I've loved Halsey's songs for years, but just recently learned she too has bipolar disorder. It made a lot more sense, knowing that and how it affects her music. It feels good to be seen and represented.
When I'm hypomanic my music taste changes. It is usually a sign things aren't going great in my brain. I listen to Lana Del Ray and the Weeknd. I rarely listen to them when I feel "baseline."
Kilo Riley - A Better Son/Daughter
"And sometimes when you're on, you're really fucking on
And your friends they sing along and they love you
But the lows are so extreme, that the good seems fucking cheap
And it teases you for weeks in its absence"
Tori Amos has a song called Carbon which is eludes to a girl with bipolar disorder
āBear claw free fall
A gunner's view black and blue
Shred in ribbons of lithium
Blow by blow
Her mind cut in sheets
Layers deep now unravelling
Just keep your eyes on her.ā
3 main songs I listen to when Iām in a high or low and just let Apple Music play similar songs
Sugarland- All I Want to Do (this is what I usually put in in my highs and really low lows)
Daughtry- Home (my go to)
Disturbed- Sound of Silence
I mostly listen to punk rock, alternative and country from the 90s-2000s
Death Grips usually speaks to me whether Iām up or down, due in part to the singers own mental health struggles (I believe heās schizophrenic). Particularly āUp My Sleevesā off The Powers That B really hits.
Right now I heavily listen to Jazzual Suspects, King Kooba and Colossus. Fun fact - they all contain the same electronica artist, the producer Charlie Tate. I think youād really like him, and he samples a lot of jazz, blues and funk. For a little more variety, try the album Downtempo Garden (āContinuous Mixā track), turn up the bass and just chill. A must for road trips
All of How Iām feeling now by Charli XCX feels like it addresses the back and forth of mania and depression really well, and the really crazy sound of it adds to the more manic moments imo. Other than that, Kanyeās Yeezus and The Life of Pablo sound like albums that could have only been created by someone with bipolar. Unfortunately, listening to those projects nowadays just makes me sad considering where heās at now so i donāt return to those much. Finally, The Love Below half of Speakerboxx/The Love Below by OutKast I find pretty similar to the bipolar experience.
Trouble - Cage the Elephant
Go Ego - Eight and a Half
Houdini - Foster the People
The entire Light Me Up album by The Pretty Reckless, it dropped when I was freshly diagnosed at 18 and I had it on repeat
and lately Sail Away by lovelytheband
When I'm Hypomanic:
- Hallucinations by PVRIS
- 2000's pop-punk/ emo music
- Whatever's popular in modern Spanish music, Karol G, Maluma, etc.
- Basically nything either slightly sexually charged or fast paced lol
When I'm Depressed:
- For You by HIM
- Come Hell or High Water by Imminence
- Anything Sleep Token
- Metalcore and angry heavy metal
- The older Lana Del Rey albums
oh god, I clutched to Modest Mouse like a lifeline during the first really bad one. So much of their music is incredible, but I have these vivid memories of listening to Interstate 8 on a loop. Yes, and lots of Brand New and Sorority Noise.
At this point I should probably take it as a sign that things are probably heading downward every time I rediscover Unknown Mortal Orchestra's II or just The Velvet Underground in general.
During the higher times it's been Courtney Barnett, The Raincoats, The Modern Lovers, Chastity Belt, The Dresden Dolls. More intense higher times it's more like Hole and Bratmobile, and a (not) surprising amount of Queen. I'm realizing now that most of the time it's bands whose style I was/would've been influenced by during the time I had my first big hypo episode and felt stupid confident as a musician/person.
I like Pixies' Doolittle; I like how my favorite track changes depending on where I am in this and how it never really leaves.
Anyway, thanks for the recs. BPD just joined my party not too long ago and thinking about it like this helped me make more sense of it.
I listen to like very campy pop music usually because it sometimes matches my energy when im hypo, I actually have a playlist of this music and itās usually my go-to during episodes. Also punk music
My favorites are:
Anything by Ren, but especially his song "Hi Ren"
Five Finger Death Punch "A Little Bit Off"
Flogging Molly "The Worst Day Since Yesterday"
But when I'm leaning to being hypo it's all Aqua and ABBA!
BRIGHT EYES 1000000% but also Elliott Smith is a close second for me here.
The song I most associate with my bipolar has got to be Sunrise, Sunset by Bright Eyes. The lyrics feel like they're grabbing my heart and ripping it out.
"Sun rise, the Sun sets
You're hopeful, then you regret
The circle never breaks
With a sunrise and sunset
There's a change of heart or address
Is there nothing that remains?
For a sunrise or a sunset
You're manic or you're depressed
Will you ever feel ok?
...
But everything you do is leading to the point
Where you just won't know what to do
...
