🎧 How Logic and Lee Hi Use Lyrics to Speak Loudly About Mental Health

An English and Korean Song Analysis on Depression, Suicidal Thoughts, and Healing

1. Introduction

Music has always been more than entertainment. It is a form of emotional expression, a coping mechanism, and even a source of healing. When artists use their voices to speak about mental health, their songs often become safe spaces for those silently struggling.

This week, we’re looking at two powerful songs from different parts of the world that tackle mental health head-on:

• “1-800-273-8255” by Logic ft. Alessia Cara & Khalid (United States)

• “숨 (Breathe)” by Lee Hi (South Korea)

  
  

Though these songs come from two different languages and cultures, they share themes of despair, isolation, and hope. Let’s dive in to understand how these artists used language, literary techniques, and psychology to connect with listeners in need.

2. Backstory: Why These Songs Matter

2.1 Logic’s “1-800-273-8255”

Released in 2017, Logic’s track takes its name from the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. The rapper said he wanted to write a song "from the perspective of someone who’s calling the hotline and getting help” (Genius, 2017).

📖 Free access: https://genius.com/Logic-1-800-273-8255-lyrics

🎓According to Gould et al. (2021), calls to the hotline increased by 27%, and the National Institute of Mental Health reported a reduction in suicide rates during the weeks following major public performances of the song with the most social media discourse about the song.

📖 Free access: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj-2021-067726

2.2 Lee Hi’s “숨 (Breathe)”

“숨 (Breathe)” was written by SHINee’s Kim Jonghyun, who tragically passed away in 2017. He created the song as a message of comfort for those who feel overwhelmed but don’t know how to ask for help. For Lee Hi, the song came at a time when she needed it most.

🎓In a 2020 interview with 1theK Originals, she opened up: “It’s not easy to find a song that truly comforts me. But when I come across one that reflects my emotions, I feel embraced by it. Many people feel the same way about ‘BREATHE.’ I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to sing this song.”

📖 Free access: https://genius.com/Genius-english-translations-lee-hi-breathe-english-translation-lyrics

3. The Struggle: Expressing Mental Health Through Lyrics

3.1 Despair and Suicidal Ideation

⚠️ Trigger warning: This part discusses suicidal thoughts.

Logic’s lyrics start with raw vulnerability:

“I don't wanna be alive / I just wanna die today”

Logic opens up by saying he wants to die and that he’s lost the will to live. He starts the song with something raw shows just how deeply he was struggling. If you’ve ever felt that kind of emptiness or like your life doesn’t matter, you’re not alone. That’s exactly what makes this song so powerful as it puts into words what many people are too scared to say out loud.

🎓Psychologists describe this as suicidal ideation, the desire or thought of ending one’s life. According to Gill et al. (2023), suicidal thoughts often stem from two core feelings: perceived burdensomeness and a sense of not belonging.

📖Free access: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-023-01338-5

Meanwhile, in Lee Hi’s “숨 (Breathe)”, the struggle is more subtle, but no less emotional:

“It’s okay if your breath gets short / No one blames you.”

She doesn’t directly say “I want to die,” but the metaphor of struggling to breathe mirrors panic attacks and overwhelming emotional pain, which are also symptoms of depression and anxiety. The idea of not being able to breathe easily also reflects emotional suffocation like being alive, but struggling to stay afloat.

🎓According to Jon Kabat-Zinn (2003), breath is closely tied to emotional regulation, especially in mindfulness-based therapy.

📖 Free access: https://doi.org/10.1093/clipsy.bpg016

4. Isolation and Invisible Suffering

Both songs emphasize loneliness, which psychologists say is one of the strongest predictors of suicidal behavior. Logic sings:

“I've been on the low / I been taking my time / I feel like I'm out of my mind.”

These lines reflect the early signs of emotional burnout and internal conflict. Logic describes a state of low energy and isolation (“on the low”) — a common symptom in depression, where individuals withdraw from others and lose interest in daily life. “Taking my time” can suggest he’s moving slowly through life, not out of laziness, but because even basic tasks can feel mentally draining. When he says he feels “out of [his] mind,” it reflects a disconnection from self, a psychological experience often linked to anxiety or depressive episodes.

🎓According to Elmer (2021), negative thought loops like this are a hallmark of depression.

📖 Free access: https://psychcentral.com/depression/cognitive-distortions-the-lies-depression-tells

Lee Hi’s voice is gentle, but her words are piercing:

“Even if no one knows / Don’t say anything.”

This line reflects how many people choose to hide their struggles. It relates to a concept called emotional masking, where individuals experience pain but pretend everything is fine.

