Understanding and Overcoming Struggles with Mental Health; MØ’s New Album “Motordrome”

Usually, when mental health tears you down, you hideaway, however, MØ, a Danish singer and songwriter, used it to bring on her new album “Motordrome” which was released on Jan. 28, 2022. In 2019, MØ had to go to months of rehabilitation after a vocal injury which sent her into a spiral of negative mental health issues. With this, she used her anxiety to write her most recent album. The healing process of writing her album does not have any conclusions to how she’s feeling, but it does give a little glimpse of clarity. The title Motordrome actually came to MØ when she was having a conversation with her mother about her battles with anxiety, panic attacks, and intrusive thoughts. The first word that came to her mind was dødstrome. Dødstrome is an old carnival trick in which a stunt person rides a motorcycle around the vertical walls of a motordrome at death-defying speeds. The speed of the motorcycle signifies the crushing weight she felt from her declining mental health. While listening to the song and knowing it is about mental health, Melanie Yurchakk, a senior in Pennridge High School, said, “I do appreciate the efforts” for trying to include mental health.

MØ’s first song “Kindness” was written in July 2019. Initially, it was only going to be a single, however, she put this song as the opener in “Motordrome” to stress the clarity that the album gave her with her mental health. “Kindness” sets the tone for the rest of the album. This was the first time she addressed coming out of isolation and darkness. In a statement from Gaytimes, MØ said that she was “insanely lucky” “to have such a very loving and supportive fan base that are relentlessly there for [her].” The first word that came to mind when thinking of her fans was kindness.
Though the album is short, this does not mean it is rushed. Every song in the album has emotion and drive behind them. The next song, “Live to Survive”, talks about forgiving yourself. The parts of the songs that talk about an unhealthy relationship do not reflect the unhealthy relationship with another person, but with yourself. Having an unhealthy relationship with yourself sets you up for self-destructiveness. Isabel Wielgus, a senior at Pennridge High School, agrees with MØ by saying “if you were to have an unhealthy relationship with yourself, then your likelihood of self-destructing increases.”

In “Cool to Cry”, MØ wanted to represent the music industry. She feels that she pulls harder than anyone in the music industry because she is a woman in a male-dominated industry which makes her feel vulnerable. In the song, she says that being vulnerable is okay. She says that her album was a new chapter in her life. This is reflected in her songs “Youth is Lost and New Moon”. She talks about moving into a new phase of her life. Regaining control of your life helps mend your past self. This leads into her next song in the album, “Brad Pitt”, which she wrote because she watched a movie that he starred in her childhood. After feeling defeated and scared to voice her incident with mental health, she wrote her song “Goosebumps”. “Hip Bones” pays homage to some of MØ’s earlier work and her love for guitar solos. This was also created for her partner, who has always been there for her during their 8-year relationship.
The last song of the album ends with “Punches”. MØ says that you don’t let experiences destroy you, but develop with you as you roll with the punches. This is a beautiful conclusion to the album because it says that as you go through life, you can not control how it goes. You have to go with the flow.

The album reflects the mental health that MØ struggled with and overcame. It is filled with inspiring songs. Each of the songs has its own depth, musical composure, and meaning to them. MØ created an album to lift herself out of negative mental health instead of being pulled down.