Anxiety Within....
Spotify Playlist:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3Jz3Z8fgtjTH81CjJbQ0Tr?si=wcdAir8ESWOOHM0_CiKM7ALinks to an external site.

1. The Neighbourhood: Wiped Out!
In 2013, The Neighbourhood released Sweater Weather which turned out to be the hit 
song that brought popularity to this band. This song was released previously before Wiped Out! 
Made its debut. Wiped Out! Is an alternative rock/r&b music album. There are various 
instruments used like piano, guitar, and unique sound effects. In this album the tone completely 
changed with more melancholy songs about Jesse Rutherford’s personal life and his tribulations 
in his youth. In the Rolling Stone article it mentions, “But the warmth of “Sweater Weather” and 
the rest of the Neighbourhood’s debut album is gone on Wiped Out!” (Rolling Stone). Daddy 
Issues is a prime example of how harmful it can be to live without a father which ties in with the 
suburban gothic’s theme of the nuclear family. The article Song Meanings and Facts states, “And 
more macrocosmically, the singer then proceeds to identify with all victims of such an 
upbringing, as personified by the “little boy” who is also referenced in the refrain” (Song 
Meanings). Growing up without a father can impact someone’s life even when the father dies 
because it leaves a void in your heart making you wonder why he left which can manifest into 
trust issues for the future. Most of the time our first heartbreak comes from a childhood love but the pain is even more depressing when the first person to break your heart is your father. Songs 
within this album create a sense of melancholy caused by older generations leaving wounds on 
the newer generations causing some to repeat the pattern of absent love. The Beach is also a song that can be interpreted as feeling tired of everything and wanting to leave everything in this world behind. There is a lyric within this song that talks about feeling sick and just wanting to go 
home which can be relatable to most teenagers who want to give up and find alternative ways to feel euphoric. 

2.Evanescensce: Fallen
Fallen was one of Evanescensce’s breakthrough albums that helped revolutionize the 
rock genre music. The use of the piano mixed with the drums and guitar with slow lyrics 
changed the perspective of what the rock genre incorporates. In the Better call creative album it 
shows, “The most obvious difference is the female lead of Amy Lee allowing the band to have 
softer tones whilst also creating these darker & twisted songs as well” (Better call creative). Amy 
Lee’s vocals paved the way for more female rock artists to present their music to others. At first 
some of the songs on this album start with very soft melodies like lullabies and then there is a 
shift to rock. My immortal was one of my favorite songs in this album because of how relatable it is when you would do anything for someone you love even if they wouldn’t do the same for you, 
but it is too hard to let them go. This feeling of unrequited love may come from a past 
relationship or even a friendship that ended due to the emotions being one sided. Bring me to life depicts how it feels to be dead inside and needing someone to be the light in your life again. A background male voice echoing the desires of the lead singer make the song feel like a 
conversation between two broken people. The songs in this album let the listeners know that they are not alone and feeling empty can be overwhelming, but the feeling doesn’t forever.

3.Billie Eilish: When we all fall asleep, where do we go?
In this hip hop/pop album released by Billie Eilish in 2019 there is tone shift within the 
starting songs. Previous albums depicted how it feels to fall in love or being powerful while this 
album talks about unrequited love and being the one in control of others. The Guardian 
mentions, “Her voice is soft, lilting and sweet, though she’s not afraid to push it through odd, 
squelching effects either” (The Guardian). This citation provides details on how Eilish sings with 
a soft voice, but it is lyrics with darker meanings. The use of random sound effects compiled 
from her normal life, piano, and drums all contribute to the success of this album when singing 
about her raw emotions. Bad Guy shows how Billie Eilish would put herself in certain situations 
where she is the one in control. In this song Eillish is the one who has the power to manipulate 
others into doing what she wants and having control of the outcome. Bury a friend also ties in 
with the suburban gothic on murder and death from the people you least expect. This song 
depicts how it feels to hypothetically get rid of a friend after they betray you. In the Genius 
article it mentions, “The album is basically what happens when you fall asleep. For me, in every 
song in the album there’s sleep paralysis. There’s night terrors, nightmares, lucid dreams…” 
(Genius). This album gives the audience the perspective of being the monster from our 
nightmares and describes the perpetrator’s thought process while having intrusive thoughts that 
don’t go away.

4. Lana Del Rey: Born to die
Lana Del Rey’s Born to die album contributed to her successful music career after 
Summertime Sadness became a hit. In the article by Discover music it states, “Raw and 
perfectly sculpted, Lana infused every moment with uncensored emotion, tapping into 
her fans’ feelings at the same time” (Discover music). This quote explains how Lana Del 
Rey’s honesty in her songs resonates with her fans. For example, most of the time 
Summer is shown as having the best time of your life and just letting go off all the stress 
but this song is the complete opposite since it talks about being sad during a time where 
most people are having fun. With the song Summertime Sadness the listeners can relate to 
feeling lonely and in distress while everyone around is having the best time of their lives. 
This album is part of the ballad genre and uses the piano and guitar to evoke feelings of 
regret and depression. Blue Jeans shows how a pretty face can hide the most terrifying 
emotions that we simply ignore because the person is attractive. The same way Connie 
fell for Arnold’s lies and attractiveness is how Lana del Rey describes this song. Seeking 
love somewhere else because it is not provided at home can lead to many dangerous 
situations that could have been avoided with the right amount of attention from our 
parents.

