# data[].attributes.body
Lastly, three more pop artists that have inspiring songs include Akon, G-Eazy, and Kehlani. In his song "Freedom" Akon tells the story about how his parents immigrated to America and fought with everything they had in order to give him his freedom. In the opening verse, Akon sings "From Senegal West Africa / To St. Louis, Missouri / Thanks to Catherine Dana / For giving my pops his glory / He came down with his drum / And a dream to change the world / In a free uplifting world / And that's all he ever want .../ Did the best with what they had / He knew the world was out for grabs / And he searched to find his / Freedom, freedom, freedom, (oh) freedom." This is a heartfelt song that can speak especially to those that either immigrated themselves or whose families immigrated to the US. It is encouragement that the world can be what you make of it and to enjoy being free. Additionally, the song "Good Life" by G-Eazy and Kehlani builds on this theme by singing about all the reasons to be grateful in life and to shoot for your dreams. They make a point that the journey of life only gets better with friends and to block out people standing in your way!

# data[].attributes.body
In this 2017 single, Logic, Alessia Cara, and Khalid sing a very sad, but touching song encouraging youth, or people of all ages for that matter, that depression is something that is extremely difficult to live with, but it can, and will, get better. The song's title is the suicide prevention hotline to raise awareness of the widespread illness. The song starts out very dark featuring lyrics from the perspective of someone that is deeply depressed and finds no meaning in life. However, as the song progresses, the singer begins to find the light at the end of the tunnel in life and realizes that things can get better and people love them. In the middle of the song, Logic sings "I know where you been, where you are, where you goin' /  I know you're the reason I believe in life / What's the day without a little night? / I'm just tryna shed a little light / It can be hard / It can be so hard / But you gotta live right now / You got everything to give right now." This is from the perspective of someone trying to help anyone struggling to see the value in life. Then, from a first person perspective, the individual in question responds "I finally wanna be alive (finally wanna be alive) / Pain don't hurt the same, I know /The lane I travel feels alone / But I'm moving 'til my legs give out / And I see my tears melt in the snow / But I don't wanna cry / I don't wanna cry anymore / I wanna feel alive / I don't even wanna die anymore." Being in high school when this song released, I know for a fact it was popular and did in fact encourage lots of people to be brave and seek help from others or just help them see the light in life.

# data[].attributes.headline
"Ay Haiti!" - Alejandro Sanz, Shakira, Enrique Iglesias, +27 more!

# data[].attributes.subject
"Ay Haiti!" - Alejandro Sanz, Shakira, Enrique Iglesias, +27 more!

# data[].attributes.body
The song "Ay Haiti!" was released in the year 2010 and features over 30 Latin American superstar artists collaborating to produce, write, and sing their own song to raise money for Haiti after their devastating earthquake. 100% of the money made by this song goes to helping Haiti which I think is amazing. It's a bonus to listen to a great, catchy song too! Some of the most moving lyrics to me include "Hay tierras que no tienen sueños / Hay tierras que tiemblan de miedo / Hay tierras que quieren paz /Haiti solo quiere ser normal ... Hay amor / Hay en ti / Y en mi voz / Ay Haiti" which translates to "There are lands that do not have dreams /  There are lands that tremble with fear / There are lands that want peace / Haiti just wants to be normal ... / There's love / It is in you / And in my voice /Ay Haiti" The artists are displaying their compassion for the third world country that was devastated by a horrible natural disaster. They highlight that many countries have dreams and so many things they take for granted, but Haiti just wants to be normal. They just want to be able to live happily, period. Which is why it is so great to see artists raise so much relief money for the country and do it in such an inspiring way to other people all around the world.

# data[].attributes.body
Selena Gomez is an artist who has been at the center of encouragement for young listeners to lead a happy life, even if they are dealing with things like depressions or other mental illnesses. In this hit song, she sings about having to let go of someone very dear to her in her life because of the toxicity that existed between them and caused her to spiral in a depressed state of mind for a couple years. She sings, "I gave my all and they all know it / You turned me down and now it's showing / In two months, you replaced us / Like it was easy / Made me think I deserved it / In the thick of healing, yeah" This shows the scarring she got from her being forced to think she was the root of the problem and that she caused it, even though, in reality, she was the victim of psychological abuse. The chorus of the song rings and resonates with her audience when she sings "I needed to lose you to love me." On her album Rare, she follows this song up with how she recovered and is triumphing over this mindset in a more upbeat song called "Look at Her Now." She performed these two songs back to back at the AMA's in 2019, where the duality can be very well seen working together! (linked below if you'd like to watch)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Selena Gomez - AMAs 2019 Performance (Lose You To Love Me - Look At Her Now)

# data[].attributes.body
The following songs are more pop feels, instead of rap, and encourage young kids of all races and genders to be happy and focus on themselves in life! They include artists like Selena Gomez, Akon, G-Eazy, Kehlani, and some international artists too!

