Mental health problems are hardly new in music with the shocking spate of suicides between 2017 and 2019 to prove it.Artists including French rapper Stromae are dismantling the taboos around discussing mental illness.
But while romanticised ideas about"tortured artists" often left vulnerable musicians feeling trapped with their problems, a new generation hopes that open discussion and support can stop them turning into a death sentence. "All those names died within a three-year period," said Rhian Jones, a British journalist who has written a book to help musicians,"The industry can no longer absolve itself of responsibility for the health of its artists, or deny the existence of the specific pressures that come with a career in music."Several studies have lately highlighted that music professionals suffer psychological distress far above average rates.