There is no jump without a fall, no fall without a jump. That is life.

Imagine the Breaking News hosting the most famous pop artist who is talking about his new single. He is not only talking spontaneously about the song with the (too charming, eloquent, not-only-talking-head) TV hostess, but also performing it live, unexpectedly?!

I know that roses don't always grow in the courtyard of kings. However, when you get out of the lifelong monotony transformed into the longest-running television reality show at 7.30 pm, preceded by an equally monotonous brain teaser/quiz, you realize that things happen more spontaneously in someone else's backyard; the forms change (at least in terms of media) every season, many topics are started - not only to fill the program with them, but to essentially point out a particular problem. Such attitude and presentation are the starting point for the mental purification of the nation and what we colloquially refer to as mental hygiene.

The hero of this story is the Belgian singer Stromae who has done something magnificent for the audience and very painful but healing for him. Stromae has written the song L'enfer (Hell) in which he talks about his struggle with depression and obsessive suicidal thoughts. Such direct address to everyone who has the same problem, with a very clear description for those to whom this field (fortunately) is completely unknown is sending a transparent, powerful, stimulating message and support for resisting such a state of mind.

The world is changing… It would be much better to adapt to it. However, we must never forget - we are not of the same kind.

It is difficult to keep up the pace or plan anything in advance in light of the global pandemic and uncertainty present in environments like ours, even multiplied by ten. Stromae is precisely talking about all of that, stripped to the core, honest to the core:

Everything I ‘ve been thinking about, It’s crazy how many people have thought just the same. But even that doesn’t help me feeling less alone, Actually. I’ve considered suicide a few times and I’m not proud of it. Sometimes you feel it’d be the only way to silence them, All these thoughts putting me through hell…
(L’enfer/Hell)

In the continuation of the song, Stromae emphasizes the unbearable feeling of guilt, hopelessness and insecurity, which when externally supported, contributes to the culmination of discomfort and leads to the abyss. The highlight is the struggle with one's own fears, expulsion of obsessive thoughts and realization that there is only one life and nothing else matters.

We have all forgotten it, bit by bit, in the general disappearance of social justice, social peace… peace.

Stromae was a special guest of Breaking News, stated at the beginning of this story, on the French national television. And everything, although only well staged, has achieved the desired effect and sent a strong, impressive message to the nation that no one is alone with their pain and problem. Everything was followed and supported by Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization, who immediately congratulated the author for the song on his Twitter account, emphasizing the importance of its appearance:

’Thank you, Stromae, for raising the difficult topic of suicide on your latest album. So important to reach out for help if you are struggling and to support those who need it’.

It is striking how much this topic is completely out of the media focus in our country, how rarely the expansion of this type of mental illness is discussed. Public figures express their views on many daily political issues. Pop artists are (as usual) in their soap bubble world. Our attention is occupied with everything and everyone, and this sore point is pulsating more and more. Is that right? Conduct an internal survey in your community and let us know what conclusions you have reached.

It is important, for a start, to speak publicly about things oppressing people from within. Unfortunately, the coronavirus time has opened a new chapter of mental problems on the rise, without having time to substantially deal with or solve even the previous ones. That is why the small steps that each of us can take in the repeated search for our place under the sun are important.

Stories of many musicians point to that. Like Stromae, they have also gone through a similar hell - from Brian Wilson (Beach Boys) through Bruce Springsteen, Sinéad O'Connor and Alanis Morissette to today's superstars Billie Eilish, Justin Bieber or Ariana Grande.

’People often describe my songs as musically cheerful and thematically dark and slighlty sad. That is the way how I see life ... There is no jump without a fall, no fall without a jump. That is life’, Stromae said, commenting on the single L'enfer.

You will admit, it is a very simple relation that does not allow for the presence of any ’unknown’. Stick to that simplicity. Be authentic, be strong and optimistic.

Don't let it break you!