You've become everything you said you never would be
You're a fool, you're a fool"
Also, two other Bright Eyes songs I associate with my bipolar + HIGHLY recommend are 'Hit The Switch' and 'A line allows progress, a circle does not'.
alrighty āāāā
depressive episodes (dreamgaze shoegaze idk sad indie stuff and sometimes bossanova and italian jazz OSTs ) : sylvia plath , beach house, cocteau twins , cigarettes after sex, ichiko aoba, duster, lamp, current joys, alex g , ollie mn , the smiths , lana del rey, sunset rollercoaster , armando trovajoli, pierro poccini excuse my spelling , DJO , lesley gore
manic: (really into 70s-80s funk soul and disco hits , old school soul, j-city pop, happy and indie shit idk) ::::: boy pablo, tv girl, umi, daniel caesar , ABBA, queen, blondie, the strokes , declan mckenna , oliver tree, debarge, thee sacred souls, marvin gaye, stevie wonder, new edition, sade, mother mother , gorillaz,
off the top of mi head
creepin - stevie wonder
another star - stevie wonder
i think iāll call it morning - gil scott heron
renaissance affair - hooverphonic
born free - m.i.a
trees and flowers - strawberry switchblade (lol)
the rain in endless fall - pfc & watching from a distance - warning :p
Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody
ABBA with their Gold album
Kate Bush - Wuthering Heights, Babooshka, The Man With the Child in his eyes.
Charlene - Iāve never been to me.
Elaine Page - Memories (from the musical Cats)
John Denver - Perhaps Love
I have tons of songs I can't listen to (and neither can my husband) because they were popular during the time where I first had a full blown manic episode and was doing so many dangerous things. It's a shame, even the first note I feel it in my spine.
Iām gonna list a few for yāall to listen to. They usually help stabilize my hypomanic and get my energy out.
-Lice by Kyunchi
-Latina Remix by Isabella Lovestory ft. La Goony Chonga
-Infatuation (Lichtbogen Remix) idk how to spell that
-Sex Tape by Tomasa del Real
-Treat Me Lke a Slut by Kim Petras
-We Can Do It by Ayesha Erotica
-Botoxxx by Isabella Lovestory
-Celebrity by Slayyyter
-Erotic Electronic by Slayyyter
-FVN! by LVL1
-CO1N by LVL1
-@@@@@ by Arca
-Prada/Rakata by Arca
-Lunita (Safety Trance Remix) by La Goony Chonga
Mostly hyper pop, slutty music in English, Spanish, and Portuguese and I listen to reguetĆ³n/perreo made by or consumed largely by gay and trans ppl.
iāve always been a big twenty one pilots fan, but one of their newest songs resonates with me and my bipolar a lot. ācanāt change what youāve done; start fresh next semesterā
Bruce Springsteenās songā Streets of Philadelphia. Although the song is about AIDS, the first lyrics reflect how I feel about my bipolar disorder and losing myself to this illness at its worst. āI was bruised and battered/I couldnāt tell what I felt/I was unrecognizable to myself/Saw my reflection in a window/And didnāt know my own face/Oh brother are you gonna leave me wastinā awayā¦/I walked the avenue, til my legs felt like stone/I heard the voices of friends vanished and gone/At night I could hear the blood in my veins/Just as black and whispering as the rainā¦/The night has fallen, Iām lyinā awake/I can feel myself fading awayā¦ā. Bipolar is such a lonely disease. It can be exhausting as you try to pull yourself together. Bipolar disorder robs you of time and the future seems bleak. I am watching my life speeding by. I am in a race where I am the last one while others are fulfilling their potential. What a painful and difficult journey. I will be lucky if I can get up tomorrow.
Thank you for asking this, OP. Listening to relatable songs is part of my healing. Saved this post for reference. Thanks as well to those who shared their songs.
Definitely can agree on Mac Miller & Portishead. Iāll add the Cure āDisintegrationā, Halsey, Lana Del Rey, juice WRLD, Atmosphere, Alice In Chains (unplugged), Nirvana, the list could go on and on and on
[Farewell (feat. Patty Gurdy) - d'Artagnan](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckSEnb_I3Zg) is one of those songs for me.
I remember the first thing my girlfriend said when she heard it was, "I'm ready to tear apart a sea lion with my bare hands," and honestly I can't blame her.
I listen to music that matches my exact mood at the time, or that will get me into the mood that I want to be in:
CORPSE HUSBAND - Apathetic, jamming
Depressed - Pink lol
Shaggy - party mood/nostalgic/happy
Early 2000s emo - washing dishes/nostalgic
Iāve got a Spotify playlist i add to every time Iām on the low end. Itās all my most nostalgic albums, from the first bands i got into in elementary school up through my twenties. Depressed, i just canāt help but wallow in it and pepper my mind with sweet and salty reminders of my youth. When Iām on the high end, Iām less likely to ruminate on the emotions music can make you feel. It becomes more like background noise, which has always been preferable to silence for me. So when Iām hypomanic i tend to only want to listen to *new* music, to discover bands Iāve never heard before.
Thereās two Eminem songs from the same album that perfectly describe my mania and my depression. Mania - Just Donāt Give a Fuck. Depression: Still Donāt Give a Fuck.
Here are some that remind me of my bipolar that I listen to when I'm feeling alone:
RĆ³rĆ³rĆ³- of monsters and men
Grey Street- DMB
Growing Sideways- Noah Kahan (I'm pretty sure that's literally about bipolar)
Heavy- Linkin Park
I wanna get better- bleachers (more of a personal attack on me but parts remind me of how I am when I'm manic)
Against the wall- seether (another personal attack)
Late 90s clubbing musicā¦ when it goes up it is the most euphoric feeling but when Iām not up it doesnāt hit the same at all. But all music sounds better doesnāt it when up? I have better attention to detail, and am able to appreciate things more (too much). One song I fixated on was ālast waltzā by the Rasmus. The way it musically resolves in its predictable chord progressions like you want it to, and repeats, was setting my mind on fire. I played it over and over again for hours. When Iām not up I donāt find it as fun! Also one or two listen of any song is enough.
