Resonance: Exploring Sexual Violence Through Music

Sexual violence is a prevalent issue in our society. As a society, we have come a long way in accepting that reality. We now often hear about tips for staying safe and ways to prevent sexual violence because it is an issue at the forefront of society’s mind. However, we don’t often discuss people’s experiences of sexual violence. We, as a society, as supporters, as survivors, as human beings, should be open to gaining a greater understanding of other’s experiences of sexual violence. Understanding people’s experiences can give us the ability to empathize with survivors, and help us grow in our role as supporters of survivors of sexual violence. It may not be possible to ever truly understand how sexual violence impacts someone, but we could all certainly stand to learn more.

 Music is a medium that can convey powerful messages. Many people engage with music because it makes them happy, or because they resonate with it, or because it allows them to feel that they are not alone. Music has long been used as a storytelling tool, and the narrative of sexual violence is one of its stories. This idea was the inspiration behind the creation of this playlist. From haunted, somber ballads to fury-filled anthems, artists from across the spectrum of genres have told stories about their experiences with sexual violence. Please understand that different people have different reactions to sexual violence. Some of the songs on this playlist have strong themes of violence and are very aggressive in their delivery, but I decided to include them because those emotions are a legitimate reaction, and it is my wish to explore people’s various experiences through music, which includes a wide range of emotions.

This playlist is split into 2 categories. About half of these songs are directly about sexual violence, and the other half are songs of empowerment. Empowerment is another important aspect of being a supporter. Besides, who doesn’t love some uplifting music! I encourage you to explore some of the stories behind these songs as they are interesting and often provide context for the song itself. One aspect of people’s experiences that, unfortunately, are not captured in this playlist is the male perspective. Men are subjected to sexual violence as well, but it doesn’t seem like this is addressed currently in the musical world. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this playlist! And if you do, feel free to share it, post about it, discuss your favorite songs, and even share songs that you think would fit in with it!

 It is my hope that people listen to this playlist and immerse themselves in the experiences of others. We can always learn from each other and we should, because, in many cases, empathy is the greatest power we possess.

PLEASE READ:

Some of the content in this playlist is explicit and graphic. Some songs depict events of sexual violence and has language that may be offensive to people. It is possible that these songs might be triggering for some people as well. Some of these songs contain lyrics that may be viewed as offensive but are satirical or sardonic in nature. Some songs are aggressive in nature but were included because they are an accurate portrayal of the feelings some survivors have after experiencing sexual violence.

To listen to this playlist please click here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOLRupA5iI9lewvns7YtARRRVSoZWBOgv