Demi Lovato & Marshmello Drop “OK Not To Be OK” In Time for Suicide Prevention & National Self-Care Month

Demi Lovato and Marshmello have released their newest collaboration “OK Not to Be OK”, and the timely couldn't be more perfect. September marks both Suicide Prevention Month and National Self-Care Month, calling together individuals and organizations to draw attention to the problem of suicide and the topic of mental health. With suicide being considered a public health concern and one of the leading causes of death in the United States, many artists and activists are coming together, especially during the month of September, to try to touch the lives of those that are faced with thoughts of suicide and remind everyone that it is important to take care of ourselves.  

Demi and Marshmello chose to release “OK Not to Be OK” on September 10th, which also happens to be World Suicide Prevention Day. The song discusses the difficult topic of depression, and Demi and Marshmello sought to create a song that would help to remove the stigma around mental health. With the current state of the world, the topic of mental health is extremely important and valuable for everyone, especially teenagers. Mental health and negative thoughts are a difficult topic for many to talk about, as they often do not know who to go to or do not think anyone will understand what they are going through. Lovato and Marshmello hoped that the song would make teens realize that mental health issues are extremely common and that, when we are feeling negative, it is best to talk out our emotions with someone else because it is more than likely that that person has also experienced negative thoughts or something similar in their life.

The same day, the duo also released the music video for “OK Not to Be OK”, which transported them back to their childhood bedrooms. The music video flipped between the teen versions and the adult versions of both Demi and Marshmello. Young Demi is seen trashing her teenage bedroom and young Marshmello is pictured riding around his neighborhood and rolling in the grass. By representing both the younger and the present versions of the singers, it goes to show that mental health does not have an age barrier;, it can impact people of all ages, and while we can suppress it or help better it, it often does not go away. Mental health is a struggle that people of many ages are forced to go through throughout various points in their lives, and Demi and Marshmello want everyone to realize that their feelings are valid, that they are heard, and that what they are going through is common!

So, let this new pop jam be your go-to song this week and make this inspirational Demi lyric be your new mantra: “It's okay not to be okay / When you're down and you feel ashamed / It’s okay not to be okay..." Let’s start now, and begin the conversation on mental health, self-care, and suicide prevention!