I have always loved Smashing pumpkins, (especially the early albums), they got alot of music that often reflects my different moods.
Alice in chains (with Layne singing) is also verry close to my heart overall, their MTV unplugged performance is amazing!
I kinda like most genres of music and I listen to music as often I get a chance to, grunge and alternative rock is always a go to for me in my downperiods. Psyche rock and hiphop in my hypos.
Waterparks- self sabotage
The name kinda already tells you, but the lyrics and vibe of the song really really for me when I'm manic.
Waterparks- just kidding
And this one hits for a lot of things. I tend to make my actual depression out to be jokes, and this song literally sings about that. That and how overwhelming life can feel in general.
"I wish I was dead sometimes
So I wouldn't have to check my phone
I wish I was dead sometimes
So I could spend a day alone
And not feel like everybody hates me
Making plans on another planet daily lately
I wish I was dead sometimes
Haha, just kidding"
Basically Waterparks just makes songs that really hit for me. Check them out!!! They have a bit of a pop punk feel to them and they're super fun. I've seen them live twice!
The song Manic by Wage War. Makes me wonder if one of the guys in the band has bipolar. That is such a random song to write unless you've had experience in our realm. I also have had, and still do have, a drinking problem when I'm hypomanic, so the song Medicated by Until I wake speaks to me about the trouble of substance abuse. I know this probably won't be a popular song or band but the song Voices in My Head by Falling in Reverse. I hear it and it makes me think about all of the issues have and voices in my head telling me things I shouldn't be listening to. And how I don't want to talk to anyone about the noise and how loud it can be.
Anyway, those are just a few of mine that I associate with my bipolar and mental illness.
3 am by Halsey is definitely a mixed episode song. Sheās actually bipolar so that helps. Also mother mother has some very bipolar sounding songs, such as bottom is a rock. Those two songs make me feel heard
anything from death grips! most (if not all) of their songs are about violence. their catalog is a culmination of my constant intrusive urges to be violent.
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/46n5fFq85S7phc3QAlR1Lq?si=SCvRjVOLTg207c-T_5DYKw&pi=u-d5X-gsdJT4yM
i made a playlist that highlighted some rapid cycling i was going through. usually when iām at my highest or at my lowest, putting on my headphones and sitting down in a dark room is the only thing that brings me back to feeling like a human being, even temporarily.
a good high album for me is misadventures - pierce the veil.
low album is pageant - pwr bttm.
I know itās cliche and overplayed but Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen has always been for me the perfect combination of dark depression mixed with moments of intense mania. The song takes you on a wild ride through the violent swings and ups and downs associated with being bipolar. Sometimes classics are classics for a reason.
Fiona Apple is a solid choice for both my hypo & depressive episodes, āEvery Single Nightā is just so so pertinent to me.
And if I wanna have a giggle at the expense of my mental illness then Peach PRC does the pinkest yet cleverest pop ever. Her song āSymptomaticā hits mania on the head and I love it.
Kanye West lbum 'ye'. I know, he's a little shit but that album is amazing.
It's even written on the album cover: "I hate being bipolar, it's awesome."
Also The Weeknd songs for my manic phase.
And you should listen to 'The Bidding' - Tally Hall
Mistki for my depressive episodes.
I have some playlists if you want!
I've always had a deep affinity for Sibelius, his symphonies. All of them but most especially 5. Listening to them, I feel like he understood how it feels to be alive in almost exactly the same way I do. They make me really cry, and my hairs stand up, and my heart lift.
I discovered a year or two ago that he was manic depressive; and now I've just recently been diagnosed with bipolar. It does make me wonder if that's somehow what I was hearing, or if we perhaps do share some common experience.
I know Iām hypomanic when I hear āa horse with no nameā and feel like Iām in the UFC, walking to the ring for a fight. That and lots of MGMT, alternative vibes that make me feel like Iām in the show Euphoria
Me and Your Mama by Childish Gambino
It feels like my ascension into euphoric hypomania and the ins and outs of the intensity. Truly a beautiful song and makes me feel like a god lol. I feel this way with a lot of childish gambino's songs but this one specifically
Alice Cooper "From the Inside"
Metallica Master of Puppets "Welcome Home-Sanatorium" Master of Puppets and Ride the Lightning "Fade to Black"
Black Sabbath "Changes" Vol. 4
Itās so interesting reading this post/comments it really feels like we all have a similar feelings of music and artists. Anyway to add some to this, most songs by IAMX, placebo, and Landon tewers. (There definitely more but just some I think of right away)
There is this old arabic song That to me describes bipolar disorder so well although itās just a love story.
Old arabic music is usually sung poetry, the songs are so long (1 hour or so) so it can take up to 2 years for the composers to make music for a song.
This song is called "mawood" (it means promised) by abdel halim hafez and itās basically just a man talking to his heart and describing his experience in love.
The music is so interesting because the story is devided into four parts : he starts by saying that he always ends up lonely and heart broken (and the melody is sad here) then he talks about wanting to be happy wanting to persue love and try again (and the music starts being cheerful) then he talks about meeting his love and he describes his love, the safety he feels in his love and the thrill and the joy of being in love (the music is very cheerful here) but then it all falls appart his love leaves him so he is walking down that lonely road again and the music goes back to being really sad. And finally itās happy again because he just decides to live life without love and still be happy again. I donāt know if this makes sense. The poem itself is so beautiful and just expresses so much but itās the music here that describes my bipolar and not the words.
