Do teens take music too seriously?

[Alte]

You probably heard about Juice WRLD's death, which is sad but surely nothing major? DD's spent the whole day in her room listening to his songs, she's been crying over it, apparently spoken about it on Snapchat etc etc. The same thing happened 2 years ago with Lil Peep, she still hasn't got over it. She seems to think her whole life has been shaped around Lil Peep. AIBU to think it's just music, yes it's sad that they're dead but she never knew them or anything? I liked Queen and The Beatles as much as the next person, but I never felt like that about them. Is she taking it too seriously, or was she right to call me "insensitive" and "heartless"? For context, she's not usually an emotional person and didn't even care when her grandparents siblings died.

Yes teenagers take music and their famous heroes too seeiously. But when you think about it these artists do shape them. They form part of their culture, their style, they feel conections to them via the lyrics and how thw music makes them feel, the emotions they evoke. Might seem silly to you but really its normal.

I cried when David Bowie died and I'm as hard-faced as they come.

I bawled like a baby the day David Bowie died. I was in my fifties. He got me through my teenage years and made me feel that it was ok to be myself- weird.

My dd 16 is the same. She did like his music but what’s concerning me is the conspiracy theories that he’s faking his own death... Lordy.

I cried when Freddie Mercury died. I was 15 or so. It was heartbreaking to me at the time. And David Bowie.

I also cried whwn bowie died and i wasnt a teen. If gerard way dies i would bawl like a baby and genuinly greive. Although i have met him more than once if that makes it better

I cried when Bowie died and went straight to heddon street to lay flowers then walked around listening on head phones with wobbly lip. It really affected me.
I sobbed when Lenny Cohen died.

Adults take music seriously too.

Music is huge therapy for many people and when those artists, that have narrated your feelings, are no longer with us then that is a huge loss.

OP, I just don't think music affects you in the same way that it does others.

I think it's just part of being a teenager, working out who they are etc. Music is better at expressing emotions than words, and it works on a more "primal" level. I know music has always meant a lot to me, and DD 13 listens to music a lot. If someone makes music that really gets to you, finding out that they have died can be devastating.

I really used music as a crutch in my tee and. It's like the soundtrack to growing up. I have memories which are related to music. They don't take it too seriously, it is a huge part of their life and there's nothing wrong with that.

I don't think music's your thing. Your dd is perfectly normal. I think it's beautiful that the lyrics spoke to her. My ds1s entire life is soundtracked.
Mine was too at his age, I have intense reactions to songs from my teenage years...I went to the gigs, I obsessed over the lyrics, that shared experience with your peers, those songs that express every adolescent angst and joy you're feeling. Those gorgeous musicians that are wild and dangerous, but at a safe distance.
Clearly something else was doing it for you as a teenager...sport, films,friends, boys whatever...

DS has been telling me all about him and how he died the same day as John Lennon, etc.

They just need to process it.

Ds informed me that someone he’s never heard of died and Twitter is going mad about it.

But he’s spent today hyped at the cast announcement for Be More Chill especially as two ex Six Queens are in it.

Tonight school Christmas concert was full of teens singing angsty songs or as the teacher announced this one is from a musical called Dear “Evans Halshaw” or something. It’s full of teenage angst!

My DD is so upset about it too OP. My DS is too but he’s not really showing it whereas DD is weeping and wailing.

For some teens it can be the first time a death has 'touched' them.

However, people of all ages get distraught at all sorts of famous people dying. Lady Diana's death had 1/2 the nation in mourning, yet very few of those millions of people would have 'known' her.

Being upset when an artist does isn't the same as taking music seriously.

I also cried when David Bowie died. I was the opposite to the DD in that I didn't listen to any of his music for months afterwards. I didn't want to taint the songs with sadness. That's taking music seriously.

*on December 8, 2019, Higgins was aboard a private Gulfstream jet flying from Van Nuys Airport in Los Angeles to Midway International Airport in Chicago, where law enforcement officers were waiting for the jet to arrive as they suspected it was carrying guns and drugs.[66] While police were searching the luggage, Higgins began convulsing and going into seizures, after which two doses of the emergency medication Narcan were administered, as opioid overdose was suspected.[67] According to law enforcement, several members of Higgins' management team aboard the flight reported that Higgins had taken "several unknown pills" prior to the seizures.[68] Higgins was transported to nearby Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he died at age 21. The cause of the seizure and his death are yet to be determined.[69][70] Police found three handguns and 70 lb (32 kg) of marijuana on the aircraft.[68]"

Fucking hell. What a waste...

"on November 15, 2017, Lil Peep was found dead on his tour bus when his manager went to check on him in preparation for that night's performance at a Tucson, Arizona venue.[91] Foul play was not suspected,[92] with his death believed to be from an overdose.[93] In a series of Instagram posts in the hours leading up to his death, Lil Peep claimed to have ingested psilocybin mushrooms and cannabis concentrate. In another, he claimed to have consumed six Xanax pills following a video depicting his attempts to drop an unidentified pill into his mouth several times before successfully swallowing one and shaking a full prescription bottle. A subsequent post was captioned "When I die, you'll love me."[94] In the days after his death, a police report revealed that Lil Peep had taken a nap around 5:45 p.m. before the concert. His manager checked on him twice and found him sleeping and breathing fine, but was unable to wake him. When the manager checked on Lil Peep a third time, he was unresponsive and not breathing. Lil Peep's manager performed CPR before medics arrived, though he was pronounced dead at the scene.[95] Lil Peep's death was recorded on Instagram by his friend Bexey Swan, who believed Lil Peep was asleep.[96] On December 8, the Pima County Office of the Medical Examiner released details from a toxicology report, certifying the cause of death was an accidental overdose due to the effects of the pain medication fentanyl and the benzodiazepine alprazolam.[15] Blood tests were positive for cannabis, cocaine and the painkiller Tramadol. Urine tests also showed the presence of multiple powerful opiates, including hydrocodone, hydromorphone (dilaudid), oxycodone and oxymorphone. There was no alcohol in his system.[1]"

What the fuck. Both these guys 21. Do they think they are invincible or something? Bloody hell

It's not just music. I remember being so utterly distraught when Angel died in Buffy. I remember sitting in school almost in tears thinking about it Teenagers, hormones, trying to belong, emotions... Everything is dramatic when you're 15.

She's trying to express her emotions. Maybe this is just one thing that's upset her a little but it's dominoed into something bigger.

I have to say I’ve never understood the outpouring of grief over a stranger.
Laying flowers and helium balloons I find it all baffling.
I guess I’m just hard hearted. Never heard of the person you’re talking about, but I guess I’m not their target audience.

Kurt Cobain

I was in pieces at the age of 15

Freddie Mercury, Bowie

Binge watching Alan Rickman (Christmas film Of all time Die Hard)

Not just the teens.

I had a day off work when Bowie died. He was a huge part of my life for 45 years.

I was very sad when Stephen Gately died. I was in my 20s, but Boyzone was the first band/music that I'd ever been 'into'. No wailing or floods of tears, but genuinely sad.