A few years ago, I was just going through my usual Friday night routine: come home from school, listen to some “Blessthefall” songs until I fall asleep. My routine was coming to an end when, all of the sudden, my sister barged into the room. She took my headphones, and quickly raised them to her ears. She looked at me as if I had multiple heads. “Stop listening to this. Are you insane? Why don’t you listen to Pop music?” she asked. That’s when I realized that she didn’t understand how much Metal meant to me. Heck, most people don’t. Pop music only provides you with short-term happiness.  On the other hand, Metal can help you over obstacles, is more diverse than Bubblegum Pop, and it can help you become more comfortable in your own skin.

Firstly, Metal tends to help fans over more obstacles than Bubblegum Pop.  It does so by providing fans with a “helping hand”; someone that they can sympathize with. They tend to write about more “undesirable” topics such as death, depression, anger, loneliness, and abuse of all kinds, whereas bubblegum pop tend to ‘sugarcoat” those topics (if they even write about them). Metal also shows the reality of life; for example Metallica’s song “I Fade to Black” was written about the fact that though life may not seem as if it will get any better, it still doesn’t mean that you should kill yourself.

Secondly, Metal is a more diverse genre than Bubblegum Pop. Metal has hundreds of subgenres from “Evanescence” to “Slipknot”. Contrary to popular belief, not all Metal is satanic: there were so many Christian Metal bands that it became a subgenre (just search “Christian Metal”). Due to its diversity, Metal fans are more likely to find a song that they enjoy and cater to their specific issues. Researchers in Spain used a huge archive to study pop songs from 1955 to 2010; they found that Pop songs have only gotten louder and more homogenous to one another.

Lastly, Metal helps people become more comfortable in their own skin. Due to the fact that Metal isn’t as popular in North America; many fans of the genre go against the social norm, so it gives them a sense of identity/belonging. No one likes stepping outside of the status quo, but when they see that there are so many other people out there that can understand them it gives them the courage to be/express themselves. Bubblegum Pop sweeps all of these real issues under the rug, which leads people to think that these feelings aren’t normal; however, Metal bands openly sing about these topics showing fans that it’s perfectly okay to not be okay, and that it’s okay to be different.

With that being said, metal is more beneficial to fans than Pop music. However, I do admit that “ABC” can always cheer a person when they’re down, Metal music help them over obstacles, is more diverse than Bubblegum Pop, and can help you become more comfortable in your own skin. Try listening to one, today!