Lee Hi’s lyric doesn’t imply that staying silent is the right choice rather, it highlights how common and painful that silence can be. Her words let people know that they’re not alone even if they can’t speak about what they’re going through.

🎓As Holangi (n.d.) found, 88.7% of people believe that having a mental health record could harm their chances of finding a job. Because of this stigma, many avoid seeking help. This fear of judgment and discrimination has contributed to the rise of “shadow patients” which is people who suffer quietly without receiving treatment.

📖 Free access: https://holangikr.com/korea-articles/breaking-the-stigma-surrounding-mental-health-in-south-korea

5. Literary Devices: Metaphor and Repetition

5.1 Metaphors That Reflect Psychology

In Lee Hi’s song, “breathe” is used as a metaphor for emotional survival. It’s not just about air, but it’s about finding the strength to exist one more day.

🎓According to Lakoff and Johnson (1980) in their book Metaphors We Live By, metaphors help us understand abstract feelings in physical ways.

📖 Free access: https://archive.org/details/gulshangakitob/page/n13/mode/2up

It's okay to make mistakes sometimes / Because anyone can do so

This line shows that she’s offering a gentle reminder that emotional struggles and setbacks are a natural part of being human. Instead of seeing mistakes or breakdowns as failures, she encourages us to accept them as something everyone experiences. This perspective helps reduce self-judgment and opens the door to healing and growth.

Logic uses a reversal of the first verse:

“I finally wanna be alive / I don’t wanna die anymore.”

Rather than a simple emotional flip, this turning point represents a complex internal process where Logic begins to confront his struggles and open himself to recovery.

🎓According to Marisa (2022), this change reflects a movement within the Kübler-Ross model of grief, specifically the transition from denial to acceptance.

📖 Free access: https://www.healthcentral.com/condition/depression/stages-of-grief

5.2 Repetition: Mirroring Mental Patterns

Both songs use repetition strategically.

I finally wanna be alive / I finally wanna be alive

Logic repeats “I finally wanna be alive” to emphasize the slow and difficult transition from wanting to die to wanting to live.

🎓Lorenzo-Luaces et al. (2014) states that repetition is part of how we get stuck in negative thinking. But in this case, the repetition helps rewire those thoughts in a more hopeful direction.

📖 Free access: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2014.12.003

Lee Hi repeats comforting phrases like:

“It’s okay, it’s okay.”

This repetition feels like a hug. When Lee Hi repeats “It’s okay, it’s okay,” she’s offering comfort and creating a moment of emotional safety.

Repetition, especially of simple and soothing phrases, is known in psychology to regulate stress and reduce emotional overwhelm. It mimics the way we self-soothe or reassure others during moments of anxiety or pain. Rather than offering a dramatic solution, these quiet words validate the listener’s feelings and gently remind them they don’t have to be okay all at once.

🎓According to Popova (2016), repetition in literature and song helps us internalize emotion as we feel it, not just understand it.

📖Free access: https://www.themarginalian.org/2014/09/18/on-repeat-margulis/

6. Emotional Tone and Musical Style

The songs also differ in their musical style, which affects how the message is delivered emotionally. The way a song is made, its tempo, melody, and instruments also affects how we feel the message.

• Logic’s production is fast-paced, intense, and includes multiple voices, symbolizing a rising internal conflict that ends in resolution.

• Lee Hi’s ballad is soft, slow, and minimalist. It’s a musical breathing space. The tempo mirrors real breathing like slowed down, relaxed, therapeutic.

🎓According to Team (2025), music can help us release emotions because it connects to parts of the brain that handle how we feel, like the amygdala, which processes things like fear, stress, and comfort.

📖Free access: https://www.clrn.org/how-does-music-affect-the-brain-and-emotions/

7. Cultural Differences, Universal Emotions

Despite coming from different cultures, both Logic and Lee Hi show that mental health is a universal human experience. Each culture has its own ways of understanding and managing it including through music, which often becomes a tool for healing.

🎓According to Okolo et al. (2024), emotions like fear, shame, and pain are universal, even though the way people express and cope with them can differ across cultures.

📖 Free access: https://doi.org/10.51594/ijarss.v6i3.888

8. Conclusion

Through the raw honesty of Logic’s “1-800-273-8255” and the gentle compassion of Lee Hi’s “숨 (Breathe)”, we learn that music can be a lifeline. Both songs explore emotional suffering with authenticity, using literary devices, therapeutic metaphors, and relatable narratives that resonate deeply.

Whether you’re struggling or supporting someone who is, these songs remind us of one important truth:

💬 You are not alone and even when words fail, music speaks.