For my final project, I would like to analyze the ways in which mental health is portrayed in modern music, with a focus upon hip-hop music. Related to the course, looking ahead, it appears that mental health issues may be a subtopic under the “disability” category, but I believe that it also likely relates to other categories, such as perhaps approaching the topic by considering the gendered components.
In recent years, several songs have emerged discussing mental health issues. 1-800-273-8255, the number for the suicide hotline, was the title of a popular song by Logic, Alessia Cara, and Khalid that discussed depression and other mental health issues. Other songs that come to mind, such as Before you Go by Lewis Capaldi, have also risen up the charts in recent years. Even going back to the 1990s, Jumper by Third Eye Blind also addresses issues of mental health, with an emphasis upon depression and raising suicide prevention. I believe that these songs go a long way towards lessening the stigma of mental health and making it more accessible to talk about openly and publicly. Therefore, I would like to analyze the purpose and meaning behind the creation of these songs, the musical qualities that make them so powerful, how they were received by fans and critics, and the overall impact that these songs have had on the music industry and society as a whole.
I think you’re right that this topic would fall under “disability” for the purposes of our course, but its also appropriate for the topic to intersect with gender. It’s a promising idea — just be sure you connect it explicitly to ideas discussed in class.