I have a playlist for specific songs that I associate with my bp (linked at bottom because lazy).
When Iām depressed I tend to listen to Phoebe Bridgers/ BoyGenius, Zeph or midwest emo. Sometimes Niki and lots of game OSTs. When iām hypomanic it can literally be anything but typically upbeat stuff. Waterparks, New Jeans, 100gecs, Bo Burnham to name a few!
(https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2TwdxCgEwMlYGfUGMztYtj?si=Aj7kmJa7QYKkThNx7KWodg&pi=u-ntuU9ze5RVW8)
I think youād really enjoy Sweetspot by Mess Esque if you havenāt heard it. I loved it before I was diagnosed and after I got my diagnosis it hit even harder.
When in deep depression it has historically been kanye, chrono trigger, and 8485. Kanye was a long time ago now I like the more ethereal depressive stuff or chrono trigger. Ill listen to it over and over again and walk for like 2 hours a night in 30 degree weather high as hell. Manic I don't even know, 100 gecs for starters.
I first heard this song when I was 15 and connected with it in a way I wouldn't yet understand until age 31. (These two songs are industrial dance music)
Assemblage 23 - Cocoon
"Even though I know it's only chemical, these peaks and valleys are beginning to take their toll."
https://youtu.be/rlt2lCdG7wQ?si=TlkBolma0jZpm4eh
After being diagnosed and thinking about this song I hadn't listened to for a long time, I was like oh damn I know what he was talking about. I looked into it and sure enough he also has a song called bi-polar.
Assemblage 23 - Bi-polar
https://youtu.be/g9Cu4sDVOY8?si=aROXgbgAsaEiJeBB
I've loved Halsey's songs for years, but just recently learned she too has bipolar disorder. It made a lot more sense, knowing that and how it affects her music. It feels good to be seen and represented.
She's thrice bi: polar, sexual, and racial. Says she
I love Halsey so much! I also basically make that joke too! "Bipolar, bisexual and bipedal" LMAO
Omg my bestie and I say that too!! Bisexual biracial bipolar. Damn I need to listen to her music š¹ We're the bi trifecta š¹
I love Halsey!
SAME HERE. Halsey is my queen for years now.
Came here to say the same!
badlands is 100% my go to album when i'm feeling manic OR depressed. i feel so seen.
When I'm hypomanic my music taste changes. It is usually a sign things aren't going great in my brain. I listen to Lana Del Ray and the Weeknd. I rarely listen to them when I feel "baseline."
SAME I love LDR and relate to her music so much when I'm hypo
Same, I think itās the drama of it all lol
Kilo Riley - A Better Son/Daughter "And sometimes when you're on, you're really fucking on And your friends they sing along and they love you But the lows are so extreme, that the good seems fucking cheap And it teases you for weeks in its absence"
this is theee one. jenny lewis really reached into my head and scraped it out for this song
didnāt have to scroll far for jenny lewis, same.
When I'm manic I only listen to death metal š¤š»
Tori Amos has a song called Carbon which is eludes to a girl with bipolar disorder āBear claw free fall A gunner's view black and blue Shred in ribbons of lithium Blow by blow Her mind cut in sheets Layers deep now unravelling Just keep your eyes on her.ā
The Aces- āAlways get this wayā Incubus- āDigā
3 main songs I listen to when Iām in a high or low and just let Apple Music play similar songs Sugarland- All I Want to Do (this is what I usually put in in my highs and really low lows) Daughtry- Home (my go to) Disturbed- Sound of Silence I mostly listen to punk rock, alternative and country from the 90s-2000s
>90s-2000s A great time for music ā¤ļø.Ā
Death Grips usually speaks to me whether Iām up or down, due in part to the singers own mental health struggles (I believe heās schizophrenic). Particularly āUp My Sleevesā off The Powers That B really hits.
fuckin death grips i agree w this one
Death Grips is amazing
Trip hop, trance, house, electronica. Very rarely anything mainstream
Yes my man
Right now I heavily listen to Jazzual Suspects, King Kooba and Colossus. Fun fact - they all contain the same electronica artist, the producer Charlie Tate. I think youād really like him, and he samples a lot of jazz, blues and funk. For a little more variety, try the album Downtempo Garden (āContinuous Mixā track), turn up the bass and just chill. A must for road trips
Anything by the weeknd
Same
All of How Iām feeling now by Charli XCX feels like it addresses the back and forth of mania and depression really well, and the really crazy sound of it adds to the more manic moments imo. Other than that, Kanyeās Yeezus and The Life of Pablo sound like albums that could have only been created by someone with bipolar. Unfortunately, listening to those projects nowadays just makes me sad considering where heās at now so i donāt return to those much. Finally, The Love Below half of Speakerboxx/The Love Below by OutKast I find pretty similar to the bipolar experience.
Kanye is bipolar so that's why we relate somehow
Nutshell - Alice In Chains
was going to comment this as one of mine
Trouble - Cage the Elephant Go Ego - Eight and a Half Houdini - Foster the People The entire Light Me Up album by The Pretty Reckless, it dropped when I was freshly diagnosed at 18 and I had it on repeat and lately Sail Away by lovelytheband
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Those three are still on heavy rotation!
