For the final artifact in my digital archive, I chose a photograph of a famous emo rap artist named Lil Peep. Although he unfortunately passed away in 2017, this photograph serves as a reminder of a popular, but perhaps harmful, genre of music that has evolved in the early 2000s. Lil Peep's music in particular ranged from songs with titles from "Better Off (Dying)" to "Life is Beautiful". Although the latter song appears to have a positive title, the song is a display of irony in the pain and sadness of life.

This song begins with the lyrics "I know that it hurts sometimes, but it's beautiful", in reference to life. It seems to have a logical beginning, because life truly is a mix between pain and joy. It is impossible to imagine a life that has joy without also having pain, similar to the quote from Burnard on the previous page of this archive ("Tumblr's 'Suicidal Angels'"). However, the song quickly becomes dark, particularly in the third verse where he sings "And in the end, when I die, would you watch me? And if I try suicide, would you stop me?...There comes a time when everybody meets the same fate, I think I'ma die alone inside my room" (Lil Peep 2018). These lyrics show that even a song with a name that references the beauty of life can really be a medium to express the melancholy feelings associated with life.

Thankfully, there can be a redeeming quality even with music that seems to be so depressing. For people who are already struggling with depression and suicidal ideation, it can be helpful to know that they are not alone. Even with the movement toward the acceptance of mental illness, not many people are willing to disclose their personal emotions and struggles with mental health. With music like this, they are able to relate to someone, albeit to someone who is also struggling mentally. A thesis on the effects of emo rap found that listening to even music with depressing lyrics can be cathartic for young people who are listening for the purpose of finding solace in the songs. In "Catharsis through Creativity", I explored the effects of artistic expression on feelings of melancholy and found that these intellectual pursuits can help with feelings of depression. This thesis suggests that catharsis can also be achieved through listening to someone else's expression of melancholy, despite them not actively creating anything yet rather passively listening to music. However, this is still good news, as it shows that even what may be viewed as negative influences in media can (yet not in all situations) have a positive effect on listeners.

Additionally, another research journal on the link between contemporary heavy metal music and self-harm and suicidal tendencies found that "Songs which could be read as negative can induce feelings of relief through the sense that someone else has felt a particular way and recovered enough to transform these emotions into a creative outlet" (Baker & Brown, 1). Through the exploration of "Life is Beautiful" and these two academic journals, the research points to a ray of hope. Despite what may seem to be overwhelmingly negative influences in popular media and music today, there is the possibility for catharsis even through these melancholic lyrics.