In the fickle world of contemporary pop music, lots of artists are working hard to either get noticed, to reach the top, or to stay there.  It’s a fast-paced, calculated, and highly competitive environment where people are constantly tempted to compromise and sacrifice their artistry to reach the top.  In an era where sound physical record sales have given away to digital streaming and piracy, it’s no surprise that artists are under extreme pressure to stay away from controversial topics, or anything that is not a ‘safe bet’ to generate revenue.

But on rare occasion, an artist turns down the industry noise, follows their instincts and gathers the courage to tackle a taboo subject in the pop sphere.  For artist Logic (and his songwriting collaborators Alessia Cara, Khalid, 6ix and Drew Taggart), the decision to write a song about suicide prevention has yielded ground-breaking results.  The song ‘1-800-273-8255’ takes its title from the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.  Not only has this incredible work become a huge hit, but the song has made a real impact.  Here’s more on that from Zack O’Malley Greenburg of Forbes.com…

On April 28, 2017—the day 30 Under 30 alum Logic released the song “1-800-273-8255,” named for the National Suicide Prevention Hotline—the organization received 4,573 calls, a 27% surge. It was the second-highest total in the organization’s history behind the day Robin Williams died; the only other event that generated a comparable influx was the election of Donald Trump.

“[It’s about] being able to be a part of something that’s truly bigger than yourself,” says Logic’s manager, Chris Zarou, 28. “Getting the data, to actually see the people it’s helping, is just a special thing.”

Via Twitter, the rapper shared further statistics from the NSPL showing a similar impact after the song’s performance on the MTV Video Music Awards.  There’s no doubt that this song is helping to save lives.

Thankfully for us, ‘1-800-273-8255’ appears to be just the start to Logic’s success.  After the breakout success of the single, the rapper’s new album Everybody debuted at Number 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, becoming his biggest success to date.  Tackling a variety of issues from equality to domestic violence, the pop pantheon hasn’t seen a such a diversity of socially conscious music since Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation 1814.  And much like that iconic work, Logic has found a public hungry for music and art that tackles serious issues, and ready to hear what he has to say.  Despite the pervasive fears of industry leaders, music with an important message is once again creating space, and reaching the people that need to hear it.

If you haven’t heard ‘1-800-273-8255’, check it out below.