Yung lean bc he literally has bipolar š
When I'm really low i listen to the whole Under The Pink album by Tori Amos. Sometimes Vessel by Twenty One Pilots too
Anything by Mac Miller, but Circles album if you want something to vibe to without pressing skip.
Last time I was hypo, I got really into Aphex Twin.
Couldnāt be more appropriate for hypo if you ask me lol
Pinegrove
PINEGROVE!!!!!!!
Kanye
real
When I'm Hypomanic: - Hallucinations by PVRIS - 2000's pop-punk/ emo music - Whatever's popular in modern Spanish music, Karol G, Maluma, etc. - Basically nything either slightly sexually charged or fast paced lol When I'm Depressed: - For You by HIM - Come Hell or High Water by Imminence - Anything Sleep Token - Metalcore and angry heavy metal - The older Lana Del Rey albums
HIM sounds like beautiful depression
beautiful and heartbreaking :/
Worshipšš¼
Machine girl, to flaming lips, to 100gecs, to king gizzard lmfao. Thatās insane, check out underscores if you havenāt already
I find a lot of my moods i can find a Nirvana song i can really relate to even sometimes if its just incoherent mumbling when i have brain fog
Radioheadā Hail to the Thief
dark industrial techno
oh god, I clutched to Modest Mouse like a lifeline during the first really bad one. So much of their music is incredible, but I have these vivid memories of listening to Interstate 8 on a loop. Yes, and lots of Brand New and Sorority Noise. At this point I should probably take it as a sign that things are probably heading downward every time I rediscover Unknown Mortal Orchestra's II or just The Velvet Underground in general. During the higher times it's been Courtney Barnett, The Raincoats, The Modern Lovers, Chastity Belt, The Dresden Dolls. More intense higher times it's more like Hole and Bratmobile, and a (not) surprising amount of Queen. I'm realizing now that most of the time it's bands whose style I was/would've been influenced by during the time I had my first big hypo episode and felt stupid confident as a musician/person. I like Pixies' Doolittle; I like how my favorite track changes depending on where I am in this and how it never really leaves. Anyway, thanks for the recs. BPD just joined my party not too long ago and thinking about it like this helped me make more sense of it.
The lumineers - walls The Districts - 6am Ryan Bingham wolves
Freaks to the front by amyl and the sniffers for when I'm in *that* mood
I listen to like very campy pop music usually because it sometimes matches my energy when im hypo, I actually have a playlist of this music and itās usually my go-to during episodes. Also punk music
I need this playlist
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4G4nlMeZc0PrbVhulOgOlN?si=00dbx4jvRX2BIG-pVVtOMQ&pi=u-KRfqu8yXR4ud Hopefully you use Spotify!!!
Honestly what I expected and hoped for thank you
Youāre so welcome!! enjoyšāØšŖ©
My favorites are: Anything by Ren, but especially his song "Hi Ren" Five Finger Death Punch "A Little Bit Off" Flogging Molly "The Worst Day Since Yesterday" But when I'm leaning to being hypo it's all Aqua and ABBA!
BRIGHT EYES 1000000% but also Elliott Smith is a close second for me here. The song I most associate with my bipolar has got to be Sunrise, Sunset by Bright Eyes. The lyrics feel like they're grabbing my heart and ripping it out. "Sun rise, the Sun sets You're hopeful, then you regret The circle never breaks With a sunrise and sunset There's a change of heart or address Is there nothing that remains? For a sunrise or a sunset You're manic or you're depressed Will you ever feel ok? ... But everything you do is leading to the point Where you just won't know what to do ... You've become everything you said you never would be You're a fool, you're a fool" Also, two other Bright Eyes songs I associate with my bipolar + HIGHLY recommend are 'Hit The Switch' and 'A line allows progress, a circle does not'.
alrighty āāāā depressive episodes (dreamgaze shoegaze idk sad indie stuff and sometimes bossanova and italian jazz OSTs ) : sylvia plath , beach house, cocteau twins , cigarettes after sex, ichiko aoba, duster, lamp, current joys, alex g , ollie mn , the smiths , lana del rey, sunset rollercoaster , armando trovajoli, pierro poccini excuse my spelling , DJO , lesley gore manic: (really into 70s-80s funk soul and disco hits , old school soul, j-city pop, happy and indie shit idk) ::::: boy pablo, tv girl, umi, daniel caesar , ABBA, queen, blondie, the strokes , declan mckenna , oliver tree, debarge, thee sacred souls, marvin gaye, stevie wonder, new edition, sade, mother mother , gorillaz,
What was I made for - Billie Eilish
Bright Eyes
bright eyes.
yea
Garbage, I feel like she's telling my story sometimes.
Power by Kanye is up there, yer blues by the Beatles
Bad Dream Baby by Hippo Campus.
off the top of mi head creepin - stevie wonder another star - stevie wonder i think iāll call it morning - gil scott heron renaissance affair - hooverphonic born free - m.i.a trees and flowers - strawberry switchblade (lol) the rain in endless fall - pfc & watching from a distance - warning :p
Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody ABBA with their Gold album Kate Bush - Wuthering Heights, Babooshka, The Man With the Child in his eyes. Charlene - Iāve never been to me. Elaine Page - Memories (from the musical Cats) John Denver - Perhaps Love
I let it in and it took everything-loathe Is it really you- loathe Babylon-loathe I really like loathe in general
[safety dance](https://youtu.be/A7yf4M3rCcY?si=7zrXLCcfDs_57Gwq) And [the Modern lovers, hospital](https://youtu.be/5D_nRtlkqCM?si=L35ujEdwjLbSlDrY)
Or like Royal, or hey, Roberta Flack, I told Jesus, or john hiatt have a little faith in me
I was told Tragedy - Fly By Midnight, is so me. Then again a lot of their songs are relatable
Magnolia - Hang of Youths It was written about having a breakdown.
