Logic rapper hit 1-800-273-8255 helped reduce suicide among American teenagers. The authors of the new scientific study estimate that the musician saved up to 245 lives with his composition. In the text, he tells the story of a young man who overcomes black thoughts by calling the suicide prevention line, after which the song is named.
“I prayed that someone would save me. No one is a hero under any circumstances. People say that every life is worth it. But no one cared about me,” the American rapper Logic sings in his hit 1-800-273-8255. When the song, named after the American Suicide Prevention Line, was presented at the MTV Video Music Awards in 2017, the number of calls to that number increased by 50 percent during the show alone.
In addition, according to a new study published in the British Medical Journal, Logic’s composition contributed to a five-and-a-half drop in suicides among young Americans between the ages of ten and nineteen. The researchers noticed this positive effect in three periods: in the first 34 days after the single was released, during the aforementioned performance at MTV Awards, and finally during Logic’s performance at the Grammy Awards in 2018.
The researchers calculated that the rapper, with his hit, could save up to 245 teenagers in the above-mentioned periods, who would take their lives with an average suicide. “Celebrities can make a significant contribution to suicide prevention by communicating with their fans about the life crises they have experienced,” he told the station’s news website. CNN author of the study Thomas Niederkrotenthaler, professor of medicine at the University of Vienna.
“What inspired me to make the song was that I realized the impact my music could have on other people’s lives. I wanted to help others and was amazed that it really worked,” Logic said in response to the study.
The dark sides of life need to be talked about
In the text of the song 1-800-273-8255, it tells of a young man who is fighting suicidal thoughts. Instead of taking his own life, however, he eventually dials a helpline number and talks to a social worker played by R&B singer Alessia Cara.
“You have to persevere, even if the journey is still long. You have to find light even in the dark, and once you look at your reflection, you will finally find out who you really are. At that moment, you will thank God that you have done it,” Cara sings. in a rap hit.
Logic (real name Sir Robert Bryson Hall II) confided to CNN that he himself suffered from anxiety and depression in 2016 when he was on tour. According to him, he was dealing with mental problems by trying to spend more time with his wife and clarify his life priorities.
He also experienced several face-to-face meetings with fans who told him how his work had helped them feel better. He then wrote the song 1-800-273-8255 just a few months before several famous artists took their lives, becoming a symbol of hope.
“I no longer want to pretend to be someone I am not, and I believe that my sincerity resonates in people. Then they get the feeling that I am one of them. That’s why I think we need to talk openly about the dark side of life, depression and anxiety. “People will eventually know if you’re just pretending,” the rapper added.
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