Is “Anxiety” on Your Playlist?

“Anxiety, keep on tryin’ me
I feel it quietly, tryna silence me, yeah
Anxiety, shake it off of me
Somebody’s watchin’ me, it’s my anxiety, yeah (Brrah)

…And it’s like
I get this tightness in my chest
Like an elephant is standing on me
And I just let it take over”

— “Anxiety”, Doechii

Doechii is only the third woman to win a Grammy for Rap Album of the Year. A lot of that momentum came from her hit song “Anxiety,” which has been nominated for five Grammys! Sandra M. Chafouleas, Ph.D. writes in Psychology Today that “‘Anxiety’ nails both the physical and mental symptoms of anxiety,” and captures how many of us are feeling right now. The article also notes that, “families can use the song to talk about anxiety and healthy coping options.”

“The song and accompanying video work so well in showing exactly how anxiety feels in our bodies and minds,” Chafouleas writes. “When Doechii sings, ‘Breathing shallow, mind won’t settle / Tomorrow’s problems here today’, she is describing the hallmark features of anxiety. Think about quick and short breaths, racing thoughts, and worrying about things that haven’t happened yet. Anxiety feels like ‘Anxiety’ sounds, with brilliant mirroring of how the experience can hijack us.”

Also on rotation at many radio stations today is Haley Williams’ new single, which also speaks about mental health, including mental health treatment.

“For when the heart’s a sinking stone
That’s smashing, fusing to your bones
For when you’re crying at the sky
And losing all your appetite

Here come my genie in a screwcap bottle
To grant me temporary solace
I could never be without her
I had to write a song about her

Who am I without you now?

Mirtazapine
You make me eat, you make me sleep
Mirtazapine
You let me dream, you let me dream”

— “Mirtazapine,” Hayley Williams

The rocking ode to an antidepressant also known as Remeron® praises the medication and the relief it gives Paramore vocalist Williams, comparing it to “a genie in a screw cap bottle” and singing “I could never be without her/ I had to write a song about her/ Who am I without you now?”

A May 2025 article in Billboard noted a few other musicians who have been vocal about their mental health issues.

Chappell Roan’s rise to fame has not been without a few stumbles. The star used her 2025 Grammys acceptance speech to call for healthcare — including mental health — for artists. The Billboard articles notes, “the ‘Hot to Go’ singer revealed in an interview with The Guardian published Sept. 21, 2024 that she had been diagnosed with severe depression amidst her meteoric rise to fame and how it has changed her life. ‘I went to a psychiatrist last week because I was like, I don’t know what’s going on,’ she said, noting that she’s going to therapy twice a week. ‘She diagnosed me with severe depression — which I didn’t think I had because I’m not actually sad. But I have every symptom of someone who’s severely depressed.’”

Billie Eilish “might be on top of the world professionally, but her newfound fame led to depression and suicidal thoughts, she told Gayle King ahead of the 2020 Grammy Awards. ‘I was so unhappy last year … I was so unhappy and I was so, like, joyless. I didn’t ever think I would be happy again, ever,’ she said. ‘I don’t want to be too dark, but I genuinely didn’t think I would, like, make it to, like, 17.’”

These are only the latest in a long line of musicians who have been open and vocal about their struggles with mental health conditions. The Billboard article also talks about Big Sean, Charlie XCX, Bruce Springsteen and more.

If anxiety or any other mental health condition is interfering with your ability to get through your day, it may be best to reach out for help. A medical professional may recommend treatment, including talk therapy, medication and/or other strategies to help. And if you and your healthcare provider choose to treat your mental health condition with medication, it may be helpful to consider the GeneSight Test. This genetic test provides clinicians with insights into how a person’s genes may affect their metabolism and/or response to certain mental health medications. This additional information can be used as part of a comprehensive medical assessment to help clinicians make more informed prescribing decisions.

For more information about topics like this, please visit:

5 Ways to Manage Anxiety

How to identify an anxiety disorder

Meditation for Anxiety