5. The Bravery: The Sun and the Moon
 The Sun and the Moon rock album includes piano, guitar, and background vocals 
that add a sense of false reality when listening to the songs. In the article by Pop Matter it states, “The Bravery, on the other hand, are a major label wolf in sheepish indie rock clothing” (Pop 
Matters). This quote could be described as a metaphor for the dark topics that The Bravery sing 
about while using calm melodies. Time won’t let me go is one of those songs that emphasize 
regret about the past and wanting to go back to change the outcome. This song connects to the 
suburban gothic genre by wanting to change something from the past thinking it would make 
things better in the future. For example, wanting to return to a situation without wasting any time could lead to a great opportunity. Above and below has a more obscure topic by discussing 
suicide ideation but staying alive with a little bit of hope left. Society has implemented the idea of suicide having a bad connation but even the happiest of people who smile daily could be the 
most depressed. Also, this connects to people who have desires of wanting to commit suicide but deep down they know they won’t jump. In the Healthline article it mentions, “It has the power to change moods and help people process their feelings” (Healthline). This quote can help reflect how depressed human beings can continue to push through their daily struggles after listening to music that gives them hope about the future. People may feel more hopeful to keep living and surviving every day because no one knows what the future may hold

                                                                  Works Cited
Turner, David. “Wiped Out! “Sweater Weather” crew chill out, lose the plot”. 
RollingStone(2015). Wiped Out! - Rolling Stone https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/wiped-out-89160/?msclkid=bec0f2dfd09511ec83767765ee7eccd5Links to an external site. 

“Evanescence, Fallen Album Review:”. Bettercallcreative (2020). Evanescence, Fallen 
Album Review: – Better Call Creative https://bettercallcreative.com/evanescence-fallen-album-review/?msclkid=08531046d09711ec9db97b5e5e2e378cLinks to an external site. 

Joshi, Tara. “Billie Eilish: When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? review – a 
hugely assured debut”. The Guardian (2019). Billie Eilish: When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? review – a hugely assured debut | Pop and rock | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/mar/31/billie-eilish-when-we-all-fall-asleep-where-do-we-go-review?msclkid=c1406dc6d09711ecaa162ee738eb4643Links to an external site. 

Forbes, Sorrell. “’Born To Die’: Behind Lana Del Rey’s Life-Changing Debut Album”. 
Udiscovermusic(2022). ‘Born To Die’: Behind Lana Del Rey’s Life-Changing Debut Album 
(udiscovermusic.com) https://www.udiscovermusic.com/stories/lana-del-rey-born-to-die-album/?msclkid=dc9c80ced09811ec947b73e7860205b6Links to an external site. 

Keefe, Micheal. “THE BRAVERY: THE SUN AND THE MOON”. PopMatters (2007).
The Bravery: The Sun and the Moon | PopMatters https://www.popmatters.com/the-bravery-the-sun-and-the-moon-2496240181.html?msclkid=b7fefe65d09911ec93bc1dd276ce1728Links to an external site. 

Stanborough, Rebecca. “The Benefits of Listening to Music”. Healthline (2020). 
Benefits of Music on Body, Mind, Relationships & More (healthline.com) https://www.healthline.com/health/benefits-of-musicLinks to an external site. 

London, Amanda. “’Daddy Issues” by The Neighbourhood’”. SongMeanings + Facts (2022). 
"Daddy Issues" by The Neighbourhood - Song Meanings and Facts https://www.songmeaningsandfacts.com/daddy-issues-by-the-neighbourhood/Links to an external site. 

Genius. “WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO”. Genius (2019). 
Billie Eilish - https://genius.com/albums/Billie-eilish/When-we-all-fall-asleep-where-do-we-goLinks to an external site. 