# data[].attributes.body
These three artists are also featured on my playlist for songs highlighting racial injustice and hopeful encouragement for change. "Dark Skin" by KB is a more positive song that encourages people of color to not be ashamed of who they are or what they look like, but instead wear it proudly. He also brings in God and the Church to encourage people they'll get through their tough times and to just keep fighting. "The Adventures of Moon Man and Slim Shady" by Kid Cudi & Eminem is a longer song that gives more of the effect that it is possible to become successful even with undesirable circumstances, and that making positive choices along the way will expedite that process. Lyrics that exemplify this include "They say time's undefeated / I'ma be the first one who can beat it (Yeah)  ... / Got a lil' green (Yeah), but I don't do weed (Nope) ... / Separate yourself from those who try to pull you down." Lastly, Kanye West's "Wash Us in the Blood" is more of a religious song and emphasizes the struggles that the Black community faces in everyday life. Yet, this song is unique in its entirety as the solution Kanye offers is the chorus when he says "Holy Spirit, come down (come take) / Holy Spirit, come down (come down) / Holy Spirit, help now (way down) / Holy Spirit, help now (uh, uh)."

# data[].attributes.body
"Neighbors" is a great song by rapper J. Cole highlighting many stereotypes within the African American community in the US. The song begins and repeats by saying "I guess the neighbors think I'm sellin' dope, sellin' dope / Yeah, the neighbors think I'm sellin' dope, sellin' dope." This theme persists showing that Cole is saying the people around him are making assumptions based on his race and stereotypes. The stanza that was most impactful when I heard the song was "Some things you can't escape / Death, taxes, and a ra-cist society that make / Every n**** feel like a candidate / For a Trayvon kinda fate / Even when your crib sit on a lake / Even when your plaques hang on a wall / Even when the president jam your tape." Cole is describing that a racist society will always persist around him no matter how famous or successful he (or the listener) becomes. He even mentions Trayvon Martin, a 17 year old African American boy killed by the police. Even if the President himself listens to J. Cole's music, Cole is saying even he can't escape the racism all around him. Hopefully, this song highlights the inequalities present and invokes people to want to change.

# data[].attributes.headline
"Pray For Me" - The Weeknd + Kendrick Lamar

# data[].attributes.subject
"Pray For Me" - The Weeknd + Kendrick Lamar

# data[].attributes.body
"Pray for Me" is on the Black Panther soundtrack, and in my opinion, is the best song on the album both for its rhythm and meaning. At the start of the song, the lyrics sing "Tell me who's gon' save me from myself / When this life is all I know /Tell me who's gon' save me from this hell." Here, the Weeknd is asking who is going to save themselves from destructive tendencies. Especially when people only know one lifestyle, it becomes extremely difficult to break that cycle and become a happier, healthier, or more successful individual. Another meaningful stanza includes "I fight pain and hurricanes, today I wept / I'm tryna fight back tears, flood on my doorsteps / Life a livin' hell, puddles of blood in the streets / Shooters on top of the building, government aid ain't relief." These lyrics are a double entendre. The first meaning is related to the movie and Wakanda. T'Challa is from the kingdom of Wakanda, a hidden country in Africa that is very technologically advanced. The hurricanes and floods on his doorsteps are the world's problems that keep getting thrown onto his country. The second meaning applies to real life where, again, people that are born into a poor and violent, cyclical lifestyle have to face a living hell with friends dying in the streets and the government thinking they're helping with aid, even if that isn't real change or relief. We have to work and fight together to make real change.

# data[].attributes.body
"This is America" won a Grammy award for Song of the Year in 2019 and highlights many of racial tensions within the United States. Lyrics such as "Yeah, this is America / Guns in my area / I got the strap (ayy, ayy) / I gotta carry 'em" is alluding to the fact that gun violence is a major issue in poorer areas, but also that young people in these areas feel like they need to carry them for protection. Thus, creating the issue of widespread violence. The ending stanza of the song goes "You just a black man in this world/ You just a barcode, ayy / You just a black man in this world / Drivin' expensive foreigns, ayy / You just a big dawg, yeah / I kenneled him in the backyard / No proper life to a dog / For a big dog." This is emphasizing the poor treatment of African Americans, specifically in the US, and comparing them to being able to be bought (barcode) and kenneled (controlled). Even for famous people like Gambino (a big dog), it's still present. The music video for this song is an amazing visual aide to what the lyrics are saying, and includes some heart wrenching scenes that emphasize the inequality and brutality that some of America faces on a daily basis. (The 1:50 mark is a very sad visualization of gun violence in America).

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Childish Gambino - This Is America (Official Video)

# data[].attributes.body
The following songs feature iconic artists such as Kendrick Lamar, Childish Gambino, J. Cole, and more to emphasize the struggles and changes they want to see in the world.

# data[].attributes.body
All the songs below have a lot of value when reading further into the lyrics. Follow the flow chart to learn more! They are also linked here to an hour long playlist on Spotify!