Last Updated on March 24, 2023
Most people experience anxiety because of drastic changes in their personal lives, such as a change in societal status, the death of a loved one, weight loss or weight gain, a stressful job, etc. In some instances, songs about anxiety might seem like there is no respite.
I have been there and turned to music as a form of therapy that worked positively. However, music has always been a form of self-therapy for many people. Music known as songs about anxiety has offered much-needed relief in a major way for me.
To help you manage your anxiety and make the days bearable and fun, here are some amazing songs about living with anxiety that I have found helpful. These songs will resonate with you and might help you come out of the anxiety situation.
1. Breathin – Ariana Grande
This song was released in 2018, and this was actually after the Manchester bombing incident. The song makes you feel overwhelmed and overdone, and your only focus is your breathing. The song addresses the issues of life that result in feeling overwhelmed.
It describes a situation where you want at least one thing to go right and give you that temporary relief even as you breathe to suppress the anxiety.
2. Help – The Beatles
First released in 1965, Help is a very influential song by this iconic band. There is no doubt that this song is about feelings of anxiety. The song is about someone feeling helpless and the gratitude they experience when someone notices they have anxiety.
The lyrics are catchy and exhibit a lot of pain. Paul Mccartney confirmed that the lyrics to this song are based on real life. McCartney was able to allow listeners a glimpse into the actual emotions in the song.
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3. Crawling – Linkin Park
When you listen to Chester Bennington belting out the lyrics to this song, you can’t help noticing how riddled the song is with depression and anxiety. Released in 2001, Crawling has this evocative lyrics that nail that feeling of insecurity that most people have in their skins.
Listening to this song also reminds you of the pain of anxiety and creating that ever-present wound that never seems to heal. This song is more about venting out these feelings and not exactly expressing the lack of normal functionality.
4. Basket Case – Green Day
In this song, released in 1994, Billie Joe Armstrong expressed his anxiety disorder. He created this song to alleviate his anxiety right before his panic disorder diagnosis. In the song, he says how his mind plays tricks on him and how he creeps himself out.
The anxiety then becomes so bad that he freaks out because he experiences these emotions daily. This is a perfect anxiety song that mirrors what people go through in their daily life. It resonates with people whose anxiety is a major problem for them.
5. Unwell – Matchbox 20
Even though Matchbox 20 doesn’t sing much about mental health, Unwell, released in 2003, is one exception that talks about not feeling crazy but just a little unwell. It describes the feeling of a lack of sleep when someone is on the road to experiencing a breakdown.
It also describes that feeling of being unsure about exactly where the problem is in your life and touches on paranoia. If you have anxiety as a problem, this song effectively echoes your feelings.
6. Paranoid – Black Sabbath
This is one classic released in 1970 whose main focus is paranoia. This song describes paranoia so well and how the thoughts contribute a lot to the problem. You get to see how someone feels insane when they can’t find a way to bar an intrusive thought from happening.
The song expresses some main parts of an anxiety experience, especially where the listener recognizes what feeling out of control is like. This is one song that effectively talks about anxiety.
7. Rose Colored Boy – Paramore
This is a lovely song with a dancey vibe, and an amazing beat, as all Paramore songs go. You can’t help but notice that the lyrics are about feigned happiness when sadness overwhelms you. The dramatization of the song is also powerful, where Hayley William depicts a struggling news anchor.
She finds herself in an enclosed chamber of screens asking her to “smile more,” “drink more coffee,” and “be happy.” It doesn’t take much to trigger her because the anger builds up, and she explodes. This song is the classic tale of how anxiety turns into anger and how someone eventually blows up.
8. The World At Large – Modest Mouse
Identifying with this song will be easy for people with anxiety problems from being stuck in a loop. The singer depicts a situation where they are stuck in a pattern of starting over every time with intrusive thoughts and unable to break out. If you have ever been hampered from moving on because of anxiety, this song will ring so true.
9. Waving Through A Window – Dear Evan Hansen
This is one of those musicals that best depicts some kind of high school anxiety that could be disturbing for those who can identify it. It is a great song about social anxiety, and it features not only the discomfort and stress that comes with feeling like you are invisible but it also comes with the sad feeling that comes with being outside the circle looking in. This song will speak to you if you feel anxious in group setups.
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10. American Screams – Arkells
During an interview, Arkells said this song was inspired by the anxiety they experienced while touring the country. In the song, they talk about how they drove around in various states and how they saw the apocalyptic billboards with messages about the end of the world and God. If you have anxiety about the unknown, then you will find this song quite recognizable.
11. Overkill – Colin Hay
Have you ever experienced that anxiety that prompted you to wander around town because your brain refuses to relax? That has happened to me. Overkill is one song that will speak to you. This song by Colin Hay has been featured in an episode of the series, Scrubs. It is a very relatable song for you or anyone who has spent much time overthinking. Overthinking is just for trivial things that shouldn’t cause you to overthink in the first place. This is a song you will best identify with if you are in such a situation.
