Recession music refers to songs with lyrics about cutting loose, living freely, going to the club and dancing the night away. You can find songs like this from around 2008 after the housing market crash and probably around the time of the Great Depression as well. Nowadays, if you look up recession music on social media, you might find in my bag by Meg Donnelly but back in 2007, The Way I Are by Timbaland might be at the top of the search results.
You can classify these songs as “recession music” based on the carefree lyrics and the catchy beats that make the listener want to dance. Within that formula, there are also lyrics about not being able to afford bills and necessities with the overarching theme that despite that, it’ll be okay and it’s okay to let loose.
While the music tells listeners to loosen up and live life to the fullest, that message is comparable to a dessert that’s only eaten at the end of a meal. Letting loose is a treat for after the work has been done and there’s no point in stressing over the inevitable. For those who have some semblance of security and for whom stressing is only going to make them feel worse, recession music is a great reminder that there’s only so much worrying to be done before it becomes detrimental. However, recession music is still an indicator of the tough times on the horizon.
Music like this has the capacity to distract the listener from what’s important if they’re unaware of what’s happening. After a plan has been set and there’s some stability in place is when the fun music comes on and it’s time to dance. Until then, proper planning and networking is in order to ensure people survive the recession with their necessities and livelihoods still intact.
