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The Last – A Study in Depression through Music with an emphasis on Cultural Differences

Veeha Verma 

Remedial Blog Post for Quiz 4
Mental illness has varied representations in popular media with varying levels of accuracy, depression being one of the most talked about. Unfortunately, confined to the English speaking world we are allowed very few insights into the actual functioning of such illnesses in different cultures. Music is said to transcend all boundaries, being used often to portray emotion that is somehow unacceptable in society. For a cross-cultural case study, I’ll be looking at ‘The Last’, a song by South-Korean rapper Agust D speaking of his struggles with depression retrospectively through the framework of fame and success. I’ll use his lyrics as an interview to try and determine the possible causes, his outlook and the mental state he possibly found himself in.
South-Korean culture is known for its silence over subjects of mental health, having led to them being taboo to even speak off. At the same time, the society demands a high level of work and perfection from its people, with intensive social lives sketched out for their idols (music-related celebrities). Agust D, real name Min Yoongi, pinpoints the exact moment he feels his life becoming clouded with anxiety and depressive thoughts. He highlights social phobia at the age of eighteen, which incidentally happens to be the year he entered the music world. He speaks of his parents claiming they barely know him anymore. This gulf from his family and the subsequent thrust into the music world (the latter is hinted to as the cause of the prior) may be one of the primary reasons he felt alienated and started dreading social interaction. His anxiety seems to morph into obsessive thoughts and depressive moods as he begins to feel he is trading in his passions for success and wealth. The comparisons with other singers and rappers weigh heavy on his conscience as well. He speaks of the internal-external conflict of criticizing society and giving in to its demands. In a nation as collectivist as South-Korea, the pressure to conform to the norms and agree with the cultural narrative appears to be very high. From the very limited resources provided, it seems his depression is a result of a sharp drift from his family augmented by the isolating burden of performing according to societal norms.
Once having entered this state, his depressive feelings seem to have been fuelled by intense self-hatred prompted from the separation he feels from what he calls “his real self”. His repeated references to his “weak self” being trampled by his dominating public image appears to cause cognitive dissonance. He believes he has constructed a fake identity by hiding behind a tough, antisocial persona. His vulnerability to the thoughts and feelings of those around him, “The cause of all these issues is me, I'll quit in return; If my misfortune is your happiness than I'll be unhappy; If the target of your loathing is me then I'll go up on the guillotine” shows the acute sense of non-accomplishment and failure he feels. His lyrics reveal a side that seems to fear people guessing at this Carl Rogers-esque split in his self-perception and self-belief. He confesses at one point, claiming that his fear of himself is accompanied by thoughts of complete isolation from the self, “Min Yoongi is already dead (I killed him)”. Further, he feels these feelings are not restricted to himself but apply to everyone that has made a name for themselves in the music industry, and seems to be fuelled by the guilt of having become successful. The most interesting part of his portrayal comes where he recalls his conversation with his psychiatrist. Not only does the interaction appear to be dominated by his parents, but the voice used for the psychiatrist is deep and monstrous, speaking incoherent jumbled words. The space in which he is supposed to be expressing himself is also, as in many eastern cultures, controlled by his parents to the point that he has become unresponsive and unable to bear advice and guidance.
The cultural standards and expectations play a huge role in Yoongi’s depressive state. Although so different from the society we are used to, the symptoms and patterns of thinking remain similar. This speaks of the universality of emotion over environmental influences.
                Listen to the song here:               
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DB_AP7DLQ0w
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