Ed Sheeran and Justin Bieber's New Song Is Mildly Relatable If You Have Anxiety

On Thursday, dynamic duo Justin Bieber and Ed Sheeran dropped a new song, “I Don’t Care.”

Some media outlets were quick to hail the pop single as a “brave” act of emotional vulnerability for its mention of anxiety. The song mentions anxiety exactly one time.

The one lyric, sung by Bieber, goes: “With all these people all around, I’m crippled with anxiety.”

To listen to the full song, head here.

This isn’t the first time Justin Bieber has alluded to struggling with his mental health. In April, the singer posted a selfie on his Instagram story from his therapist’s office with the words, “Therapy Session” and, “It’s cool to have a healthy mind and healthy emotions.”

If you’ve ever felt anxious around people at a party, “I Don’t Care” might be mildly relatable. However, when it comes to songs specifically about anxiety, there are more relatable songs out there. Take the recent single, “Anxiety,” by Julia Michaels and Selena Gomez, which features lyrics about how hard living with anxiety and depression can be. In the song they sing:

My friends, they wanna take me to the movies
I tell ’em to fuck off, I’m holding hands with my depression
And right when I think I’ve overcome it
Anxiety starts kicking in to teach that shit a lesson
Oh, I try my best just to be social
I make all these plans with friends and hope they call and cancel
Then I overthink about the things I’m missing
Now I’m wishing I was with ’em

While songs specifically about mental health issues are becoming more mainstream, there are plenty of songs that don’t specifically mention a diagnosis but capture parts of what it’s like to live with a mental health condition.

For example, “Breathin’” by Ariana Grande relates to the singer’s experience of symptoms like fatigue and struggling to catch her breath. The song doesn’t actually mention anxiety, but Grande later confirmed on Twitter that the song was inspired by her struggles with anxiety. Below are some lyrics from the song you might relate to if anxiety makes you tired too:

Some days, things just take way too much of my energy
I look up and the whole room’s spinning
You take my cares away
I can so overcomplicate, people tell me to medicate

Demi Lovato has also been outspoken about her mental health struggles in her music. In her single “Sober,” which dropped last June, she sings about a common experience many who struggle with mental illness and addiction face — loneliness. In the song, Lovato sings that when she’s lonely, it’s easier for her to turn back to her vices:

I don’t know, I don’t know, I don’t know, I don’t know why
I do it every, every, every time
It’s only when I’m lonely
Sometimes I just wanna cave
And I don’t wanna fight
I try and I try and I try and I try and I try
Just hold me, I’m lonely

If you’re looking for a new mental health anthem, Sheeran and Bieber’s “I Don’t Care” may or may not fit the bill. But to help you on your quest to find the perfect jam, we’ve included some suggestions below from The Mighty community.

• 21 Songs People With Anxiety and Depression Recommend
• 12 Linkin Park Songs That Have Helped People Through Dark Times
• 26 Songs That Perfectly Describe These 9 Symptoms of Anxiety

What’s your anxiety anthem? Let us know in the comments below.