What’s On Your Recovery Mix?

It’s Mix-Tape Monday at Face the Music Foundation and some of our staff have put together a choice playlist of songs that address addiction and mental health. Listen, enjoy and let us know what you think.

Fall Out Boy – Young and Menace

“Young and Menace” was the first single dropped before the release of Fall Out Boy’s newest album Mania which introduced us to their updated style that incorporates more EDM-style production and heavy-hitting percussion. The album has a running theme of mental health care throughout and this track has a very clear portrayal of what it means to have struggled and recognize mistakes of our past. The first verse even throws those of us in recovery a relatable bone, mentioning Nikki Sixx, band member of world-famous hair band Mötley Crüe, known for his best-selling memoir The Heroin Diaries which chronicles his battles with addiction. Outside of genuinely enjoying the new vibes of Fall Out Boy and the way this song gets us grooving, our staff feels that “Young and Menace” is a great example of what it means to accept our past in order to move on to the future. LISTEN HERE.

Cardi B – Be Careful [Explicit]

Seemingly out of nowhere, Cardi B exploded onto the music scene last year and quickly dominated. The release of her second album Invasion of Privacy gave us some of the hottest hits of 2018 thus far. “Be Careful” is one of our picks for a broken heart – the music is very subdued with a soft, modern samba beat under Cardi B’s lyrics which are calling out an ex for mistreatment while reminding herself of what she deserves in a relationship. Music can be the best medicine for a break up and we find “Be Careful” to be just what the doctor ordered due to the vulnerability she exhibits about her feelings of the situation and the admission that she will no longer settle for sub-standard love. LISTEN HERE.

Shawn Mendes featuring Julia Michaels – Like to Be You

Too often, popular love songs are rooted in codependency and fantasy depictions of what it means to be in a relationship. Luckily, this 2018 hit duet off Shawn Mendes’ self-titled album paints a relatively healthy and realistic picture of committed romance. The music itself is gentle, fingerpicking of the guitar which accompanies both his and Julia Michaels’ voices so perfectly, lulling us into a state of relaxation in the midst of lyrics which are internal monologues of an arguing couple. Mendes and Michaels are singing about real fears and insecurities that arise within relationships but are taking a healthy approach to settling the issues by placing themselves in the other’s shoes. Our staff highly recommends this ballad as not only a beautiful song to enjoy, but also a lesson in love. LISTEN HERE.

Demi Lovato – Sober

There couldn’t be a more appropriate song for those of us struggling with the confusion, guilt, and shame associated with a current or past relapse. Demi Lovato encapsulated the feelings of relapse in sobriety in both the lyrics and the music; she apologizes to her loved ones and questions what went wrong with haunting repetitions of the chorus comprised simply of her voice and piano. We believe this song can help anyone gain an emotional understanding of what a relapse is like for the addict who has experienced sobriety and serve as a reminder for those of us in recovery that we could use at any moment if we don’t stay vigilant. LISTEN HERE.

Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line – Meant to Be

This pop and country cross-over is one of the catchiest tunes of the year (trust us, you’ll catch yourself humming it randomly) and has a great message too! The artists sing to us in the chorus, “If it’s meant to be, it’ll be, it’ll be, baby just let it be,” and that’s the kind of attitude our staff is taking this year – just put in the work, let the results go, and if it’s meant to happen, it will. We’ve been rockin’ this single since its release and can’t help but want to slip on our cowboy boots and start dancing every time it comes on. LISTEN HERE.

Drake – God’s Plan [Explicit]

We can’t talk about the year thus far without mentioning Drake’s hit “God’s Plan” from his Scary Hours EP. The song broke streaming records on multiple platforms and topped the Billboard charts for months. We had to include this jam in our list not only for its wild and instant popularity, but also the attitude in the lyrics and feelings we get while listening to it. Drake’s beat and flow are hypnotizing and when we start singing along with him, we pick up that “f*ck the haters” demeanor and start living our best life without worrying about the judgement of others. LISTEN HERE.

The Wonder Years – Pyramids of Salt [Explicit]

Pop-punk powerhouse The Wonder Years released their album Sister Cities this year full of songs that address heavy issues such as addiction, depression, and powerlessness in relationships. “Pyramids of Salt” will have you screaming the chorus with the lead singer as he realizes that he can’t stop his friend from deteriorating right before his eyes, no matter how much he tries to control the situation. The music makes amazing use of dynamic changes and instrumentation to further encourage our emotional investment, as if the lyrics weren’t enough to do so. Sometimes we all just need an overly emotional song to yell along to while driving down the highway with the windows down, and this is it. LISTEN HERE.

Kanye West and Kid Cudi – Reborn

Hip hop artists Kanye West and Kid Cudi teamed up and released a collaborative album this summer titled Kids See Ghosts which was a reflection of the healing process of mental illness from which both artists openly suffer. The music is exactly what you would expect from a Kanye/Cudi collaboration: a chill beat with an old timey piano sample coupled with rapping that is seemingly melodic. “Reborn” is an anthem for anyone fighting for their lives; the lyrics chronicle these men’s pasts and all the pain they experienced from their once untreated mental health issues and how they made it to the other side. They’ve both been transformed for the better and use the chorus of this track to remind themselves and urge their listeners to “keep movin’ forward.” LISTEN HERE.