12. Anxiety – Jason Isbell
If you have problems with anxiety preventing you from enjoying the moment, this song has you covered. Jason Isbell sings these lyrics about his struggles with social engagements and his marital woes. In this song, he beautifully depicts how panic attack moments happen. With the main aim of enabling anxiety listeners to know that someone understands their pain, this song did it successfully.
13. Flagpole Sitta – Harvey Danger
If there is a song that laments about various things about life, from losing faith to heartache, this is it. Vocalist Sean Nelson does not disappoint as he depicts how the world’s weight is crushing him.
He is so great at dramatization in the music video, especially when he twitches his eyes back and forth while singing about paranoia and how everybody is coming to get him. This is a great song to identify with, especially when your anxiety levels have led to paranoia.
14. Mind Playing Tricks On Me – The Geto Boys
Rap was the thriving music in the early 90s. When you think of this kind of music, mental health considerations hardly come to mind. Instead, all you can think of is bravado and aggressiveness. But the Geto Boys did something different when they released their “Mind Playing Tricks On Me” song. This song expresses the paranoia and unsettlement that comes with the rap lifestyle.
With a typical thumping beat, the lyrics to this song reveal a vulnerable part beneath all the toughness and bravado exhibited by rappers.
The song highlights the ever-present threat of violence that is always associated with gang life and depicts Scarface’s time while admitted to a psych ward after he harbored thoughts of harming himself.
This is a lovely song that depicts anxiety and mental unwellness in the life of a rapper. Others with a similar lifestyle will identify with this.
15. The Message – Grandmaster Flash And The Furious Five
This song popularized hip-hop and brought its message about poverty and social inequity that plagued society. It depicts how a person’s mental health is affected by such problems. With lyrics such as “Don’t push me, ’cause I’m close to the edge/I’m trying not to lose my head,” this song resonates well with people falling into anxiety courtesy of poverty and social inequity.
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16. In The Garage – Weezer
The album “In The Garage” has strongly highlighted anxiety. The anxiety in this music has been depicted as stemming from feelings of social inadequacy. In the song, he then uses the garage as his refuge.
His possessions in the garage are his X-Men posters, his electric guitar, and his Dungeons and Dragons set, all there waiting to give him the comfort and relief he craves. This is a great anxiety song for people, especially younger people whose anxiety stems from social inadequacy.
17. Shake It Out – Florence + The Machine
This song depicts the crushing weight of anxious thoughts. The choruses blend with the verses, which portray the darkest moments of a person who wants out of their situation but unfortunately cannot escape it.
The artist depicts that “shaking it out” is the remedy for the crushing weight of the anxious thoughts bombarding her. This song might be relatable, especially if you want to shake off your anxieties.
18. Come As You Are – Nirvana
Kurt Cobain sang “Come As You Are” and highlighted the contradictions in how society expects someone with anxiety to behave. The song’s lyrics further examine how people act toward others and how they choose to trust.
The uncertainties come about because of anxiety. All this is done with a wry sense of humor, but the pain and suffering are still evident.
19. Head Above Water – Avril Lavigne
According to Avril, this song is about her experience with Lyme Disease. Released in 2018, this song is an honest portrayal of her harrowing experience; in it, she is yearning for strength to cope with her distress.
Avril has used this song on numerous occasions to raise awareness about her condition and help in fundraising for other Lyme Disease patients. This song inspires anyone going through a difficult time, especially with an illness and feeling anxious.
20. Disturbia – Rihanna
Rihanna has been one of the most outspoken artists regarding her anxiety battles of the past. Rihanna once left the Grammy awards without performing because of a great struggle with anxiety. Her anxiety dates back to 2007. Disturbia is one song that has expressed anxiety so well in the imagery and the ever-amazing vocals. The song showcases how people feel restless and trapped in their situation.
21. In My Blood – Shawn Mendes
Shawn Mendes has actively expressed concerns about de-stigmatizing anxiety and mental illness. He has been vocal about his battles and discusses how beneficial therapy is. Released in 2018, this song talks well about the burdens of anxiety.
Mendes uses the lyrics to normalize the conditions, reminding his audience that you can’t be alone even when all seems lost and hopeless. He normalizes anxiety as a condition that can be dealt with.
22. Sober – Demi Lovato
Demi was dealing with addiction, as is common knowledge. She has been a bullying victim and suffered self-harm during her teen years. She became famous at a young age and could not manage her lifestyle, a major contributor to her addiction and negative self-image.
