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BY TARUN VENKATESAN ON 13TH FEB 2025

Lately I’ve been listening to a lot of Badflower (an LA-based rock band), especially their one song called Family. Everything about the song- the intensely heavy lyrics, the sombre and dark buildup, the electric guitar drop, and the rock-and-roll crescendo – all of it speaks so deeply to me that I just had to write about it. I love that the song is so vulnerable and raw. I felt connected to this piece of art and it sort of led me to think, bigger picture, of the role of art in life. Its magic. Its capturing of humanness. And everything else about it – how music, theatre, films, and any expression of the human experience in the form of art can transcend language, culture, and lifestyle to reach us in ways nothing else really can.

I really like Badflower and their style of music because these feelings of being disconnected, lonely, in a rut, and engaging in self-criticism are universal; and, for anyone who feels like they’ve been in this cycle, it’s validating—like they aren’t alone in feeling this way. Which I think is pretty cool that art has this effect. 

The Purpose of Art

Good art lets us see our own feelings reflected back at us. It makes us question our relationships, our self-worth, and ultimately, how we navigate the complex human experience. That’s why art, especially music, is so powerful—it gives us a language for what we often can’t say ourselves.

Is this the purpose of art, though? To make others feel what you’re feeling and validate different emotions? Or would that just be one of the side-effects?

I believe the answer is two-fold.

On the one hand, the artist puts out a personal expression of their thoughts and feelings hoping that it would resonate with others and help create an audience for their art. However, the connection might also work in reverse in that the artist might create something and put it out into the world to discover their thoughts or feelings. Sometimes creating art is a way for an artist to process their own emotions and find meaning in them. This might help them navigate personal struggles, celebrate triumphs, and even explore the unknown parts of the self. And so the art itself becomes an invitation for us to join in their journey. 

Why we need it

I find it so interesting that so many people (me included) associate certain songs with memories of a person or a place. Maybe that one love song gets you in the feels about an ex. Or, for example, a song I found while watching a documentary on Jerry Seinfeld and an up-and-coming comedian that always tends to make me feel nostalgic. Whenever I hear that song, I think back to the documentary whilst also feeling a certain sense of calm. Or the numerous weird, hype, tik-tok trendy, random songs that when I play them remind me of the people in my life who discovered it and recommended it to me. Weird, isn’t it? Art has this unique ability to transport you to a completely different moment in time, evoking memories that no other conscious effort can quite capture.

“Art is vital in this regard. It’s an exchange of emotion and connection, a reminder that despite our differences, we are bound by common threads of feeling and experience.”

I find it fascinating that everyone experiences this profound response to art wherein we all bask in the recognition of shared humanity; whether it’s a painting that expresses melancholy you couldn’t quite articulate, a rock song that gets you in a violently angry mood ready for your workout, or a movie that reflects joy and reminds you of simpler times (aka childhood), the act of experiencing art reminds us that we’re not isolated in our emotions or experiences. Overall, navigating the vast spectrum of human experience is not easy. Art is vital in this regard. It’s an exchange of emotion and connection, a reminder that despite the differences in our individual lives, we are bound by common threads of feeling and experience. 

So go watch a Daniel Day Lewis movie. Or listen to some Adele. Or Green Day. Or UK Rap. Or read a book that’s been sitting on your shelf calling your name.

Experience art and all it has to offer. You might actually end up finding something about yourself in the process.