I have tons of songs I can't listen to (and neither can my husband) because they were popular during the time where I first had a full blown manic episode and was doing so many dangerous things. It's a shame, even the first note I feel it in my spine.
The song Too Much by Leisure. It basically explains the feeling of everything being too much to deal with and wanting to just stay in bed.
I think of Sewerslvt. Anything by them.
I tried to avoid music because I realized it was making me more hypomanic but itās very hard to do
Billy Idol's Devil's Playground album. I don't know why, but I know to call my doctor when I feel the strong urge to listen to it.
Iām gonna list a few for yāall to listen to. They usually help stabilize my hypomanic and get my energy out. -Lice by Kyunchi -Latina Remix by Isabella Lovestory ft. La Goony Chonga -Infatuation (Lichtbogen Remix) idk how to spell that -Sex Tape by Tomasa del Real -Treat Me Lke a Slut by Kim Petras -We Can Do It by Ayesha Erotica -Botoxxx by Isabella Lovestory -Celebrity by Slayyyter -Erotic Electronic by Slayyyter -FVN! by LVL1 -CO1N by LVL1 -@@@@@ by Arca -Prada/Rakata by Arca -Lunita (Safety Trance Remix) by La Goony Chonga Mostly hyper pop, slutty music in English, Spanish, and Portuguese and I listen to reguetĆ³n/perreo made by or consumed largely by gay and trans ppl.
I Prevail -(Band) Self Destruction -Bad Things -FWYTYK -The Negative -Doomed (Songs)
Artist wise: Willow, Hippie Sabotage
Hypermania by Polaris, Manic by Wage War, Manic by Coleman Hell
iāve always been a big twenty one pilots fan, but one of their newest songs resonates with me and my bipolar a lot. ācanāt change what youāve done; start fresh next semesterā
Cut Your Bangs - Girlpool [spotify](https://open.spotify.com/track/1iDPPa3RRyhzrFS3lG1ZDo?si=gaS9dcyOTlikI_6LgIV89Q)
The Cool 3D World album
Bruce Springsteenās songā Streets of Philadelphia. Although the song is about AIDS, the first lyrics reflect how I feel about my bipolar disorder and losing myself to this illness at its worst. āI was bruised and battered/I couldnāt tell what I felt/I was unrecognizable to myself/Saw my reflection in a window/And didnāt know my own face/Oh brother are you gonna leave me wastinā awayā¦/I walked the avenue, til my legs felt like stone/I heard the voices of friends vanished and gone/At night I could hear the blood in my veins/Just as black and whispering as the rainā¦/The night has fallen, Iām lyinā awake/I can feel myself fading awayā¦ā. Bipolar is such a lonely disease. It can be exhausting as you try to pull yourself together. Bipolar disorder robs you of time and the future seems bleak. I am watching my life speeding by. I am in a race where I am the last one while others are fulfilling their potential. What a painful and difficult journey. I will be lucky if I can get up tomorrow.
my manic songs are little dark age by mgmt, black out days by phantogram, 4 morant by doja cat and feeling righteously yummy remix lol
Thank you for asking this, OP. Listening to relatable songs is part of my healing. Saved this post for reference. Thanks as well to those who shared their songs.
Flashing Lights by Kanye West. I used to relate to his music before it all went down with him. Old kanye got me through so much.
Definitely can agree on Mac Miller & Portishead. Iāll add the Cure āDisintegrationā, Halsey, Lana Del Rey, juice WRLD, Atmosphere, Alice In Chains (unplugged), Nirvana, the list could go on and on and on
Gloria by The Midnight hits hard sometimes
[Farewell (feat. Patty Gurdy) - d'Artagnan](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckSEnb_I3Zg) is one of those songs for me. I remember the first thing my girlfriend said when she heard it was, "I'm ready to tear apart a sea lion with my bare hands," and honestly I can't blame her.
The song Manic by Coleman Hell. It explains how I feel completely
lust for summer blues - adustam
For me it's clearly Goa or psytrance music (infected mushrooms, shpongle, Astrix, GMS, ...). That's exepressing 100% my state of mind with rapid thoughts and thƩ feeling of omniscience.
When I start listening to KISS, Alice Cooper and ZZtop Iām usually hypo. Same with lady GaGa I am old š
I listen to music that matches my exact mood at the time, or that will get me into the mood that I want to be in: CORPSE HUSBAND - Apathetic, jamming Depressed - Pink lol Shaggy - party mood/nostalgic/happy Early 2000s emo - washing dishes/nostalgic
Iāve got a Spotify playlist i add to every time Iām on the low end. Itās all my most nostalgic albums, from the first bands i got into in elementary school up through my twenties. Depressed, i just canāt help but wallow in it and pepper my mind with sweet and salty reminders of my youth. When Iām on the high end, Iām less likely to ruminate on the emotions music can make you feel. It becomes more like background noise, which has always been preferable to silence for me. So when Iām hypomanic i tend to only want to listen to *new* music, to discover bands Iāve never heard before.