Still, she managed to inspire many people and continues to do so, even releasing “Sober,” the song Demi’s confession depicting her relapse after maintaining sobriety for years. The song is a sad cry for help; you can tell she is remorseful, anxious, and hopeful that she can do better.
23. Growing Pains – Alessia Cara
Alessia Cara displayed a couple of feelings in this amazing 2018 release. This is one of the best songs for anxiety, exploring people’s stress and emotions. The song says the rest of the world expects you to know the answers, but you don’t. Often people try to navigate through their problems in vain. The song begins when Alessia seems alone and deals with her feelings. This is a great song for anxiety; many will resonate with it.
24. Save Myself – Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran released this song depicting a situation where someone commits to others and does not receive any appreciation or support from them. He talks about drinking and forgetting the pain because no one can save him. He says he will only need to save himself. This is an ideal case of what people with anxiety go through, especially when battling low self-esteem.
The song talks about the slow revelation that he can only save himself. The amazing Sheeran vocals and the instrumentals make the song very relatable.
25. Perfect – Anne Marie
This song by Anne Marie talks about body shaming and how common it is in today’s society. Society is known for its unrealistic beauty standards and how cruel it is when people don’t meet them. The song talks about how people who don’t meet society’s body goals feel like failures.
The song helps people know they don’t have to feel anxious or bad about their appearance. It encourages people to feel beautiful no matter how they look.
26. Stressed Out – A Tribe Called Quest Featuring Faith Evans
This song, a 2017 release from this talented New York-based group, talks about the stress of everyday life. It explores how overwhelming life can get with problems happening left, right, and center. Faith Evans is featured in the song, and she sings about how hopeful people should be that everything will be alright and how it will always not be so difficult. A wonderful song that will calm your anxiety.
27. Fix You – Coldplay
Fix you is this Coldplay song about grief. Chris Martin, the band’s lead singer, wrote this song after his wife lost her father in 2002. This song is about anxiety and begins with a narration of a hopeless situation with no sign of relief.
The song talks of the death of a loved one, and the emotions evoked in the song are strong, and the singer says that even during his grief, he will learn from his mistakes. A soothing song for people experiencing anxiety as a result of grief.
28. 24/7 – Kehlani
In this 2016 song, Kehlani sings of moments of anxiety. The song is relatable to anyone with anxiety, and they get to know how it is alright not to be okay. It is a song that indicates how it is normal for people to get to that moment where they are not okay. A comforting song that you can identify with, especially if your anxiety is overwhelming you.
29. Lovely – Billie Eilish Featuring Khalid
This song talks about how people are affected by negative feelings and feel helpless. The video features Billie Elish and Khalid, who sing about negative emotions that want to engulf you, and you have no will to detangle yourself from them. This song best portrays the situation of people who want to change their minds but feel overwhelmed and helpless.
30. I’m Not Okay – My Chemical Romance
I’m Not Okay was released in 2004. This song is about a friendship between a female and a male person where the narrator is the male. The female asks for advice from the male on problems she is facing with her boyfriend.
Her main problem is that her boyfriend takes nudes of her and shares them with his circle of friends. The male friend then tells her that her boyfriend is inwardly disturbed and feels lost because society does not accept him. This is one of the classic cases of anxiety.
31. This Is Me Trying – Taylor Swift
Released in 2020, Taylor Swift sings this song and talks about how she is the reason for relationship problems. That belief causes her to harbor resentment and anxiety within herself. In the song, she turns to alcohol to handle her emotions. She is very scared and uncertain of what might happen. This is a song you can relate to when facing similar fears.
32. Lose You To Love Me – Selena Gomez
Released in 2019, this song by Selena Gomez focuses on the anxieties that come with a breakup to discover her true self. The song is actually about her tumultuous relationship with Justin Beiber. Selena had to hate Justin Bieber to love herself properly. This song focuses on her journey of self-discovery and self-love to become the better person she was in the past.
33. The Doctor Said – Chloe Adams
In this song, released in 2017, Chloe journeys with her audience through a battle of anxiety and depression where she experiences insomnia and some serious thoughts that never let her sleep. The doctors give her an antidepressant prescription to help with her mood. Her parents and teachers then conclude that she is fine.
But, despite the support she is receiving, she still feels alone because no one quite understands why she is depressed. This is a very soothing song that you will closely identify with, especially if no one understands why you feel anxiety.
34. Paralyzed – NF
NF released this song in 2015, and in it, they portray paralysis resulting from anxiety and depression. In this song, the victim wonders where his feelings are and are on a journey to find himself throughout the song. The character is afraid of both dying and living. He is focused on searching for a balance in his life.
35. The Blackest day – Lana Del Rey
Released in 2015, Lana is vocal about the great anxiety she experiences when she undergoes an unexpected breakup. The song talks about the five stages of grief and how people cope. She portrays how people isolate themselves in denial, but they are trying to heal from the tragic experience.