                                          Suburban Gothic Craft Essay: Music Playlist
The Suburban Gothic genre impacts various media to portray a melancholy state of mind. With 
portrayal in film, music, and writing, the exposure of predators attracting the attention of their 
victims is all created using aphoria and ethos. The Suburban Gothic is popular in the film 
industry but music lets the audience take in dive into the subconscious of the perpetrator. Music 
has the power to analyze the thought process to a plethora of intrusive thoughts inside the mind 
of a “monster”. Artists like Billie Eilish, The Neighbourhood, and much more pave a way in the 
music industry to write songs about grim lifestyles. A prime example on how to describe this 
genre is by discussing about what happens behind closed doors. Absent parents to abusive 
relationships are all part of society’s ignored dilemmas. The music playlist genre model is the 
prominent way to implement the emotions of sadness and make the listeners interact with 
different perspectives. Therefore, the music playlist is preeminently the most accurate way to 
demonstrate the impact of the Suburban Gothic genre because of the way the genres connect 
about pain and tragedy. 
       To continue, a way to connect with the audience is by using rhetorical elements like aphoria, 
ethos, and logos. In the Wiped Out! Album by The Neighbourhood the rhetorical choice to assert doubt in oneself by adding aphoria in the songs with lyrics that show how even the artist doesn’t 
always know what he feels. Doubting yourself because of past relationships creating trust issues 
in the future is a way to explain why some people are more naturally vulnerable in situations that pose danger. This also combines with the choice of ethos since predators use trust to manipulate anyone who believes their lies. Ethos is one of the biggest parts of the Suburban Gothic since the “monsters” in this genre make the victims trust them first before they make any deceitful move 
against them. Such idea is shown in the album When we fall asleep, where do we go? By Billie 
Eilish with the song Bad Guy when Eilish portrays herself as a innocent girl who wouldn’t do 
harm but in reality she is the one in control of the situations with older men. Using charm to 
captivates someone’s attention can also be seen in the story “Where are you going, Where have 
you been?” where Arnold who is a grown man uses his looks and charisma to trap Connie into 
his web of lies, eventually manipulating her into doing whatever he desires. Daddy Issues by The 
Neighbourhood mixes with the theme of the Suburban Gothic due to the fact that absent parents create lonely children who go out to find temporary love that they lack from a young age. Logos on the other hand, uses intelligence and the intellectual ability to use one’s thoughts against them. In the album Fallen by Evanescence this thought comes to live when the song My Immortal talks about the love that she has for the other person, but the other person knows how to string her along just enough to keep her around. Also, in the book IT Pennywise uses his logic about vulnerable children to make Georgie genuinely believe that the clown wants to be his friend and return his boat with the exchange of Georgie going down into the sewer with him. All of these rhetorical choices that are subconsciously imposed in the Suburban Gothic genre make the audience aware of what the attackers do to take advantage of their targets. 
           The audience for the music playlist that manifests itself in a way that young teenagers and people in their early twenties can relate to the hardships that make society mature at a young age. Listening to this kind of music that talks about a range of topics like daddy issues, unrequited love, and suicide ideation is not something the general public can relate to. Teenagers and young adults are among the group that goes through the ups and downs of life at an early age causing them to be the audience for this music. For example, many films that depict teenagers in their natural setting include depressing songs by Lana Del Rey and The Bravery. Also, the population of the younger generations like Gen Z are increasing to the point where we will be the ones with the most influence on the world at some point. Not knowing what the future holds for them and dealing with personal issues at the same time can manifest itself in anxiety and depression. Over time once we grow up and see there are more positives in life in comparison to the negatives is when the mentality of feeling alone shifts into a enthusiastic mentality. Due to brains not being fully developed before the age of 25 can lead young adults to put themselves in risky situations without fully analyzing the danger it imposes. The combination of anxiety about the future and worries about the present make young adults the leading audience for the Suburban Gothic music playlist. 
         Genre conventions within the music playlist vary from emo to gothic or R&B. Emotional 
hardcore would be the best fit for the music playlist since it contains artists like Billie Eilish and 
Lana Del Rey. Writing about the hardships of feeling alone in times of need and feeling sick 
from the life they are currently living are just parts of what the Surburban Gothic genre contains. 
In the song The Beach by The Neighbourhood a sense of loneliness and not wanting to talk about it with anyone adds on to this genre of the fear of being alone. Genre subversions also dictate the kind of audience the Suburban gothic attracts because it depicts horror and tragedy. The Suburban Gothic genre targets the outliers of the story and the younger population who are the most vulnerable with their own emotions. In the Suburban Gothic stories the victim has a sad past that shows the audience why that character acts the way they do. Young people are 
characterized as risk takers who don’t care about the outcome considering they don’t have 
anyone they need to take care of. This exhibits why characters like Connie and Georgie make for 
the best victims due to their lack of life experiences to differentiate between good and bad.

          To conclude, the music playlist is composed of the representations of tragedy and pain felt within the Suburban Gothic genre. The same pain felt from the victims and outliers from the Suburban gothic can also be felt by the listeners of emo and gothic music that is played within the playlist genre model. Even though the Suburban Gothic genre can be represented in divergent forms the music playlist genre model is the most accurate way to connect the audience with the experiences felt through an auditory form. Music has a way of connecting more directly with the listeners because of the environment it puts you through and the way the listener loses 
themselves in their own thoughts. Combining the Suburban Gothic genre and a music playlist is 
the best way to connect dark romance and horror. Listening to the problems built into society and how the pattern continues to strive instead of breaking free from the toxic ideologies within the world is the premier way to advocate while learning more about this genre.

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