tune, and the dark music video that makes you think about different things is the icing on the cake.

2. VICTON - "Howling"

Lost love and the desire to return it in the song "Howling" by VICTON takes on a deeper meaning due to the situation in the world. We want to return what was, we appeal for communication, understanding and a return to normal life. Just like the members of VICTON , it seems like we're all a bit "howl" these days!

3. BLACKPINK - "Lovesick Girls"

Nothing says "anxiety" like chorus "we were born to be alone" in the latest hit BLACKPINK . These girls revel in their romantic adversity, knowing that love only brings them misfortune, but keep looking for it anyway. The feeling of coming to terms with our loneliness and the ongoing search for relationships with other people resonates incredibly strongly this year.

4. PENTAGON - "Daisy"

This hit PENTAGON is about how each of us was burned by love, everyone knows this anger from disappointment. However, now it is not only ex-lovers who experience it, but all of us. Incredibly emotional track brought PENTAGON a music show win, and it's easy to see why: despite its anger, "Daisy" seems to heal us from the inside and makes it feel like the band members are there and understand how we feel.

5. SHINee's Taemin - "2 KIDS"

What else to do in quarantine but not think about past romances? The magnificent song "2 KIDS" by Taemin is laced with tragic nostalgia for the memory of a youthful love gone. However, the performer manages to cheer us up, making it clear that even in the completed novel there is something beautiful. The music video also features perhaps the most emotional choreography on this list, which is Taemin , of course, performs to perfection.

6. Jessie - "Numb"

There's something especially inspiring about a woman as strong as Jessie who puts her painful emotions into a song; it lets us know that it's okay to feel vulnerable. In "Numb" , Jessie sings about relationships that are draining her emotionally, and we can understand her because we've been drained in the same way in 2020 for months now.

7. GOT7 - "NOT BY THE MOON"

It's been a year of inconsistency and unpredictability that runs through GOT7's "NOT BY THE MOON" song. The track explores lines from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, trying to understand the anxiety of doubt that shrouds romance: "Oh don't swear by the moon that changes once a month, it's the way to betrayal. "

8. Mino (WINNER) - "Run away"

Mino comes to us as real and unvarnished in his recent solo release, a powerful song about running away from romance before it leads to more pain. "Run away" conveys a sense of both emptiness and explosive emotion, a combination of feelings that are very personal to Mino but also felt by many of us this year.

9. Dreamcatcher - "BOCA"

"BOCA" is anxiety in style Dreamcatcher , which is difficult to confuse with someone else. “Where is the love?” is a question that girls demand an answer to, and which seems especially relevant in this difficult year. "Boca" means "mouth" in Spanish, and the song's lyrics tell the band to shut their mouths to anyone who says hurtful words.

10. DAY6 - "Zombie"

The song "Zombie" is very important for 2020: it explores the feeling of emptiness in our repetitive everyday life, a feeling that has only intensified in this quarantine year. There are too many subtle emotions in this song to count, but the way the group DAY6 combines these anxieties and sorrows, breathtaking.

11. ATEEZ — "INCEPTION"

Nowadays, life sometimes seems as unreal as a dream, so it's no wonder that ATEEZ 's "INCEPTION" is so close to us: a song about how we got lost in an endless dream, wandering and looking for someone. This unsettling feeling of being lost is something we feel strongly this year.

12. Sunmi - "BORDERLINE"

In this English-language song , Sunmi speaks directly to mental health, which opens a window into her personal problems. She's used to acting like she's okay even when she's not; the song becomes a confession of her true feelings. These days, many of us are struggling with the virus, some with our own feelings, so the song "BORDERLINE" serves as a reminder that we must be honest with ourselves about how we really are.

13. MONSTA X - "YOU CAN'T HOLD MY HEART"

With its MONSTA X English-language track, with its ticking clock-like rhythm, empty feeling and sensual vocals, this English-language track perfectly captures the angst of 2020. The music video only enhances this effect, as the participants are in boxes-like rooms. Even when they move, they remain in place, steadfastly watching as clouds of emotion burst from their chests.

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