Over the years, music has provided an outlet for Latin musicians to address mental health issues through their songs. For example, Puerto Rican rapper Residente released his autobiographical “René” in 2020, where he frankly opened up about depression and the dark moments in his life.
Bad Bunny’s 2018 “Estamos Bien,” on the other hand, is about putting your mental health first. In the homemade music video, he brings the important message to life, where we see the Puerto Rican singer taking bathroom selfies with an old video camera, painting his nails purple, packing his swimwear, picking up some friends, road-tripping in La Isla del Encanto, and hanging out with locals and tourists at the beach.
To mark World Mental Health Day (observed on Oct. 10), we’ve compiled a list of songs that raise mental health awareness or bring forth any personal struggles — plus, songs about finding the light at the end of the tunnel after inner turmoil.
According to the official World Health Organization’s website, “the overall objective of World Mental Health Day is to raise awareness of mental health issues around the world and to mobilize efforts in support of mental health.” The day is meant to “provide an opportunity for all stakeholders working on mental health issues to talk about their work, and what more needs to be done to make mental health care a reality for people worldwide.”
From Aterciopelados’ “Luz Azul” to Diego Torres’ “Color Esperanza” to Residente’s “René,” and beyond, see the inspirational list of songs below:
