There have been multiple artists that have helped me and make me the person I am today but the one band who started it was 5 Seconds of Summer. Before you go and start judging, hear me out about how I came across this band.

 In 2011, I was in a major battle with depression and anxiety. Every day was a struggle to get through because all I saw was black and white no color or happiness. There wasn't anything that cheered me up.  I was always a sour puss and a Debbie downer. Also at school I didn't have very many friends and was an outcast. I felt as if I was on an island by myself drifting off into darkness.

Then in 2012, my mom wanted to move to Georgia, which meant that my mom and dad would have to go back to court and fight for custody. So that made my depression worse because it was picking your favorite parent and I didn't want to hurt anyone, plus I would be split from half of my family for the majority of the year. It was a constant battle for both sides of my family and I.  In the end my mom won and I packed everything I had and moved to a completely different state.

In the summer of 2013, there was a day where I felt completely defeated and decided to listen to the radio to pass the time until I fell asleep. As I laid there on my bed listening to music and over thinking I heard a song called ‘Amnesia’ and for the first time in a really long time I felt understood and accepted; so I did a little research on the band. Now before this I was not a huge fangirl for bands besides Good Charlotte and Green Day they will always be on my favorite band list but 5 Seconds of Summer will always be my #1.

I thought that this band was another boy band that only cared about girls and money, but I was so wrong. The four members Luke Hemmings (lead vocals, guitarist), Michael Clifford (lead guitarist, vocals), Calum Hood (vocals, bassist), and Ashton Irwin (drummer, vocals) are anything but ordinary. I connected with them instantly because they understand what it's like to be the last one chosen in gym class, they know what it feels like when people make fun of you; so they incorporate that into their music. Whenever I listen to their music or their interviews I don't feel like a reject and I don't get made fun of, I feel like I'm right where I'm supposed to be. Especially in their new album ‘Sounds Good Feels Good’ they make sure to emphasize the point of when you are in the 5SOSFam you can be whoever you want to be, doesn't matter if you have green hair and a lip piercing or wear skirts and have a flower crown, we all love everyone the same.

Not only did they help me with accepting myself and all my flaws, but they also lead me to other artists who help me become a better me. Some of the other artists/bands are Halsey, Twenty One Pilots, Panic! At The Disco, and One Direction. They all taught me a similar message.

5SOS taught me it's okay to be an outcast and to embrace my flaws, Halsey taught me to fight for what I believe in and to love whoever I want, Twenty One Pilots taught me that having a mental illness isn't the end of the world and I can ‘Stay alive’, Panic! taught me that going crazy sometimes is perfectly normal and One Direction just has awesome music in general. Everyone listed has impacted my life in a positive way.

As of today I’m not cured of depression or anxiety but I am much more stable now than I was before. Also I'm not the one to judge based on your interests and I’m not so insecure of my mental illnesses, but now I embrace them because they make me who I am. Without the music those artists provide, I’m not sure I would have gotten better and they have made me wiser than I was before.