A Study on the Effects of Songs of Billie Eilish to the Mental Health of Teenage Students of the

University of the Philippines Cebu

By: Mia Sarah A. Amontos

Music has become an inseparable part of our lives, a staple. It has a variety of forms, and so it can

influence people of any age.

The influences of music can be easily seen in the behavior, emotions, and perceptions of teenagers

quite significantly. It can motivate adolescents and even inspire them. According to a scientist from

Sunnybrook Research Institute, Dr. Joyce Chen, music can regulate our feelings, our mood. In addition to

that, there’s a lot of behavioral literature showing how you feel can also influence how you perform, how

you make decisions.

Musical tastes change with each generation. These days, I have observed that pop music is becoming

more and more known among teenagers.

American singer-songwriter, Billie Eilish Pirate Baird O’Connell, is one of the most booming pop

stars in this generation. She debuted on 2016 with the song Ocean Eyes, which went viral overnight.

Starting from then, she seemed to redefine Pop Music with every song of her out in the market. Billie

plays around with genres to express her innermost private thoughts. Most of her songs talk about sadness,

death, pain, and even murder. Some comments on YouTube about her songs include praises for her being

so in tune with her own struggles such as feelings of sadness and other complex emotions; some are

loving the fact that Billie represents what teenagers are truly feeling, and other comments express how

Billie’s songs help them cope with their own struggles. Not everybody agrees that Billie’s music is

comforting, because for them, her gloomy melodies are a bit depressing and her tracks often come off as

sadistic and intimidating. That is also why some parents really do not think that it’s healthy for their

children to listen and identify with Billie’s songs.

 Therefore, the main research question is: What are the effects of Billie Eilish’s songs to the mental

health of teenagers?

Thus, the study aims to meet the following objectives:

1. To know why teenagers listen to Billie’s songs

2. To identify Billie’s most relatable song/s for teenagers and why

3. To discover how teenagers feel about her songs

4. To identify what feelings and emotions her songs create

5. To determine the effects or influences of Billie’s songs to the thoughts of teenagers

[Sunnybrook Hospital]. (2015, February 4). How music affects your brain – Sunnybrook Hospital. [Video
File]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/ydJ7k1ix-p8 This video from the YouTube channel of Sunnybrook
Hospital asserts that music affects the brain in many ways by showing an interview of a scientist from
Sunnybrook Research Institute, Dr. Joyce Chen. Dr. Chen states that music engages several regions of the
brain, and that it can regulate our feelings and our mood. These perceived effects are relevant to my study
because it shows how music affects both the feelings and mood of people.