When something happens in our lives whether it be good or bad, I know, at least for myself, I turn to music to help me either get through the situation or just to make it memorable. I’m not musically talented so I rely on people like Beyonce to put out songs that I can some how relate to. It also makes you feel like you aren’t alone in what you’re going through, which connects back to what is said in the book about the four ways the media encourages public engagement. Music can fit in every one of the four ways, but focusing on the song Heaven, I believe it fits best under the category of
nurturing public belonging and community. “For many commentators, the public sphere also implies participation in a broader public culture and the nurturing of a sense of cohesiveness, common identity and belonging.”(176) People love to feel like someone out there has been through what they are going through. It gives them hope. This song is really about death, but also it’s about finally getting closure and accepting that they’re in a better place. In the beginning of the song Beyonce sings “I fought for you/The hardest, it made me the strongest/So tell me your secrets/I just can’t stand to see you leaving/But heaven couldn’t wait for you” this part really speaks on a subject she hasn’t really talked about all that much, her miscarriage. Something tragic that a lot of women go through and struggle to find peace and acceptance after. We all can find comfort in music, Beyonce has created something with this song that not only helps the women going through a miscarriage but anyone that has lost someone. This song is something that all of these people can relate to and feel like they aren’t the only one. This song is creating a sense of “belonging”, for a community of people who are struggling with the loss of a loved one. The way that she ends the song saying “so go on, go home” and the lords prayer, it makes it clear that she is finding closure, something that a lot of people struggle with. When you see that she made it through, it gives you hope that you too can make it through, because you have that one thing in common. So, whether it be a happy moment or a sad time in your life music brings people together.