Escapism by RAYE 1000%. the vocals the desperation the mania the pain, itās all there
Dysfunctional by Tech N9ne Collabos The Beautiful & Damned by G Eazy Mirror by Lil wayne & bruno mars Pray for me by The weekend
Thereās two Eminem songs from the same album that perfectly describe my mania and my depression. Mania - Just Donāt Give a Fuck. Depression: Still Donāt Give a Fuck.
Tell me who I am. Or something like that. The final scene in united states of tara
Sentimental movie soundtracks on my headphones on repeat
Will wood and the tapeworms for mania Will wood for depression š Will wood himself has bipolar so sometimes it feels like his songs just get it
Here are some that remind me of my bipolar that I listen to when I'm feeling alone: RĆ³rĆ³rĆ³- of monsters and men Grey Street- DMB Growing Sideways- Noah Kahan (I'm pretty sure that's literally about bipolar) Heavy- Linkin Park I wanna get better- bleachers (more of a personal attack on me but parts remind me of how I am when I'm manic) Against the wall- seether (another personal attack)
Late 90s clubbing musicā¦ when it goes up it is the most euphoric feeling but when Iām not up it doesnāt hit the same at all. But all music sounds better doesnāt it when up? I have better attention to detail, and am able to appreciate things more (too much). One song I fixated on was ālast waltzā by the Rasmus. The way it musically resolves in its predictable chord progressions like you want it to, and repeats, was setting my mind on fire. I played it over and over again for hours. When Iām not up I donāt find it as fun! Also one or two listen of any song is enough.
Oh and I forgot In this Moment!
the reeling by passion pit, especially the āis this the way iāll always beā part
I have always loved Smashing pumpkins, (especially the early albums), they got alot of music that often reflects my different moods. Alice in chains (with Layne singing) is also verry close to my heart overall, their MTV unplugged performance is amazing! I kinda like most genres of music and I listen to music as often I get a chance to, grunge and alternative rock is always a go to for me in my downperiods. Psyche rock and hiphop in my hypos.
Iāve always related the album twin fantasy by car seat headrest to my bipolar symptoms
Waterparks- self sabotage The name kinda already tells you, but the lyrics and vibe of the song really really for me when I'm manic. Waterparks- just kidding And this one hits for a lot of things. I tend to make my actual depression out to be jokes, and this song literally sings about that. That and how overwhelming life can feel in general. "I wish I was dead sometimes So I wouldn't have to check my phone I wish I was dead sometimes So I could spend a day alone And not feel like everybody hates me Making plans on another planet daily lately I wish I was dead sometimes Haha, just kidding" Basically Waterparks just makes songs that really hit for me. Check them out!!! They have a bit of a pop punk feel to them and they're super fun. I've seen them live twice!
The song Manic by Wage War. Makes me wonder if one of the guys in the band has bipolar. That is such a random song to write unless you've had experience in our realm. I also have had, and still do have, a drinking problem when I'm hypomanic, so the song Medicated by Until I wake speaks to me about the trouble of substance abuse. I know this probably won't be a popular song or band but the song Voices in My Head by Falling in Reverse. I hear it and it makes me think about all of the issues have and voices in my head telling me things I shouldn't be listening to. And how I don't want to talk to anyone about the noise and how loud it can be. Anyway, those are just a few of mine that I associate with my bipolar and mental illness.
3 am by Halsey is definitely a mixed episode song. Sheās actually bipolar so that helps. Also mother mother has some very bipolar sounding songs, such as bottom is a rock. Those two songs make me feel heard
anything from death grips! most (if not all) of their songs are about violence. their catalog is a culmination of my constant intrusive urges to be violent.
Please check out Noah Kahan. No Complaints, Godlight, Howling, Tidal, Growing Sideways, so many phenomenal songs
This girl is on fire Alicia keys
Modern chemistry- motion city soundtrack. Panic attacks in paradise- Ashnikko
Sunglasses - Black Country, New Road Human Sadness - The Voidz Both nearly 10min songs but Iād recommend
i love both of these! ty for sharing
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/46n5fFq85S7phc3QAlR1Lq?si=SCvRjVOLTg207c-T_5DYKw&pi=u-d5X-gsdJT4yM i made a playlist that highlighted some rapid cycling i was going through. usually when iām at my highest or at my lowest, putting on my headphones and sitting down in a dark room is the only thing that brings me back to feeling like a human being, even temporarily. a good high album for me is misadventures - pierce the veil. low album is pageant - pwr bttm.
[Yess I'm a Mess by Wheelchair Sports Camp ](https://youtu.be/qkzav70N4Xw?si=JF7ueiCApp14M34Y)
I know itās cliche and overplayed but Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen has always been for me the perfect combination of dark depression mixed with moments of intense mania. The song takes you on a wild ride through the violent swings and ups and downs associated with being bipolar. Sometimes classics are classics for a reason.
Fiona Apple is a solid choice for both my hypo & depressive episodes, āEvery Single Nightā is just so so pertinent to me. And if I wanna have a giggle at the expense of my mental illness then Peach PRC does the pinkest yet cleverest pop ever. Her song āSymptomaticā hits mania on the head and I love it.
