The Influence of Indie Music on a Teen’s Life
Written by: Cathy Li
Edited by: Sabrina Khan
Cover Image by Paige Wanniappa
What is indie music? I’m not going to give you the “textbook definition” from Wikipedia, but rather what I believe indie music means after being immersed in this community for years. Indie music is niche and authentic. It strays from the superficiality of mainstream media. More importantly, it brings people together and promotes connectionsthrough emotional, creative, and unconventional avenues. With the relatively recent rise of indie music (big thanks to social media for that), I wanted to address how indie music impacts a teenager’s life from personal experiences along with references to a few prominent indie music figures that you might even know!
Firstly, indie music has greatly influenced adolescents to adopt alternative lifestyles and fashion styles. Most people label this as the “indie aesthetic”, but I don’t think it necessarily needs a label. Indie music and the artists that embody this genre take the quote “be unique” to another level. There’s this idea of freedom in finding your identity, and I believe this is what teens have been able to slowly embrace and incorporate into their own lives: how they express themselves. When teens see these indie artists who aren’t afraid to explore – not only with their music but with how they live and what they wear – teens experiment as well. They break free of the typical fashion trends that are considered “socially accepted”. For example, indie movements have encouraged thrifting compared to the conventional ways of shopping for clothing (ie. luxury brands and fast fashion).
Secondly, I feel that indie music has played a big role in social and political movements; bringing awareness to topics like mental health, the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, women’s rights, and many more. By listening to these songs, teenagers can reflect and understand these issues. Especially today, where music has been so watered down; where teenagers are constantly stuck with those pop songs about break ups, society forgets how powerful and effective music can be in shedding light on crucial social and political issues. That’s the impact of indie music. For example, indie music has played a major role in normalizing things like being queer in pop culture. I want to talk about the artist “Girl in Red,” who also identifies as queer and most of her songs revolve around the feelings and experiences of being a part of that community. She gained popularity with her song “i wanna be your girlfriend,” and in 2018, it was placed 9th in New York Times list of "The 68 Best Songs of 2018." With nearly 500 million streams on Spotify, many of which are from young listeners, we see how these artists’ music can broaden teenagers' perspectives.
Lastly, I’ve seen – not only from my peers but also from my personal experiences – that many teenagers often find comfort in indie music. Similar to how everyone has their favourite go-to movie or their cozy comfort food – except it’s music. So much of indie music, especially indie pop, addresses topics such as love, identity, beauty, mental health, and so much more. These are all things that several teens may find relatable, making indie music so close to heart for so many people. Young teens are in one of their most vulnerable stages of their lives, and indie music reassures them and validates their feelings – no matter if it’s about their relationships or their current battles against mental health.
So, you might be wondering what was the purpose of this article when I practically spent this whole time glorifying the genre. Well, other than overanalyzing indie music’s very important role in a teenager’s life, I hope I have changed your perspective by highlighting the strength behind the seemingly simple lyrics of Indie music. So, indie music not only promotes freedom and acts upon social and political issues, but it’s also a place of comfort and care for teens. I encourage you to listen to some indie music and think about the new perspectives it has instilled in the world (if you haven’t already)!