How Music Unites Societies Around The World
As summer comes to an end, so are the requisite summer concerts. With the newest Rogers Stadium being recently built, we reflect on the impact music has on the community.
A year ago, when my boyfriend told me that he’d bought us both Coldplay tickets, I had to pick my jaw up off of the floor. “I want to go for the experience!” he said after I called him crazy, surely no “experience” was worth almost $1000, I thought to myself.
I was wrong, the second I stepped out of Downsview station, the Coldplay atmosphere was electric. Thousands of people of all ages, races, and religions were charging into Rogers Stadium wearing their yellow outfits or band tees. Chris Martin and the rest of the band gave a stellar show. Not only did they play their brilliant music, but they also were engaging with their fan interactions. He personalized the show by talking about how lovely Toronto is, instilling a sense of pride in the audience. A segment of the show even had Chris Martin highlighting specific audience members and improvising short verses about them! It was genuinely my favourite experience all summer.
Music has been used as a means of bringing people together for centuries and historically, it has been used for many special occasions, from the happiest weddings and balls, to the saddest funerals. Music is also used as a pastime or a comfort, like when a worker hums to himself during a shift, or a mother sings to her baby. Songs like these have been passed down over generations, maintaining significant traditional or sentimental meanings for themselves.
Older artists, like Queen or Michael Jackson, really highlight how music can bring people together across both space and time. Billie Jean and Bohemian Rhapsody remain incredibly popular songs, despite being released over 40 years ago. These songs have had such a lasting impact, that in 2017, a crowd in London spontaneously broke out into a Bohemian Rhapsody sing-along as the song was played over speakers, without Queen even being present or performing.
One modern artist who’s done incredible work bringing together people from all backgrounds is Taylor Swift. In her career spanning nearly two decades, she’s released over a dozen albums and gained millions of fans worldwide. Her music themes of love, heartbreak, self-identity, feminism, etc, have resonated with adults and youth alike, creating a community where people and especially women feel seen and supported. One key instance of the artist bringing her fans together is the Taylor Swift friendship bracelet swap trend. During the months of her international Eras Tour, Taylor Swift encouraged fans to create friendship bracelets, which they could swap with fellow fans at her shows. The bracelets often included the names of Taylor Swift albums, or cute messages like “ILY” or “UR PRETTY”.
One reason why music is so good at uniting people is its versatility. There are hundreds of thousands of music genres spanning different cultures and time periods, and they constantly evolve. Everyone all over the world can find music that fits their taste, or lyrics that they relate to. However if they can’t, then music is so adaptable that anyone can create it with their mouths, sophisticated instruments, or even by banging two metal pots together to a rhythm.
