Pop music has always been defined as energetic and upbeat. It is a style that encourages good vibes and feelings, while not being too deep or complicated.

Anti-pop — as you might expect — is the exact opposite. After the youtuber Filthy Frank announced that he was leaving his channel to pursue his passion of music under the name of Joji, the five million subscribers of his channel helped spearhead this new genre.

Anti-pop is by definition sad and very deep, with lots of messages about pain and suffering. You would think that we would try to avoid putting ourselves in our feelings, but it seems to be the exact opposite. People love to listen to sad songs when upset, including me.

Surprisingly enough, it helps when people are upset.

The group known as 88rising took Joji under their wing and brought an amazing contrast to the music world. As well as a much-needed deviation from the massive presence of clout culture that dominates the music industry. With the rise of Joji, many other artists are now taking up this genre of music.

Music often reflects the culture of its society, and seeing as America is the world’s top country in the use of antidepressants, we are witnessing a huge societal shift.

More artists are now open about their problems and are trying to help those who have trouble speaking out about their issues. A larger notice of mental illness and other disorders have been given attention by a massive influence on the country.

Our odd taste for sad and depressing music has not only done good for people all around the world, it has brought a light onto a subject that is normally turned away from. So my advice — give anti-pop a listen. You might be surprised as to how goes it sounds.