She discusses anger and depression and attempts to make things right, which fails. Ultimately, we notice how she acknowledges that she is alone and must face her emotions alone.
36. Anxiety – B-Mike
Anxiety was released in 2018, and the song is about the narrator who does not care for herself at all and prefers taking care of others. He tells his therapist that the anxiety prescriptions he was given are not working. He asks the therapist for more medication, but the therapist wants to know more about why the patient wants medications.
The lyrics become more alarming as the patient starts having suicidal thoughts. The song depicts what many go through in their lives, and it can be soothing knowing that you are not alone in case you fall under this bracket.
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37. Happy Little Pill – Troye Sivan
2014 was the year that this song was released, and Troy wrote it as a tribute to his close friend undergoing depression and anxiety. As the song is called, the happy little pill is the antidepressant prescribed to his friend to help him feel fewer emotions and manage the situation.
The song talks about how this friend had to buy happiness through antidepressants. It further highlights the challenges of finding true happiness amid anxiety and depression. Such a sad but relatable song.
38. Control – Halsey
Halsey released this song in 2015, and in it, she reveals her anxiety which stems from her bipolar disorder diagnosis during her teenage period. She experiences anxiety and questions whether she is in control of her mind or is some other entity running the show.
She explores the darkest parts of her mind that result in her loneliness. She recognizes the enemies in her mind and how her low self-esteem contributes to his anxiety.
39. Afraid – The Neighborhood
This song was released in 2013, and Jesse portrays how he is uncertain of the future. He feels like the people he calls friends are dishonest with him and discuss him behind his back. He feels unloved and replaceable.
He wants to find comfort in his skin and thinks sleeping well will help him with his anxiety. Deep within, he desires to die, but then he overcomes these feelings and embraces himself even after the dishonesty of the people close to him. This is a common experience for social people undergoing anxiety.
40. Laugh Now Cry Later – Drake
Drake released this song in 2020, and he sings about living his life to the fullest and handling anxieties and pain while alone. He says that sometimes he is plagued by uncertainty and never sure exactly where he is physical because of the state of his mind.
Drake tries to bury his anxiety in fun, but it glares, and later on, he decides to be honest with his true feelings when he is finally alone. This is a great song to listen to for those who are experiencing anxiety but are in denial about it.
41. I Can’t Breathe – Bea Miller
Bea released this song in 2017; in it, she sings about feeling she can’t operate because of the anxieties plaguing her. She feels that her thoughts are untrue and figures that she is missing something. She sings about battling emotions that are troubling her.
She feels broken on the inside even though she tries what she can to take away her mind from the anxiety she is feeling.
42. Anxiety – Julia Michaels Featuring Selena Gomez
2019 is the year this song was released, and Julia talks about her anxiety experience throughout the years. She indicates that her friends don’t understand the magnitude of her anxieties. In the song, she says how the doctors suggest she take medication for her insomnia and anxiety.
However, she thinks the medication will not cure her of these uncertain emotions. The song further portrays how she battles her thoughts to ease the anxiety.
43. I Feel Like Dying – Lil Wayne
Lil Wayne released this song in 2007, and in it, he talks about his drug addiction and how it led him to depression and anxiety. He further says how he feels like he is in prison because of taking Xanax. The rapper relied heavily on the drug to help him manage his condition.
He openly discusses mental health and hopes to inspire other rappers to know that it is okay to talk about such issues. A very inspiring song for those experiencing depression and anxiety.
44. Friends – J. Cole
This song was released in 2018, and in it, J. Cole talks about his alter ego as he tries to find his real self. He talks about not taking medication for his anxiety and depression. Instead of medicating, he talks about how meditating is an effective alternative to finding his real self. A great song for anyone struggling with addiction and would love other healthier and alternative ways to deal with anxiety and depression.
45. Paranoid – Post Malone
Post Malone released this song in 2018 and portrayed his uncertainties as he became more famous. He wakes up every day with anxiety in his mind. All he wants is for his friends and himself to be safe. He shows how he always feels someone will come for him and his friends.
It is just comforting to know that paranoia and anxiety are something that can happen to anyone, even Post Malone and that they can be handled.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Listening To A Song Give You Anxiety?
Certain genres, songs, and artists can evoke negative responses emotionally and psychologically. This is why you must be careful of the kind of music you listen to and choose only what will make you feel nice.
Can Music Make You Feel Depressed?
Listening to gloomy music can worsen your mood. By doing so, you risk your mental health, and instead of feeling better, you will end up with a good melancholic wallow.
What Type Of Songs Effectively Calms Stress?
Native American, stringed instruments, flutes, Celtic music, and drums are ideal for relaxing your mind and helping you relax generally. Play these types of songs at the volume level you are comfortable with for the best effect.
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