ABSTRACT
Extending the model of listener empowerment developed throughout the book thus far, this chapter addresses ideas and conceptual metaphors of music as a survival mechanism. It considers the effects of music on individual health and well-being through narratives that emerge in rap and metal listening, with reference to the fields of music psychology and music therapy. The chapter focuses on the idea of resilience, a term which is closely related to empowerment (and similarly a victim of ambiguity and appropriation). Alongside music analysis, digital ethnography is employed to examine the beliefs of listeners who use the Internet to describe their interpretations of songs. Observing the varied narratives of rap and metal prompts a discussion of the realism and fantasy of each genre, with consequences for how relatable such experiences of music listening really are. Looking beyond the potential for individual resilience and towards affordances of collective resistance, the chapter concludes with analysis of a track that combines two of the most contemporary styles of metal and rap: djent and grime.