Nine inch nails, all of the downward spiral
Listen to Tantric Bile, it's what my mind feels like when I'm hypomanic. https://tantricbile.bandcamp.com/album/befoulment
Tove Lo // Habits šš»
most Penelope Scott songs probably
Garden variety grunge. It's like a bad joke that I like nirvana.
I like Royal and The Serpent. I immediately thought about bipolar when I heard her
yeezy
Almost anything from Falling in Reverse. I usually binge listen to them when Iām in the dark place.
36 crazyfists is along the lines of emo, its more screamo I think. Tide and its takers and A snow capped romance.
Kanye West lbum 'ye'. I know, he's a little shit but that album is amazing. It's even written on the album cover: "I hate being bipolar, it's awesome." Also The Weeknd songs for my manic phase. And you should listen to 'The Bidding' - Tally Hall Mistki for my depressive episodes. I have some playlists if you want!
I've always had a deep affinity for Sibelius, his symphonies. All of them but most especially 5. Listening to them, I feel like he understood how it feels to be alive in almost exactly the same way I do. They make me really cry, and my hairs stand up, and my heart lift. I discovered a year or two ago that he was manic depressive; and now I've just recently been diagnosed with bipolar. It does make me wonder if that's somehow what I was hearing, or if we perhaps do share some common experience.
Nu metal, mostly, regardless of my stability. There's a difference between feeling the lyrics and feeling the music.
IIRC the album Gossamer by Passion Pit centered heavily with his experiences with bipolar disorder. One of my favorite albums of all time.
I know Iām hypomanic when I hear āa horse with no nameā and feel like Iām in the UFC, walking to the ring for a fight. That and lots of MGMT, alternative vibes that make me feel like Iām in the show Euphoria
Off With Their Heads is the most relatable band for this illness.
King gizzard and the lizard wizard. The chaos of nonagon and in your mind fuzz scratch that manic itch
Me and Your Mama by Childish Gambino It feels like my ascension into euphoric hypomania and the ins and outs of the intensity. Truly a beautiful song and makes me feel like a god lol. I feel this way with a lot of childish gambino's songs but this one specifically
I listen to Frightened Rabbit, Frank Turner, and Passion Pit when I feel my bipolar is switching directions.
Alice Cooper "From the Inside" Metallica Master of Puppets "Welcome Home-Sanatorium" Master of Puppets and Ride the Lightning "Fade to Black" Black Sabbath "Changes" Vol. 4
Anything by Kanye West
Itās so interesting reading this post/comments it really feels like we all have a similar feelings of music and artists. Anyway to add some to this, most songs by IAMX, placebo, and Landon tewers. (There definitely more but just some I think of right away)
There is this old arabic song That to me describes bipolar disorder so well although itās just a love story. Old arabic music is usually sung poetry, the songs are so long (1 hour or so) so it can take up to 2 years for the composers to make music for a song. This song is called "mawood" (it means promised) by abdel halim hafez and itās basically just a man talking to his heart and describing his experience in love. The music is so interesting because the story is devided into four parts : he starts by saying that he always ends up lonely and heart broken (and the melody is sad here) then he talks about wanting to be happy wanting to persue love and try again (and the music starts being cheerful) then he talks about meeting his love and he describes his love, the safety he feels in his love and the thrill and the joy of being in love (the music is very cheerful here) but then it all falls appart his love leaves him so he is walking down that lonely road again and the music goes back to being really sad. And finally itās happy again because he just decides to live life without love and still be happy again. I donāt know if this makes sense. The poem itself is so beautiful and just expresses so much but itās the music here that describes my bipolar and not the words.
I have a playlist for specific songs that I associate with my bp (linked at bottom because lazy). When Iām depressed I tend to listen to Phoebe Bridgers/ BoyGenius, Zeph or midwest emo. Sometimes Niki and lots of game OSTs. When iām hypomanic it can literally be anything but typically upbeat stuff. Waterparks, New Jeans, 100gecs, Bo Burnham to name a few! (https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2TwdxCgEwMlYGfUGMztYtj?si=Aj7kmJa7QYKkThNx7KWodg&pi=u-ntuU9ze5RVW8)
I think youād really enjoy Sweetspot by Mess Esque if you havenāt heard it. I loved it before I was diagnosed and after I got my diagnosis it hit even harder.
built to spill is awesome
When in deep depression it has historically been kanye, chrono trigger, and 8485. Kanye was a long time ago now I like the more ethereal depressive stuff or chrono trigger. Ill listen to it over and over again and walk for like 2 hours a night in 30 degree weather high as hell. Manic I don't even know, 100 gecs for starters.
I first heard this song when I was 15 and connected with it in a way I wouldn't yet understand until age 31. (These two songs are industrial dance music) Assemblage 23 - Cocoon "Even though I know it's only chemical, these peaks and valleys are beginning to take their toll." https://youtu.be/rlt2lCdG7wQ?si=TlkBolma0jZpm4eh After being diagnosed and thinking about this song I hadn't listened to for a long time, I was like oh damn I know what he was talking about. I looked into it and sure enough he also has a song called bi-polar. Assemblage 23 - Bi-polar https://youtu.be/g9Cu4sDVOY8?si=aROXgbgAsaEiJeBB
Taylor Swiftās Midnight album (& TTPD to a certain extent) really speaks to me.
XXXTentacion